How much do you tip at a restaurant?

[Robert]

Check this out - http://discountvouchers.org/money-in-the-food-industry/

I tip around 15% most of the time.

So in Japan and Australia, tipping the waitress is not common? Didn't know that.

[Tig]

I shoot for 15%, but will go higher (20% max) or lower depending on the quality of service. The tip is a major part of a waiter/waitress's income in the US.

For buffet Chinese where all they do is refill your tea and take away empty plates, I leave $1 per person at our table, which is closer to 10%. I see others not even leave a tip, which is just not right.

[Algonquin]

This brings to mind a great scene in Reservoir Dogs. I won't post here due the the level of 'adult language content', but the scene can be found on YouTube by searching 'Reservoir Dogs - Tipping Scene' if one had the inclination.

[hubberjub]

20% minimum. It's easier to just throw down a dollar for every five you spend. Also, most waitstaff are making less than minimum wage from the restaurant. If I'm drinking at a bar, I'll drop a dollar with every beer. It's also necessary to note that my wife works one shift a week at a restaurant/bar. I get to hear about all of the cheap patrons at the end of the night.

[ZMAN]

It used to be easier to figure out the tip at 15% when our tax was at 15. Now at 13 you have to add a little. We have an issue now with our new HST. If you add the tip onto the bill they charge tax on the tip. Some restaurants add an automatic gratuity on large groups, and you pay tax on the tips. Also the person who receives the tips is supposed to declare them as income. It is getting crazy. My Mom did some waitressing when she was young and she used to pound it into me to give a good tip for good service.
I do that to a max of 15%. When you take into consideration we pay 13% tax and a 15% tip it sure puts a bite on your eating out budget.

[R_of_G]

I spent 12 years waiting tables/tending bar. My minimum tip is usually 20%.

[Eric]

Generally ~20%. Sometimes a bit more if the service is good, more like 15% if service is not so stellar. If service sucks, I'll drop it even more. I'd say I probably average 18%.

My wife worked at bars throughout school, so I usually look to her to figure out what's normal.

[guitarhack]

I also worked as a server for awhile and have a daughter who does so now. I tip 20% for good service and correspondingly less for poor service.

[Katastrophe]

It depends on the level of service I get.

--Bad, rude service = no tip.

Good service -- Double the tax added on to the bill (8.25% tax rate here).

Great service -- double the tax plus a dollar or two, plus a "atta boy / girl" talk with the manager. Waitstaff get far too many complaints flung at their managers. I like to let the manager know when the staff does something right.

I also don't penalize the server when the kitchen is backed up and not getting orders out on time. They shouldn't have to pay for someone else's foul up.

[Robert]

According to http://discountvouchers.org/money-in-the-food-industry/, Madonna and Sean Penn never tip...

[sunvalleylaw]

We typically tip 20% for good service, and 15% if it is below average service or poor. Rarely do we choose to not tip.

Re: Madonna and Penn, it has been my experience in the resort industry part of my life that some celebrities (more of them than the non celebs I have worked with) choose not to tip. I really don't get it, but it is true. Others do tip well, though.

[Heywood Jablomie]

I think 15% for lunch an 20% for dinner are fair amounts.

The term "TIP" stands for "To Insure Promptness", so I think it makes sense to penalize poor service. If the service is particularly bad, I may literally leave 2 cents, to let the waitperson know what I thought of their work, as leaving nothing may lead them to believe I was just being cheap. If the service or food is genuinely poor, I will not hesitate to send stuff back and/or have a word with the manager/owner.

[Tone2TheBone]

I go by my tip calculator on the cell but if we get damn good service we always give more and we give it to the waiter or waitress before we leave. Never leave it on the table. We also tip the Teppan Cook when we do those kinds of places.

[poodlesrule]

The term "TIP" stands for "To Insure Promptness"


When did it become the worker salary's main, and nearly only, part...?

Could you see a plumber, or car mechanic, living by these rules?

[piebaldpython]

20% as a general rule. We go to the same restaurants a lot, the waitstaff knows us by sight and by how we tip......and so we get kick-butt service.

That said......way back in the day.......we went with some friends to a fancy chi-chi poo-poo place. The service was DREADFUL, the waitress was never around, never had two seconds to give us.....so we left NO tip. Well, you never saw her move so fast to complain to the manager who came out of the restaurant to see what OUR problem was.

That was his BIG mistake and I gave him chapter and verse about EVERYTHING that was wrong with the service. He became apologetic after my tirade and offered me a discount to come back. I told him there was NO chance that I'd ever darken his door again. lol

[duhvoodooman]

15 - 20%. The former for good service, the latter for outstanding. If the service is notably substandard, I'll leave less than 15% as a message.

[Algonquin]

http://rlv.zcache.com/tipping_is_not_a_city_in_china_tshirt-p235331053610601214qiuw_400.jpg

[hubberjub]

The term "TIP" stands for "To Insure Promptness",


FYI.
There is a lot of debate about that. The word would be ensure not insure. That would make it tep. Just being anal.

