Again, there's a huge difference between take-out from a take-out place and take-out from a full-service restaurant in which a server had to take time to "plate" your food for you by putting it in containers and a bag along with napkins and whatever else goes along with it. I agree that tipping at McDonald's or a pizza place or Chinese take-out place is silly, but you should pay the server at a full-service restaurant for doing work for you.

Yes, it does. I ask because I spend the majority of my time in the U.S. in California, and sometimes I wonder if I should take the minimum wage issue into account when tipping.

There seems to be a fairly common misperception that all servers in the U.S. make $2.13 an hour plus tips. The truth is that the $2.13 figure is a federal minimum and the state minimum is higher in most states (often much higher.)
See chart.

In addition to this, every server is guaranteed the same minimum wage as any other employee in his state, and if his tips don't get him to that amount, the employer must make up the difference. So no one is ever making less than minimum wage, no matter how ****tily their customers tip them. But the reality is that almost never comes into play, because practically every server at the Denny's level and above is getting tipped enough to exceed the minimum wage.

So my waiter at Morton's in Los Angeles is getting $8.00 an hour plus tips, while my waiter at Morton's in Atlanta gets $2.13 an hour plus (presumably very similar) tips, for doing exactly the same job. I'm already paying higher menu prices in LA to help pay the servers' higher salary. The question is: Should I tip more in Atlanta and less in LA, in the interest of fairness? Or is it none of my concern how much the restaurant pays its servers? I'm still undecided.

So if you go to a pizza place that has sit down seating and waiters and a pick up counter, you're tipping because there are tables? How much?

If you go to the take-out counter with pizzas out you obviously don't tip (usually) If you sit down and receive table service you obviously tip.

I don't see anywhere in his post where he would suggest tipping at the take out counter (where you would order by the slice) at a pizza joint.

I was recently in Miami and almost every bar I went to had an 18% auto grat. I didn't mind but one of my friends who lives outside of the U.S. was shocked and asked whether that was even legal (is it?).

I can only assume you are being intentionally difficult at this point.

No, I'm trying to understand your point

You're saying if a waiters puts your food in a bag then you are gonna tip. I'm asking if there is a pizza place, with tables and waiters, and you get takeout from the pick up counter, are you tipping?

The funny thing is I have waited tables in CA where I got the full minimum wage plus tips and other states where I got 2.15 or whatever it is now and I prefer working for 2.15. In CA they are so worried about the hours you get that you never get close to any overtime they cut the floor too early to save on hours and you can never work extra shifts when you need the money. In the 2.15 states I can work as long as I want, pick up doubles when I need the extra money and never get rushed out the door because they are barely paying me anything.

I do not tip when I get take out from Pizza Hut. I'll let you do the mental gymnastics of figuring out the difference between Pizza Hut and a decent sit down restaurant.

What about a higher-end pizza place than Pizza Hut? Or say a place like Bertucci's that serves not only pizza but other Italian dishes?

got youre such a ****ing tool that you cant even answer a goddamn question

Lol, maybe he's not a 20-year-old hero to a bunch of little leaguers and will respond when he gets a chance? Not everyone is a NY debutante glued to their mobile devices.

I inquired as to why he tips the cage more on an 8 hour session over an hour session (even if he cashed out less on the 8 hour session) in the BM thread and even though he was kind of being a defensive, condescending dbag, he finally explained his reasoning. I'm sure he'll do it here, too.

lol, he did "answer" by avoiding the question and being condescending as usual

Nah, that's just him warming up. He'll get to it after a few more of those posts.

Yeota/z4,

Here's the difference -

A pizza place with a takeout section will often have a person hired solely for answering the phone. They will write the ticket or input it into the computer as a pickup order, and the pizza will go straight from the oven into the box, and you will pick it up from wherever it is (usually on top of the oven or whatever). Whether the restaurant has waiters or not, they aren't interacting with you on the phone or in your food prep usually.

A nice restaurant doesn't have that. The only person answering the phone for is for reservations, customer service, etc. If you call in an order for pickup, a server will input it under his name. It will sometimes count towards his sales, so he'll tip out on it. He'll fire the food all at once and when it's ready, he'll go in the back and pack it up for you in to-go containers, and throw whatever utensils/napkins/sauce cups or packets you need in there. Then when you pick it up you'll probably have to go to the bar to get it or something. It's nothing like what happens when a pizza restaurant has one section that serves pizza by the slice with a cash register and a bunch of guys back there, but also has a section with tables and service staff.

There's nothing really that difficult about figuring about where to tip, and where to not tip. It's common sense.

so who the hell is getting takeout from a nice restaurant?

From really nice places ($35+ entrees) it's rare. For certain places that are a tier below that it can happen a decent amount. Obviously it varies restaurant to restaurant.

Either way, that wasn't your question anyway. Asking if you would tip for takeout in a pizza place that has distinct takeout and sit-down sections is dumb, and the answer is common sense.

Do you guys tip when picking up a to go order?

Info if it helps...

-burger joint
-not cheap for a burger place
-restaurant packed
-go once a month or so

If you do tip, how much?

Not positive but I think that issue has been talked about in this thread. Try a search.

Yeota: takeout from medium nice (say $20-25 mains) restaurants is not uncommon for people with white collar jobs.

CQ: multiple times

Glad to see that upon opening this thread this morning all my work has been done.

I work PT now at a mid level Greek restaurant (worked here pretty much FT all of last year) with most entrees being $20+ with a few exceptions, there's usually 2-3 to go orders on any given "busy" night (Th/Fr/S). From what I've seen people usually tip on these, though definitely not 20%. Pickup is done through the barista station usually (they usually ring it in) and they're getting hourly + tips.

I worked this past weekend for graduation/Mother's day. It was absolute insanity. Double the number of covers of even the busiest weekend nights. It's great for servers, we all pooled tips. This system can sometimes suck depending on if you have trustworthy coworkers who won't pocket cash tips. We had someone go south with his cash one night, management found out and he's finished. Also prally won't get tipped out from the pool whatsoever. Scumbag.

I think it really sucks for the kitchen on days like these. They're getting paid the same whether there's one or 500 people in the restaurant. Some days it works out for them and they make more than servers but that's really rare.

Don't most places share a certain percentage of tips with the kitchen?

oh god **** off

Haven't seen this to be the case at least in chain restaurants. Nor is tip pooling standard.