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Tipping in a quick service restaurant.

mattscott306

mattscott306

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 16, 2007
3,769
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Ok, so I go to burrito places like moes and willy's pretty often, and when you pay with a card they always have a tip line. I'm a pretty good tipper at restaurants (normally I do around 25%), but I don't normally tip at the burrito places. I just don't feel like I get the personalized service deserving of a tip like I do in a regular restaurant.

What do you guys feel about tipping in a non-sit down restaurant?


And before this gets way out of hand- yes I understand that Europeans don't tip, so I'm kind of looking for American's opinions... :eek:
 
Moes and Willy's? Is that like Chipotle, but better (not that it would be that hard...)?

I don't tip at those places unless the food is spectacular and i would be willing to pay more or if the preparer does something above and beyond (like toss on a good deal more meat) - but the latter hasn't happened. But, even then, i'll only do it if i'm paying cash, not when paying with credit. Actually, now that i think about it, there is only one place like that i've ever tipped for the pseudo-personal service.

I'm in the US - just outside of DC
 
I've been to Moe's and I've never tipped there. If I'm going to have to fill my own drink when it's empty, and carry my food to my table, I'm only going to tip myself.
 
Basically, for me, if you pay at a counter and take the food right there and then, then no tip is provided. If it's brought to you at your table, then you pay tip.
 
ravenvii said:
Basically, for me, if you pay at a counter and take the food right there and then, then no tip is provided. If it's brought to you at your table, then you pay tip.
Click to expand...

Good rule of thumb. But there are, of course, gray areas. My local Hardee's (Carl's Jr.) now brings the food to the table, even though I order at the counter. Should I tip at Hardee's? :)
 
ravenvii said:
Basically, for me, if you pay at a counter and take the food right there and then, then no tip is provided. If it's brought to you at your table, then you pay tip.
Click to expand...

What about the cafe type places where you order at a counter and then your food is brought to your table? You are then left to your own devices afterward - if you need/want napkins/plasticware/beverage refill/etc., you get up and get it yourself. Depending on where in the country you are and your family demographic, you will see it at places like Chicken Out, La Madeline, Chuck E. Cheese.

Overall I see your point - it's just getting harder everyday to have a blanket rule. I think every place needs to be evaluated on its own.
 
nbs2 said:
What about the cafe type places where you order at a counter and then your food is brought to your table?
Click to expand...

I typically tip 5% at these places...10% if I'm feeling generous.
 
i don't tip at moe's. tho i suppose it's a similar service to cold stone, and they sing to you when you tip. tho...

moe's has the gas tank so you can tip and help employee's pay for gas. so it's all up to you. i don't tip at moe's ever especially when they charge you extra for guacamole and sour cream. that's bull :p

my rule of thumb is... if the restaurant setting offers appetizers, then you'd tip. because then it's a real sit down, not fast food with tables.
 
I actually used to fill in a tip at Purdy's, a local burger joint, where you order up front, pick it up when your name is called but they bus the tables so you don't have to empty your own trash.

Then when balancing my credit card statement one month I noticed that they never took the tip, they only took the base charge and ignored adding the tip. So now I don't fill that line in there.

It all depends on what they do there. If I pick up my food and have to empty my own trash, then definitely no tip. If I just leave a messy table when I go, maybe I'll tip, and I've done so in the past. All depends on my mood that day.
 
nbs2 said:
Moes and Willy's? Is that like Chipotle, but better (not that it would be that hard...)?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is, but I've never had chipotle, there isn't on 'round these parts, so I can't testify to the quality VS chipotle.


And yes, at moes it does say "gas money for our crew," but still, I just don't feel justified in tipping. Unless I really like the person who's preparing my order...
 
I'll tip if:

  • The restaurant has an actual wait staff that takes my order, brings my drinks, clears the table
  • It's a buffet, but there is a wait staff that brings coffee, checks on juice, etc.
  • I'm getting pizza delivered

I won't generally tip if:

  • I pay for and pick up the food at a counter, including "to go" trips
  • Service at one of my normal tipping places is exceptionally poor

When I tip, I generally max out at 20%, at nice places for dinner, and go more towards 10-15% for lunches or more casual dining places. Unless, of course, service is very good or they're conscientious of the fact that I have 3 kids and get stuff to us quickly and get us on our way ;)

And certainly I understand that most restaurant staff count on tips for improving their otherwise fairly poor wages, but I have a hard time tipping the DQ girl a buck for making me a dipped cone. Maybe for a Blizzard or something.
 
