I wanted to know what peoples view on tipping takeout food was. I used to do it all the time, quite generously, but have found these days that they hardly even acknowledge the tip anymore which has kind of made me less motivated to be overly generous.

Curious to hear peoples thoughts.

---

If I order and pick it up I don’t normally tip. Not that I’m cheap or anything. At the table I do 20% unless I get unusually good or bad service. Whether right or wrong, I assume the tip of for the waiter or waitress. The restaurant prices their food. If I am getting it boxed up and your not filling my drink or getting me a sauce I want then I don’t see a need to tip for takeout.

Someone with restaurant experience may have a different opinion.

---

I may or may not tip takeout depending on the service level required, and so forth. I always tip a bartender, usually a dollar, for every single drink.

---

I just go to a lot of the same places and don't want to be considered "that guy", but also in a lot of the places I go, it is the owner doing the bagging and cashiering, so my tip basically covers the inconvenience of bagging the order. I typically tip 10% for takeout but if it is an expensive sushi order or something, I typically cap my tip at $3.

---

I just go to a lot of the same places and don't want to be considered "that guy", but also in a lot of the places I go, it is the owner doing the bagging and cashiering, so my tip basically covers the inconvenience of bagging the order. I typically tip 10% for takeout but if it is an expensive sushi order or something, I typically cap my tip at $3.

I don’t want to be “that guy” either.  What’s funny is when it is sushi, that’s when I feel worse about it.  But like you said, it usually is the owner.  So I get over it.

---

I tend to go by the "class factor" of the restaurant and the general friendliness/helpfulness of the staff I encounter.
Nicer joints get a bit more consideration for a takeout tip.

I do not think an 18-20% tip is ever appropriate for takeout. That's reserved for table or bar service.
I tend to just go with two or three bucks for takeout unless it's a large or difficult order, or the service was somehow exceptional. Then maybe a dollar or two more.

Many restaurants hosts and hostesses that may deal with your takeout order receive gratuity from a "tip share" program from a pool of the restaurant staff's total gratuity. Generally their "cut" is significantly less than bartenders and wait staff and this is why they may not react to gratuity when it's presented.

---

Take out? No. They're doing their job and providing nothing extra.

Waitresses and Waiters are paid less than minimum wage and require tips.

---

I wanted to know what peoples view on tipping takeout food was. I used to do it all the time, quite generously, but have found these days that they hardly even acknowledge the tip anymore which has kind of made me less motivated to be overly generous.

Curious to hear peoples thoughts.

Fast food joint? no.

Pizza joint? maybe a buck or two, but I always opt for pick up in lieu of delivery because I am not waiting as long as delivery takes, and I don't feel obligated to pay the driver for the service of driving my food to me. I usually pick up the food while running some other errand. Especially if I eat from the same business repeatedly, if they know the customer tips, you're more likely to get better service/preparation.

Some other restaurant? Again, a few bucks over the cost of food. Especially if they are courteous, do well to provide ample proportions of food, and are attentive to any requests we have regarding the food (I don't eat onions, for example).

The tips don't have to be over the top, but even if a few appreciative customers drop a few bucks in the jar, that may pay for that person's meal during their shift. Meaning the little they're making actually goes toward their income, and not just offsetting expense. I've been very fortunate, and have never been in times of desperate want. I am generous with what I have, and am happy to be able to be that way. I also do not criticize friends or others in the group that may not be putting a little extra in the jar when they get their food.

---

I may or may not tip takeout depending on the service level required, and so forth.  I always tip a bartender, usually a dollar, for every single drink.

This is kind of my train of thought. If you frequent the same restaurant, and tip the counter staff well, they are going to make sure that your order is filled timely, and that nothing is neglected (missing sauces, sides, and the like) when they are getting your order ready for pick up.

Same with the barkeep - if you tip well, and it's crowded, they'll come to you first, and maybe that pour will be a little more generous than the others.

---

I go to the same few places all the time, so I tip whoever takes care of me so that they continue to do so.Usually I throw on 10% for takeout, but table service is substantially more. My bartender gets 30 to 50% of the bill because I benefit from his house account.

---

“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

For take out food that I pick up?  I usually won't tip.

An "average" restaurant where I get decent food and reasonable service I tend to do 20% - 25%.

Some of my "regular spots" where I know the wait staff, cooks, bartenders and other employees are different.  I tend to tip VERY well.  I always get great service and the food is always good.

