DiningBuzz! - Tipping for take out

For work, usually two nights a week, we have to do take out. Generally it is for about 20 people, sometimes individual orders and sometimes just pans of whatever.

For about 11 years, my manager and I have argued about if a tip should be left or not. When I draw the short straw and pick up the food, I leave about a 10% tip. My manager hates it. In fact, he has instructed me to stop. Luckily, since I clear all his receipts off his company credit card, he doesn't see the bills :D

His argument is that a service isn't being provided so a tip isn't required. I argue that gathering silverware, butter, ketchup packets is a service, especially with the size of our orders, but not as much as a sit down experience. He counters with why not tip at McDonald's, and my response it that there is a different standard because you never tip there. I compare it more to a Steak & Shake where there is both a drive thru and a sit down service experience.

I've asked the take out people at restaurants what their experience and expectations are, and can't get a consensus on it. Some are ok with no tip because they get paid differently, some are ok with people who just tell them to keep the change ($25 on a $23.xx bill for example), and some expect around 10%.

I've even asked restaurant owners and managers. Surprisingly, at least to me, more of them say no tip.

What say you, FT Nation? I know we are a group of take out artists, and some former restaurant workers live among us. And before you ask, yes, even in my personal take out times, I still tip.

I rarely tip for counter service or take out.

On To Go Orders from traditional sit down places I tip a couple $.
Sandwich, Pizza, or Chinese it depends, something about a smile and Thank you and we added some extra fortune cookies or crushed red pepper flakes...

If you regularly go back to the same place when you order out, it is probably a wise idea to tip.

If you value the integrity of your food.

http://www.stainedapron.com/

I tip when picking up take out orders from places that are usually sit-down restaurants. I do tip about 10%, figuring that they aren't providing as much service as sit-down but still providing some service.

If you regularly go back to the same place when you order out, it is probably a wise idea to tip.


I had the same question several years ago. My waiter friends all said no tip is necessary for take out.

OTOH, takeout for a big group, or a place you go to regularly, I think it's polite to add a little to the bill.

My sister was a hostess while in college. If the hostess is getting your silverware, napkins, etc then she said yes a tip is very much appreciated especially from repeat customers. She would even say it goes beyond 'very much appreciated'. :)

I tip 10% for take-out orders from my regularly-visited full service restaurants.

For counter orders (like Pizzas, Starbucks, KFCs, etc.), no.

I don't tip on pick up but will if it is delivered to me.

I normally tip a lot when dining but don't typically tip when picking up take-out. The only caveat is one restaurant that I used to work at made the bartenders pay a percentage of all of their sales as tip out to the hosts and bussers, including to-go food. So, if you didn't tip, not only did the bartenders not make any money, they actually PAID to not get tipped. When I worked there I tried to make them change that policy as I found it quite unfair (only maybe 10% of to-go orderers tip, and at that maybe only 10% tops), but they wouldn't budge.

Chris

It always seemed a bit ridiculous to me to tip for orders, but I do anyway. However, I usually don't tip places that charge extra for the delivery - if the justification for that is paying the delivery guy, it makes no sense to tip them for doing their job.

Depends. When the order verges more into the realm of catering rather than a quick, lazy dinner, I would be compelled to tip. For example, my aunt and uncle did a little dinner for my sister's birthday and called in "upscale" chinese (ie $13 for a portion of general tso's, not $6 mystery meat from yor typical mom & pop). There were 9 dinners in addition to appetizers, noodles, sauce, soup etc. It was delivered with 40 minutes with an 8 minute drive. They got a $20 tip on a $130 order.

If I am driving to that restaurant and picking the food up myself, disposing of the garbage myself, there is nobody to tip. I did the work by myself, not a waitstaff.

What I was taught in college by my hostess friend was - even tho she usually got paid a higher base wage working the take-out/seating station, it wasn't nearly enough, and a 10% tip would be greatly appreciated and appropriate for the level of work the role required. (Boxing the food, utensils, sauces, bagging, etc.)

I've always remembered that and, as long as the take-out person provides some reasonable level of service, I tip the 10%.

Depends. When the order verges more into the realm of catering rather than a quick, lazy dinner, I would be compelled to tip. For example, my aunt and uncle did a little dinner for my sister's birthday and called in "upscale" chinese (ie $13 for a portion of general tso's, not $6 mystery meat from yor typical mom & pop). There were 9 dinners in addition to appetizers, noodles, sauce, soup etc. It was delivered with 40 minutes with an 8 minute drive. They got a $20 tip on a $130 order.

Yes, but if they delivered it, then it's not really a tip for take-out, but rather a tip for delivering the food.

I rarely tip for counter service or take out.

Same here.

I sometimes tip for counterservice. Depends on my mood and the quality of food / staff.

Yes, but if they delivered it, then it's not really a tip for take-out, but rather a tip for delivering the food.

I questioned my uncle on this. The $20 tip was NOT only for the 2 mile drive.

I tip if I am at a sit down restaurant or if I am eating at a counter... or if it is delivered to my home or hotel room.

However, I do not tip on take orders.

Tipping is for service. What significant service is provided by someone giving you a bag or box into which the kitchen has placed containers of food?

Tipping is for service. What significant service is provided by someone giving you a bag or box into which the kitchen has placed containers of food?

Making sure napkins and silverware are in the bag, along with ensuring the correct food and any condiments or substitutions are there.

It depends on the restaurant and how often I use them. For To Go Orders from traditional sit down places where a waitress or waiter is putting together the order I tip 10%, my rational being that they still have to spend time watching for the order to complete and take time away from their other tables.

