I can almost understand a tip jar at a drive thru more than at a self-service yogurt place, in that they still provide the same service as if you are in line inside the location.

Ditto. Suggested solution: pay with a Starbucks card. . . no place to add in a tip on the receipt.

For some extra service, maybe tip. But for any fast food place (including Starbucks), I think it is generally wishful thinking.

TRRed

I do not tip for take-out, and do not understand those who do.

i almost never ever tip for take out because what did they do for me, they didnt serve me or they didnt do much for me the cooks if anything should get the tip

As an added bonus to using your Starbucks card, you earn stars and free drinks.

I do not tip for take out. But at a few local/small restaurants I frequent, the owner/manager often throws in extra appetizers or sodas in my take out order, which, if they do, I add a tip for a buck or two.

Like many others here, I think that tipping in the U.S. is out of control (A tip jar at Subway, really?) and I generally do not tip for take-out orders. All of my take-out is at locally owned stores (no chains) and many times, especially at one place, the owner will do it herself and my philosophy is that I don't tip owners.

That being said, there is one Mexican place where the waitstaff does everything such as bagging up the order, getting salsa, etc. etc. They know me and know what I like (side of sour cream, hot salsa, etc.) and I usually will throw a buck or two their way.

I live in a state that does not have a lower minimum wage for waitstaff, but I will admit I might reconsider my policy if they were getting paid around $2 an hour.

Slightly off topic, but last December I was eating at my local buffet place and went up to pay. I usually always give the waitress 2 or 3 dollars because they do their own bussing, bring drinks, etc. I didn't have any singles but had a $5 bill, so I got the "holiday spirit" for a minute and decided to give it to her. I have never been "God blessed" or thanked so much in my life. It served as a reminder to me that even though I don't like tipping, there are those that work very had for a few dollars, where I am lucky enough that $5 wasn't even a concern to give.

That I can agree on. There are a few times my meal was comped and I tipped the cost of the meal (I've worked the service industry and I know how sucky the pay is)

I deduct take out before tipping at restaurants.

I typically don't tip on takeout food. Maybe perhaps food fair orders on open plate, I may throw in a buck or something. Once in a blue moon, I may throw in some spare change when taking out, so because I couldn't be bothered to take the time putting money into my wallet.

Rarely tip for takeout unless the counter server did something extraordinary like make me feel like a very valued customer. I figure that their hourly salary is sufficient for what they do. Btw, my first job was at a fast food counter and never felt that tips were necessary in order to fulfill my job description.

It's late and we are hungry. There is an "Italian" restaurant down the street that delivers. We've never had their food. We started an online order and got to the total where it listed a $2 delivery fee. Delivery fees have always rubbed me the wrong way since they typically go to the restaurant and not the driver (who generally owns the car that brings the food). Plus we live within walking distance of this place. I could literally see it if we had a window that faced that direction.

So we changed the order to take-out. When we got the check-out there was a tip line. I really don't think that one should tip on a take-out order. After all, I'm the one doing all the leg work. But there is the line like it expects to be filled. So do they expect a tip from my take-out order? Maybe or maybe not. Will they do something to my food, if I leave the tip line empty? Maybe or maybe not. Is the tip line an artifact of their antiquated online ordering system that doesn't distinguish between delivery and take-out orders? Maybe or maybe not.

My husband is now making spaghetti. We saved $30. And they lost $30. All because of a delivery fee and a tip line. But somehow I think that they won't have learned anything during the experience.

It's a standard part of the sale point software.

I order takeout frequently since I literally do not cook in any meaningful sense, and I never tip on takeout.

I can one-up that.

There is this pretty good pizza place that has a drive-thru for call-in orders.

The owner always mans the drive-thru window and he sets out his own tip jar in the window.

I've long thought about asking him why he would do such a stupid thing, asking people to tip the owner [or anyone really] for just handing you your pizza through the window, but I like the pizza and don't want my next one spat on.

But yeah, "delivery fees" separate from driver tips are basically extortion.

For the debit/credit card terminals the tip line is a configuration item. It does not have to be part of the screen menu options.

But, that's not the point. There presumably needs to be a tip line for delivery & table service. So, what does the establishment do, reconfigure its terminal just to ring up somebody who might be offended?