---

There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

For regular places, IF my food is ready to get when it was promised, they'll get a couple bucks.

Regular dining 20% for decent service. Deductions as appropriate.

Funny thing is, I have friends from Spain and they HATE tipping. Apparently it's a very American concept.

---

For regular places, IF my food is ready to get when it was promised, they'll get a couple bucks.

Regular dining 20% for decent service. Deductions as appropriate.

Funny thing is, I have friends from Spain and they HATE tipping. Apparently it's a very American concept.

It is an American concept.  There are places over-seas where tipping is almost an "insult".

---

There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

For regular places, IF my food is ready to get when it was promised, they'll get a couple bucks.

Regular dining 20% for decent service. Deductions as appropriate.

Funny thing is, I have friends from Spain and they HATE tipping. Apparently it's a very American concept.

It is an American concept.  There are places over-seas where tipping is almost an "insult".

It's an American concept because in every other country in the world waiters and waitresses are paid fairly. Here they make 4-5 dollars less than minimum wage.

---

It is an American concept.  There are places over-seas where tipping is almost an "insult".

It's an American concept because in every other country in the world waiters and waitresses are paid fairly. Here they make 4-5 dollars less than minimum wage.

"Paid fairly" is subjective and doesn't apply to just waitstaff it also applies to bar tenders, hotel maids, drivers, delivery people etc.  There are some people that choose the service industry solely because working for tips could be good money.  I have family members that chose it because it's what they like to do and they make a decent living from it. 

Granted being a waiter or waitress at IHOP or Applebees isn't going to pay as much as doing the same thing at a country club or a fine dining restaurant.

The other thing to consider is that much of the service industry, specifically the restaurant industry is a very low profit-margin business.  Paying people what some would call a "fair wage" would drive many businesses to shut down.

---

There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

It is an American concept.  There are places over-seas where tipping is almost an "insult".

It's an American concept because in every other country in the world waiters and waitresses are paid fairly. Here they make 4-5 dollars less than minimum wage.

If given the opportunity, I am pretty sure servers in other countries would opt to make $2 an hour with the potential upside of tips.

I have been to the UK several times and the service is God-awful.

---

Both of my daughters worked as waitresses, and both have told me they would rather work for tips than a flat wage.
I had a conversation with a waitress in Australia about this and she was divided. While a flat wage guarantees a paycheck during slow times, she lamented the lost income potential of the busy times.

---

I wanted to know what peoples view on tipping takeout food was. I used to do it all the time, quite generously, but have found these days that they hardly even acknowledge the tip anymore which has kind of made me less motivated to be overly generous.

Curious to hear peoples thoughts.

Short version: if it's a chain, no. If it's a local restaurant and/or the woman who preps/brings over my order is attractive, yes, usually 15-20% (25% if she's hot).

---

It's an American concept because in every other country in the world waiters and waitresses are paid fairly. Here they make 4-5 dollars less than minimum wage.

If given the opportunity, I am pretty sure servers in other countries would opt to make $2 an hour with the potential upside of tips.

I have been to the UK several times and the service is God-awful.

You've been to the wrong parts of the UK. The tipping system in the US is purely about the employer dodging taxes by "encouraging" the patron to pay their staff. The difference between tipping in the UK and tipping here is that in the UK, it's a genuine show of gratitude for a bartender pouring you an almost-double of Scotch because he it's ten minutes to closing time and he wants to get rid of that bottle, or to a waiter for giving you truly excellent service. There's a different standard of service when tipping is expected vs. when it's earned, and if you leave a restaurant in the UK without tipping, you can still go back there again tomorrow without fear of being poisoned.

---

If given the opportunity, I am pretty sure servers in other countries would opt to make $2 an hour with the potential upside of tips.

I have been to the UK several times and the service is God-awful.

You've been to the wrong parts of the UK. The tipping system in the US is purely about the employer dodging taxes by "encouraging" the patron to pay their staff. The difference between tipping in the UK and tipping here is that in the UK, it's a genuine show of gratitude for a bartender pouring you an almost-double of Scotch because he it's ten minutes to closing time and he wants to get rid of that bottle, or to a waiter for giving you truly excellent service. There's a different standard of service when tipping is expected vs. when it's earned, and if you leave a restaurant in the UK without tipping, you can still go back there again tomorrow without fear of being poisoned.

Every time you eat British food you have the fear of being poisoned.

---

“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

I thought this thread about somebody's Starbucks falling over in the car...

---