If the hostess puts together the order, I usually tip her $5 or $10 depending on the size of the order.

If it is a place I go a lot, meaning my local Chinese and Italian mostly, and I go to those spots for sit down and take out, I tip well both on take out and dine in because I want people to want to be really helpful knowing that if they are, they will be rewarded.

Making sure napkins and silverware are in the bag, along with ensuring the correct food and any condiments or substitutions are there.

Maybe it is the Brit in me, but doesn't making sure the food order is correct constitute a core part of the job?

I normally tip 10% or so for take out orders from sit down restaurants, based on the rationale that it actually takes more effort to package up a take out order than it does an in-restaurant order. No tip for typical fast food.

I don't tip for take out. I do tip for delivery.

Maybe it is the Brit in me, but doesn't making sure the food order is correct constitute a core part of the job?

Yes, but those who are usually preparing take-out orders are servers who usually receive tips to boost their hourly wage to something normal, at least in the US.

Yes, but those who are usually preparing take-out orders are servers who usually receive tips to boost their hourly wage to something normal, at least in the US.

One pondering I have heard, is on a pay by time rate, the server / bar tender who rings in take out is making a killing.

It takes, maybe, 2 minutes to bag the food up, add cutlery, etc. Maybe another 1 minute to ring the order in when you phone up (or drop in) and another 2 minutes to cash the order, hand you the food etc. No refills, no chit chat, no table clearing, minimum dealing with kitchen mistakes (ie most take out errors found after they leave, and most people don't make the effort to come back). If people are tipping, say 10-15% on an order (take out for a family of four probably runs $50 or so?) then they are making $5 - $7.50 - that's $60-90 an hour if everyone does that (not to mention they may also be waiting other tables in between, with orders with wine etc bumping that tip amount a fair bit). For putting some things in a bag, and using a till. In otherwords, pretty much the same duties as the minimum wage walmart cashier, and they get paid a whole heck of a lot more than the kitchen workers who are actually cooking the food. It just seems out of whack that someone be paid a not insignificant six figure sum for putting food in a bag.

One pondering I have heard, is on a pay by time rate, the server / bar tender who rings in take out is making a killing.

It takes, maybe, 2 minutes to bag the food up, add cutlery, etc. Maybe another 1 minute to ring the order in when you phone up (or drop in) and another 2 minutes to cash the order, hand you the food etc. No refills, no chit chat, no table clearing, minimum dealing with kitchen mistakes (ie most take out errors found after they leave, and most people don't make the effort to come back). If people are tipping, say 10-15% on an order (take out for a family of four probably runs $50 or so?) then they are making $5 - $7.50 - that's $60-90 an hour if everyone does that (not to mention they may also be waiting other tables in between, with orders with wine etc bumping that tip amount a fair bit). For putting some things in a bag, and using a till. In otherwords, pretty much the same duties as the minimum wage walmart cashier, and they get paid a whole heck of a lot more than the kitchen workers who are actually cooking the food. It just seems out of whack that someone be paid a not insignificant six figure sum for putting food in a bag.
I guess my experience is different, in that most times, if I drop in to order or if I arrive before my food, I'm usually offered a drink, not charged for it, and then either given or offered a to-go cup with an additional drink.

There's a local chain here that allows online ordering for carry out. They require that you pay for your order when you place it. At no time does it give you the option of adding a tip, so I'm guessing they discourage tipping for take-out.

I guess my experience is different, in that most times, if I drop in to order or if I arrive before my food, I'm usually offered a drink, not charged for it, and then either given or offered a to-go cup with an additional drink.

There's a local chain here that allows online ordering for carry out. They require that you pay for your order when you place it. At no time does it give you the option of adding a tip, so I'm guessing they discourage tipping for take-out.

The drink does sound like a nice touch, and I probably would tip for that sort of thing. Unfortunately that doesn't happen much to me, but then I tend to order take out from take out specific places (thai, pizza, etc) (if I want the restaurant food I will eat in).

The drink does sound like a nice touch, and I probably would tip for that sort of thing. Unfortunately that doesn't happen much to me, but then I tend to order take out from take out specific places (thai, pizza, etc) (if I want the restaurant food I will eat in).

If I'm ordering from a sit-down restaurant, it's usually at lunch, or when we're in a huge hurry and taking the time to eat at the location won't work well for us.

I had the same question several years ago. My waiter friends all said no tip is necessary for take out.

OTOH, takeout for a big group, or a place you go to regularly, I think it's polite to add a little to the bill.I wholeheartedly agree with this policy.

It's confusing. Some restaurants I feel expect tips for takeout orders and some don't. You have to try to divine which type it is. If I am unsure then I leave a tip.

Chilis restaurant has a ToGo counter for picking up food orders for takeout (to go) and on the ToGo counter they have a tip jar so clearly they are hoping for tips for takeout orders. I usually tip for takeout about 10%. I would say probably 5% would be OK but I feel maybe a little more will send good Karma back to me on my next visit.

If a restaurant is a "to go" only place then their business model probably doesn't expect most people to tip.

It's confusing. Some restaurants I feel expect tips for takeout orders and some don't. To me, it doesn't matter what the restaurant's expectation is. To me, what matters is whether the service (or the lack thereof, which doesn't necessarily mean that it is bad service -- it could just mean that if I am getting a to-go order, I won't tip for that, just like I won't tip for silverware or restroom access) is such that a tip is warranted.