Tipping on Takeout or Quick Eats

By quick eats I mean a place where you go up to a counter and either they call your name when it is ready or the very most they bring it to your table.

I rarely if ever tip at somewhere I order at a counter/register.

I almost always tip on takeout, but generally nowhere near 20%, probably around 10% but depends on the place.



I'm curious what others do. I'm especially curious as to the reasons why someone would tip at starbucks, a pizza by the slice place, or a deli.

There are times when I'm getting takeout and they know what I tipped before my food is even started. I don't expect bad service, but I also have no idea what a normal tip is for them.

 

I'll be interested to see how this thread turns out. I consider myself a good tipper, but I don't tip at the counter (though I'll throw the change in a tip jar). I also don't tip for take-out, unless I've placed a really large order. Perhaps I need to rethink things?

 

I own a few delis/cafes that you order at the counter etc. No one hardly tips but I do leave a "tip jar" out for my employees that they split up every 2-3 weeks.

I always take care of them myself every friday (payday) when business is good. Imho, tips are not mandatory but they are appreciated since the sandwich makers, grill ppl, etc are still taking care of you just like a waiter and delivery driver.

Even a buck per customer or just the change in the jar goes a long way every few weeks and it adds up.

That being said, I usually tip a delivery driver 5-10 dollars, walkup/deli counter 2-3 dollars and starbucks my change from a regular grande regular coffee.

 

I stay at the Nugget, so generally hit Starbucks first thing in the morning for a coffee, and occasionally a pastry or croissant.

That normally comes to around $8 or so, and I'll just hand over $10.

Whenever I use the gift shop at the Nugget for any soft drinks, alcohol or snacks. I'll hand over a dollar with any coins that I get back in change, because I never like carrying the shrapnel around.

I guess I do tip a bit more than the norm if I think about it, but in the scheme of things a couple bucks here and there doesn't really matter, and generally the reaction you get is worth it to me.

Don't get me wrong, if whoever I'm dealing with is miserable or completely uninterested in a bit of idle chat. I'll take all the change and give it to the next person I come into contact with.

The happiest time of the year for me is when I'm in Vegas, so I'm generally in a great mood all the time

 

For take out places like Starbucks or fastfood places (Subway, Sbarro's) we leave tips.

Not just talking Las Vegas, but pretty much anywhere: to certain people a tip is expected, like restaurant waiter/waitress, bartender, cocktail server, etc. To them they expect the tip and often only react when the tip is low or not coming at all... the ones who rarely get tips, like a fast food server, will almost always appreciate any tip.

Many years ago my wife worked for Subway and Starbucks and in both cases she loved getting tips. I don't mean in the sense that everybody loves getting free money, but getting a tip made her feel appreciated by her customers, and in a really good week it would sometimes add up to a significant portion of her pay.

 

I work in the service industry, so I usually try to tip anywhere I can whether it's take-out, or a deli counter. There are a few places in Vegas the I found where they told me they couldn't accept tips one of them being Johnny Rocket's in The Flamingo.

 

If there's a tip jar out I'll throw my change in it usually, unless its less than a quarter then if I can't pad it with some other change or a buck I find it's probably best not to bother. I hate when you hand over a five and get like 8 cents back for example, I'd feel a bigger loser throwing it in the jar than my pocket at that point.

If there's no tip jar then I only tip if a server goes out of their way for me.

It always seems a little arbitrary where the tip line was drawn. Someone twists a cap off a bottle of beer and hands it to you and should be tipped but the fast food attendant that makes you a real ice cream milk shake with whipped cream and a cherry on top isn't expected to be tipped?

 

Nope. Sorry but takeout service isn't the type of service that equates to the level of a tip to me. I don't do complicated orders that require extra steps or that disrupts the lines and the general scowls and bad attitudes don't inspire me. I appreciate the need to tip I full service environments but I don't appreciate the idea that the food service industry is pushing even more of the wage burden on customers through tip jars.

 

I do exactly as you do

 

I work in the service industry, when I have to pack up a Togo order this is taking me away from my bar customers that are tipping me for my service thus the few minutes that it takes me away from my customers a few bucks here and there is usually appreciated

 

Yes, we do if they go to the trouble to make us something.....like Haag n daaz (sp) / Starbucks, etc. If there is a tip jar we also throw something in there at other times. I feel they are giving us a service and their pay is usually low.....so why not give them a little extra. At home we have a Chinese restaurant that we go thru their drive-thru.....same happy, friendly waitress every time over the years and always tip her.

 

Never tipped anyone at a fast food place, other than extra change in a charity bottle or can.
Starbucks/Coffee I dont drink it so im never in one, but I could see tossing change in a tip jar.
Delivery always 3-5$ depending on the service and speed.

In Vegas things change, I watched a couple years ago as my limo driver bought a 12 pack of waters for the limo and left 2-3$ tip at the little quick stop store we were at. That seemed a little much to me, but tipping is the life blood of Vegas. Ive learned as I have gotten older, to tip just about anywhere I can. Ive always liked to think that tipping generously while in Vegas, will give me a bit of a karma advantage as opposed to my younger more frugal trips!

 

This right there. I used to work at subway and we did more work than almost all waitresses i have ever come across. I would go in at 6am and do prep till 11am. Most of the stuff does not come that way with the exception of lettuce, pickles & hot peppers. Everything else has to be cut up. We even separated cheese/bacon so that it wouldn't take long with the customers. That was a long boring job, but it meant they got their food faster so we did it, on top of prepping the bread & baking it. There is a lot of work to be done there.

 

Nope. Never.

 

I think you make a valid point there. Now, if I could get just one Subway (or Arbys, or McDonalds, or Burger King etc etc) to look even close to the ones I see on the commercials, I'd be happy.

My opinion on the OP's question. I seldom do unless they go out of their way to get me what I want.

 

It appears the consensus is, if it evolves food or beverage handling, you tip no matter what the situation or surroundings are. Maybe the grocery store is still an exception if extra service isn't provided? (Thinking about the kids who pack your car or help you to it,)

 

I don't ever tip at fast food and personally find the tip jars annoying.

I do usually tip a couple of bucks for takeout from a restaurant. Such as an Applebee's or TGI Friday's. Even though I find it a little silly to tip I know they expect it so I do it.

I pretty much tip 20% across-the-board at any sitdown restaurant. I generally think of myself as a good tipper but The proliferation of tipping anybody you come in contact with is getting a little bit out of hand.

 

This was the only type of job I ever had that could see tips. Not at a grocery store, but I worked in the warehouse for a large store for a little while in college. Occasionally we'd have to carry a big item out to someone's car. Most of the time it was for women and they never tipped, occasionally it would be for a guy and we could see a tip. Especially from Italian guys.

As far as the OP's question if it is the type of place that mostly does take-out I don't really tip, maybe just the change into a tip jar if I pay cash. But when we get take-out from a nicer restaurant that doesn't usually do take-out orders then I tend to tip something since it is still a waitress who takes the order and packs everything up. There is not a great logical reason why I tip in the latter versus the former, but it just feels more appropriate.

 

At chain fast food places, I never tip. If its a mom-n-pop casual dining type of place I will usually throw a dollar in the tip jar.

 

I forgot to mention something about change in my initial post. I used to throw my change in a jar most of the time. 5-6 years ago though I switched to using CC 99% of the time. It seems odd tipping $0.75 on a credit card receipt.


I have a few local places where it seems they force you to sign the receipt just because you may add a tip.

I never felt it required after I order a piece of pizza, I was curious how many people tipped at a place like starbucks.