To tip or not to tip, that is the question. If you have to take your food from the counter, bring it to your table and bus your own table subsequently, should you be tipping at the counter? In the case of fast-food places, that’s not the practice, but at many fast-casual restaurants, some of which offer a similar level of service, tipping very much seems de rigueur.
One of Sun Sentinel food critic Mike Mayo’s latest outings found him puzzled over a bill that featured both an already-included gratuity and a blank line for tip. He brought his receipt to the Sun Sentinel’s Let’s Eat, South Florida Facebook group, the 12,000+ members of which are quite vocal in their discussions of restaurant etiquette.
That feedback and subsequent reporting led to his story on tipping experiences in South Florida — not only the filled-in gratuity lines, but also suggested tips on electronic bill-paying devices and tipping at fast-casual eateries.
That story itself was posted at the Facebook group, generating its own series of comments, largely cautioning diners to carefully read their bill to avoid getting ripped off.
But while readers have offered a great deal of feedback on automatic tipping and those newfangled electronic bill-paying devices, the third part of Mayo’s story has gone largely unnoticed. The food critic interviewed three restaurateurs for their opinions on tipping at fast-casual restaurants. One said to hold off until after the meal and tip in cash. The other two reported diners tipped 10 to 12 percent and 10 to 15 percent.
Those two restaurateurs know what they’re talking about. The 10-12 percent suggestion comes from Elliott Wolf, whose company operates seven South Florida restaurants including two fast-casual Lunchroom locations. And the 10-15 percent comes from Michael Saperstein, a partner at Deerfield Beach fast-casual operations Charm City Burger and El Jefe Luchador.
We’d like to know what you think. Do you tip at fast-casual restaurants where you order your food at the counter? Do you tip at those that bring your food to you and bus your table, but not at those at which you are expected to do these jobs yourself? What’s your rules on tipping at a relatively new but swiftly expanding category of eateries? Let us know by emailing or tweeting @Daniel_Sweeney. Your response could be used in a future story.
