Required by the restaurant or required by the law? (as in, this restaurant is asking this, or Boston is asking this?)
I am inconsistent. For pure takeout, I would say that tip 25-30% of the time. Moreover, I usually tip at 10-15%, whereas my normal dine-in tip is 20% or higher.
However, sometime I would dine in at a restaurant and also ask for a take out at the same time. In thi case, I usually pay a 20% for the entire bill --basically tipping the take out at 20%.
Are we referring to the delivery aspect or just grabbing something directly from the restaurant?
I would normally tip if I have something delivered, but more often than not, just zero my take out and round up.
The thing with takeout is that unless you’re actually standing there watching them pack it up, you have no idea it’s all in there. They bring it out all tied up in a bag. The main course or meat is usually on the bottom with sides and everything else in small containers on top.
Other than a cursory peek what are you supposed to do? Unload the the whole bag to double check? Upsetting juicy stuff and all that.
I don’t tip for takeout because you should not have to. And half the time I’m glad.
I feel similarly whenever I visit China - I speak the language exactly like everyone else, but people’s expectations of me and how I’d behave are wildly different from how I perceive myself and tend to actually behave. (I also grew up in the American south, but couldn’t pass for anything but an immigrant there!)
Oddly enough, whenever I’ve been in London, I’ve heard more American accents than English ones - likely because most people going to restaurants, shops, etc. during weekday work hours are probably tourists… In Birmingham, on the other hand, the owner of a really good Sichuan restaurant once took the credit card I handed him, exclaimed that it was American, and asked me what on earth drew me to visit his city all the way from the US.
As far as tipping, I always found it inconvenient that many places in the UK/Ireland didn’t allow for the tip to be charged to the credit card. But then I heard somewhere that tipping in cash increased the likelihood of it actually going to the server, which is good.
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I dont mind tipping on takeout over the counter for food . As long as they see me put the tip in the jar .
Signed George Costanza .
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That didn’t work out very well for George.
We’ve had similar questions in several towns we’ve visited in the States over the years. At least these days, Americans recognise our accents as being British, rather than a run across the English speaking world. The regular one used to be asking us if we were from New Zealand - and, no, my northwest England accent is absolutely nothing like a New Zealand one.
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So when you get home with your takeout and the packer screwed up your order, is it ok to go back and get your tip? Or, should they get in a taxi with the correct items? I don’t ever remember a waitress packing my takeout. It’s always been the hostess or cashier or owner/manager.
And why would anyone tip for a cup of coffee?!? I’m mean aren’t I?
CocoDan
If in doubt then check the order before you leave the establishment. Plenty of people do that physically and/or verbally. They generally double check prior to paying.
If the place routinely screws up the order then the manager needs to know. Staff either isn’t trained or there needs to be a dedicated person responsible.
Note: I’m not talking about places where take out is the business model. I’m referring to places that are primarily sit-down but accept take out orders.
Now go get another cup of coffee!
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Keep in mind I do tip well for take-out, just not for coffee.
CocoDan
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Got it!
I’ve said my peace on tipping - but I’m asking this question seriously.
For those of you who tip for takeout (speaking about take out places, not delivery and not sit down places that offer take out) -
Do you tip at a McDonalds or Wendy’s or a Panera? If not why is that different for you from say a pizza take out or a Chinese take out only restaurant? How do you decide which take out places get tips and which don’t? Since people brought up “coffee and muffin” places, Tip at a Dunkin’ Donuts versus Starbucks or both the same?
I stop in to a local, family-owned bagel shop once or twice a month. It’s always quite busy, usually with a customer queue during their business hours.
My order always is a plain bagel, with a schmeer of butter-- not toasted, to go. Who ever takes my order has to get the bagel, split it, add butter, and wrap and bag it with accompanying napkins before handing it off to me. This shop also has at least a dozen bagel sandwiches on a set menu, some specials, a coffee bar, and soup and dessert offerings. They have a dine in seating area, but obviously a vast majority of their business is take out.
This business does not have a tip jar. Ironically, there is always a community fundraising jug for some organization at the register. This rotates quite often. Currently it’s a small and cute Red Kettle.
Employee mix is probably 60 /40 adults to high school students. For the 10 years or so I’ve patronized the place, I’ve only seen turnover in in the staff of teenagers–not in the adult employee group.
This business must be doing a whole lot of things right.
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“There were no restaurants in my town that required tipping, because there alcohol sales were illegal”
Curious as to why you’d say alcohol sales were a requirement for tipping at an otherwise full service restaurant, predumably here in the US. . I have to say that’s a new take (for me) on the much discussed tipping topic.
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McDonald’s has, or used to have, a no-tipping policy, not that my waistline can handle McD’s anymore. I don’t know about Wendy’s. At Panera I have only seen donation jars and not tipping jars, but haven’t been in a while so their policy may have changed. I don’t see any difference between Dunkin’s and Starbucks as far as tipping goes. I usually leave some change or a buck, depending on what I’ve purchased. I tried to tip at the Burlington Clover but the young woman who waited on me said they don’t accept tips and that she’d be happy if I’d just post something on the feedback forum about service. Just a personal preference to leave a little something.
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I’m guessing that “off premise alcohol sales” were illegal?
sorry, I didn’t write precisely enough. It was a very small town in North Carolina in the early 70’s where no alcohol could be sold anywhere…store or restaurant. The only restaurants were family-owned places that served home-cooked southern food (of course). You could get country-style steak with 3 vegetables for $5 or so, four vegetable plate for less than that, eggs, bacon, and biscuit for $3 or so. People just left spare change for tips (sometimes, say, a dime) and no one thought of tipping in terms of %… It was accepted. And it was a long time ago in a very small town. The context I was writing in was describing the job opportunities way back then and why I was never a server, since I could make more per hour at the textile mill.
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I usually don’t tip for takeout either, but I do tip for delivery. Now I’ve dropped a few bucks in those bins on occasions. In my minimal restaurant experience, prepping for takeout at the places I’ve seen is food comes out in a container. Waitress/hostess or cashier person closes box, bags, and brings to the front. I see just as many places where the waitstaff just bring orders to the front – takeout is really handled differently.
I guess my view is similar to the somewhat mixed emotions of seeing what feels like owners taking advantage of tipping culture, and using this as an excuse not to pay reasonably “fair” wages (I use this to mean at least minimum wage here) for staff. Tipping was intended for good service during a meal – this includes extended time providing a good dining experience for customers – not for just giving customers their food. Being polite, actually getting food to customers are the basics. But someone who provides insight into dishes, may or may not listen to what a customer really wants and make an appropriate recommendation, is able to anticipate a diner’s need (water, timely checks, etc) is something a little more.
Now, I understand the pressures of the restaurant business and that many food places are small businesses. But does that mean customers should be subsidizing wages for an owner? In theory, of course not, but we all want our favorite places to stay in business and we do want those hard working college kids or part-timers who need the money to not live on bare minimum wages so we tip from time to time. I agree that this is just terrible though that these are the choices. I really do wish we could somehow bring that culture of service from Japan here, along with reasonable wages, and just leave this silly tipping requirement/expectation at home. If someone’s fabulous, anyone should still have discretion to give it.
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The original post was about Cafe De Lulu. They are now closed.