Tip if there's a waitstaff, easy as that.

Non-sit down just has tip jars for change and if someone is feeling particularly gratuitous, but mostly the first.
 
Simple rule of thumb:

Do I as the customer do more work than the employees of the restaurant in regards to placing the order and getting the order from the kitchen to my table? If I do more work, then no tip.

If I sit down, say my order, then have the food appear, there is a tip.

While I've been tempted to use the Seinfeld tipping method*, I never have actually gone through with it. (I have left a three penny tip before, though. Three pennies shows that you didn't just forget to tip, you thought about it and made it purposefully miniscule.)

* The Seinfeld tipping method, from an episode of the eponymous show, is to start the meal out by placing cash on the table (in $1 bills,) equal to the maximum conceivable tip for your planned meal, then remove one bill every time the wait staff does something wrong. Especially if you make a show out of removing it.
 
i only tip at sit down restaurants and delivery.
No tips for carry out, because then you could argue that every job should have a tip jar (I asked once at best buy about getting a tip jar, and i was rudely rejected :D )
 
WildCowboy said:
I typically tip 5% at these places...10% if I'm feeling generous.
Click to expand...

Who do you give the money to? The counter folks or do you just leave it at the table for the busser? I don't think I've seen a tip jar at any of the three that I mentioned...

mattscott306 said:
And yes, at moes it does say "gas money for our crew," but still, I just don't feel justified in tipping. Unless I really like the person who's preparing my order...
Click to expand...

Gas money? I'd love it if I got tipped gas money...
 
nbs2 said:
Who do you give the money to? The counter folks or do you just leave it at the table for the busser? I don't think I've seen a tip jar at any of the three that I mentioned...
Click to expand...

Oh, I just do it when I pay by credit card (which I do almost everywhere) and there's a tip line.
 
As a teenager, if it is a $20 bill or less that i pay with at a small restaurant like that or a place like taco bell, i have them keep the change. I hate bills smaller than $10 and coins so they are usually pretty satisfied, I also do the same at convenience stores.
Most people I run into call me crazy....
 
nitynate said:
As a teenager, if it is a $20 bill or less that i pay with at a small restaurant like that or a place like taco bell, i have them keep the change. I hate bills smaller than $10 and coins so they are usually pretty satisfied, I also do the same at convenience stores.
Most people I run into call me crazy....
Click to expand...

Hmmm, if you don't like bills smaller than ten- you can just ship them to me each day when you get them.
 
mattscott306 said:
Hmmm, if you don't like bills smaller than ten- you can just ship them to me each day when you get them.
Click to expand...
Thats what my friends do, they nudge me to give them the change.

But the whole having a bunch of smaller bills on me thing is an inconvenience to me whilst rummaging through my pockets. (i refuse to carry a wallet) Drivers license and money in one pocket. Cell phone and lighter in the other. Keys hooked to my belt loop.
I get anxious if everything is not in place.
 
I work at Taco Del Mar (sounds kind of like what you are talking about). If someone pays with a credit card we don't even have a tip line, but we do have a tip jar. If I go out I usually don't tip and fast serve restaurants because they are fast and meant to be in and out. I sometimes put a dollar in the jar if there is one. I don't really expect to be tipped either. We are doing our job of getting your food to you fast, so you can enjoy it.
 
If ordering involves standing at a counter, I don't tip.
Also no tipping if the person has to wear a paper hat. :D
 
If I pay for food at a counter and have to pickup/bring the food to the table myself, then I don't tip. With one exception: there is a restaurant I goto wehere the people that clean the tables provide basic waiter services such as bringing water, getting soda refills, and so forth. I leave a tip in that instance since they are providing me with a service.

Only tip for service received.
 
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