Brooklyn. We met when I trekked out to the Soul Kitchen dinner several years ago. But I easily forgive stealth check grabbers for not remembering me, as it takes them longer to drop me from their dinner invite lists.
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Then, turnabout is fair play.
But to a server in the US 3.5-4% is a big deal
?
What does that have to do with what I wrote?
3.5% is usually a negligible amount on my dinner check, I don’t mind paying the extra.
The extra is often taken out of the server’s tip.
I apologize that I did not remember you. That dinner seems like a lifetime ago. If you’re willing to make another trek to NJ, I’m hosting a pot luck HO down at my house Saturday 8/6. The details are here -
The invitation is open to anyone else interested!
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True but I’m not sure I’m known for my fairness when it comes to paying. I tend to err on the side of generosity. And to bring it back to the original topic, I’m also a generous tipper.
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And you’re getting this from…?
I’d think it would be taken out on a par basis, e.g. on a $50 tab with $10 tip, assuming 3.5% CC fee or $2.10 total, the business pays $1.75 to the credit card corp, with remainder to the business of $48.25, and similarly the server’s $10 gets knocked to $9.65 to pay the 3.5% fee on the $10.
Of course, depending on where you’re at restaurants may pool tips and redistribute, so it’s not as if that particular $10 (or $9.65) was earmarked to that particular server.
Thanks for the invite, but I can’t. I was joking about not being remembered… it really was quite awhile ago, but it was nice meeting the N.Jersey HO folk. Of course, if any of you are ever in Brooklyn…
You’re dismissing the possibility that the tip gets paid in cash. And @Gourmanda, with his/her continued very uncharitable readings of, well, everything, is ignoring that paying a slightly higher check results in a proportionally slightly higher tip.
What we have to realize is that “afford” and “can pay for” are two totally different things. Some people who barely squeak by, pay check to pay check, afford things others with more disposable income don’t. It all depends on one’s priorities and what seems worth it to one. No right and wrong, just different choices.
So BK’s $1000 meal is completely and justifiably doable and reasonable for him. Given equal financial situation, YMMV. We each run our own economies.
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Certainly that would not incur any CC fees. But I thought the argument (to the extent there was one) was about paying the whole check with the card. Sorry if I’ve misunderstood the convo.
No problem.
Thinking about it .
Small amounts of cash turn into larger and larger amounts. That’s why people work. I don’t think you’ll get the Amish to use any card, any time soon. I always hear this argument that cash is criminality. I doubt if the Amish are making meth, nor my carpenter is dealing fentanyl. If you live in a city, cards are great. I don’t see the need for cash disappearing here any time soon. People don’t always trust E money. I only use a card to gain air miles, otherwise I’d be all cash.
I don’t always tip in cash, but I like to.
Here’ my sub topic. If you tip at a register, say at Starbucks or Papa Murphy’s, do you throw the money in while the server’s back is turned, or do you wait so they can see that you tipped them?
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Multiple news stories. The most notable being Batali/Bastianich but many others along the way.
Let me get this straight: You’ve decided to use a prominent example of tip-stealing - from 10+ years ago - as an argument against paying a restaurant bill with a credit card?
And you’ve made your disapproval of expensive meals pretty clear, but they exist, whether you like it or not. Should those diners be forced to carry large amounts of cash on the off-chance a restaurant owner will engage in criminal behavior toward servers?
What, exactly, are you advocating?
That plus $2 will get me a cup of coffee.
Pay however the hell you want. Just know how your payment affects both small business owners and individual servers. If you haven’t heard of local, recent cases of servers having their tips garnered to pay the credit card service fee then you’re either living in Eden or under a rock.
