Tipping at Restaurant - Specific Question

[Anonymous]

We have a BBQ place near us where you order at the counter, they give you a cup and a number and you pick a table and they bring out the food and clean the table when you are done. You get and refill your own drink. How much (if any) would you tip at a place like this?

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the Panera near me. Depending on my mood, I tip $0 - $3.

[Anonymous]

$0. Agree with the above poster on Panera.

Just left a restaurant week place in Penn Quarter - gave a 33% tip which to me seemed fair for excellent service.

[Anonymous]

couple of bucks

[Anonymous]

Maybe a buck

[Anonymous]

I usually do 10%-ish at counter-order places, if they're still bringing out the food and whatnot.

[Anonymous]

nothing

[Anonymous]

But you don't tip at a place like five guys, right?

[Anonymous]

Nothing. I tip at restaurants because the wait staff is paid a base waiters wage which is below minimum wage. My understanding is that the staff at Panera and places like it are not paid waiters wages.

[Anonymous]

My nephew works at a place similar to this. He makes around $9.50/hr. It's definitely not a livable wage to support yourself. Most people who work there also have second jobs. He's working there while in college, so it covers his expenses, and he's learning the art of BBQ smoking, which is something he's wanted to learn for years. He said 95% of people don't tip there, so the tips that are put in the jar and split between everyone equates to pennies on his check.

His sister, who waitresses at a traditional style restaurant to earn money while in college, makes significantly more than him. She gets something like $2/hr and tips. She easily makes upwards of $200/night in tips. Her hourly pay goes straight to taxes and if it's been a week with lots of cash tips, it's not unusual for her to have a $0.00 paper check.

Since learning about the restaurant business from both of their experiences, I always tip at least 15% at places like you described. Yes, even Panera.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But you don't tip at a place like five guys, right?

I'm the 10% guy above. At places where it's just a counter and they're not bringing anything to me (Five Guys, Starbucks, etc.), I'll sometimes leave change in the jar if I'm paying cash. If it's counter-order and then they bring it to me (Nando, etc) I usually aim for about 10% ish. If it's full service waiter, I tip 20-25% depending on service.

[Anonymous]

If they bring the food out to you and they bus your table, I leave $1pp. It's like going to a buffet place. If you have to go to the counter to pick up your food and you are expected to bus your own table (like Panera), then I don't tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a BBQ place near us where you order at the counter, they give you a cup and a number and you pick a table and they bring out the food and clean the table when you are done. You get and refill your own drink. How much (if any) would you tip at a place like this?

Whatever small bills I have up to $5.

[Anonymous]

$0.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My nephew works at a place similar to this. He makes around $9.50/hr. It's definitely not a livable wage to support yourself. Most people who work there also have second jobs. He's working there while in college, so it covers his expenses, and he's learning the art of BBQ smoking, which is something he's wanted to learn for years. He said 95% of people don't tip there, so the tips that are put in the jar and split between everyone equates to pennies on his check.

His sister, who waitresses at a traditional style restaurant to earn money while in college, makes significantly more than him. She gets something like $2/hr and tips. She easily makes upwards of $200/night in tips. Her hourly pay goes straight to taxes and if it's been a week with lots of cash tips, it's not unusual for her to have a $0.00 paper check.

Since learning about the restaurant business from both of their experiences, I always tip at least 15% at places like you described. Yes, even Panera.

If you're at Panera and get your food yourself, your drink yourself, your flatware yourself, your refills yourself, and clear your own trash, are you tipping the order taker? The guy who wipes the table? Both? Who are you tipping 15 percent? On rare occasion will someone bring me my meal at Panera. Typically I do all my own work. Unless my niece and nephew were at the Panera, I'd never tip the 15 percent just because the $9.50 in your example isn't enough. If that was the reason, then what about all the others making $9.50/hr with whom I interact in a day?