[Eric]

That said......way back in the day.......we went with some friends to a fancy chi-chi poo-poo place. The service was DREADFUL, the waitress was never around, never had two seconds to give us.....so we left NO tip. Well, you never saw her move so fast to complain to the manager who came out of the restaurant to see what OUR problem was.

That was his BIG mistake and I gave him chapter and verse about EVERYTHING that was wrong with the service. He became apologetic after my tirade and offered me a discount to come back. I told him there was NO chance that I'd ever darken his door again. lol
That's a pretty awesome story, actually.

[Commodore 64]

20% minimum. It's easier to just throw down a dollar for every five you spend. Also, most waitstaff are making less than minimum wage from the restaurant. If I'm drinking at a bar, I'll drop a dollar with every beer. It's also necessary to note that my wife works one shift a week at a restaurant/bar. I get to hear about all of the cheap patrons at the end of the night.

This is what I do. Divide the bill by 5 and use that as the minimum and go from there.

[Eric]

This is what I do. Divide the bill by 5 and use that as the minimum and go from there.
I find it very interesting to hear about people's math shortcuts. I always move the decimal over and double that number, then round as needed.

[Bloozcat]

20% most of the time. My wife and I enjoy a good bottle of wine when we eat at a nice restaurant. Since that can inflate the total cost of the meal significantly while adding little extra work for the waiter/waitress, I'll sometimes reduce the tip down to 15%-18%. Not always, but sometimes (depending on the price of the bottle of wine).

I don't penalize the waiter/waitress for lousy food or for a slow kitchen. I don't penalize the restaurant owner for lousy service...unless lousy service is universal regardless of the waiter/waitress. In the latter case, I just won't go back there again.

We've been known to seek out the manager/owner when we've received stellar service to praise our waiter/waitress by name. My wife in particular, will write to a restaurant or hotel manager to express our appreciation for a waiter/waitress/hotel employee who has gone above and beyond. Good work deserves recognition. It's a small thing to do that makes a big difference. Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and anyone who works hard for a living deserves respect. Service has to be really bad before we'll complain to management. And when we do, it's done without acrimony...it's more effective that way.

My wife and I eat out quite often. Often for business, and often for pleasure. We are blessed to be able to eat at some very nice restaurants, many of which where we are known to the owners and wait staff.

[Robert]

Hmm, after reading the comments here, I went and found an iPhone app for calculating tip... works great! It saves me from having to think too much when I'm full from a big dinner at a restaurant. :D
The one I installed is a free app called CheckPlease.

[gorkblok]

Tip until it hurts, lol.

[Perfect Stranger]

My wife says I tip too much, but I learned a long time ago.....if someone is
handling your food....and/or might handle it again....be generous to a fault!

[deeaa]

I have never evef tipped anyone anywhere except taxi drivers and when I was in the U.S.

It's just not done here. Besides, I never carry any cash anyway, pay everything with my creditcard, so tipping would be hard anyway.

In a similar vein, I have never ever paid for the lady for almost anything when on a date, here everyone pays their own usually. I have, however, been offered free drinks by women now and then and I've also bought a drink sometime for a woman.

And once I did pick up this chick and had her pay for everything like drinks and taxi and even smokes, then let her take me home&vanished in the morning before she woke...that was kinda being a pig from my part though.

[Tone2TheBone]

I don't think the Brits tip either. My friends that came to visit from the UK thought we were bonkers for leaving tips.

[sumitomo]

Challange at your eatery or coffee shop that has that waiter or waitress that you always see and the one that always gives you good service,tip them big one time say 20 or 100 dollars,telling them that you really like the job they are doing.You will be amazed and blessed at the event.Sumi:D

[Retro Hound]

I'm usually around 20%. And according to the book Nickled and Dimed: on getting by in America the waitress often shares her tips with the cook and maybe others.

[markb]

New Zealand has no culture of tipping. Don't tell the American tourists, though :)

[omegadot]

I'm usually around 20%. And according to the book Nickled and Dimed: on getting by in America the waitress often shares her tips with the cook and maybe others.


I remember that book being sorta garbage if you really get into it since she had a very limited experience and doesn't always portray it as that way. I did read it about 7 years ago, though, and could be remembering inaccurately. I would say most place don't share tips unless it's the waitresses kicking a bit back to the bus people or cooks if they want to. I was unfortunate enough to work food service for around 10 years all through school and Uni and a bit after. I never worked anywhere that did, or knew many that did in other eateries. I tip pretty well and even if my server is a bit off I'll ignore it because I know how dealing with often hungry people parting with money can be. I also know that servers really make their money off of just a few hours of rush then spend a lot of the rest of the time cleaning up. I'd hate to be the one to leave them with a crummy hour.

[deeaa]

Challange at your eatery or coffee shop that has that waiter or waitress that you always see and the one that always gives you good service,tip them big one time say 20 or 100 dollars,telling them that you really like the job they are doing.You will be amazed and blessed at the event.Sumi:D

They'd be amazed for sure...yet I don't know if they'd like it. Might also regard it condescending, like 'I make almost the same money you do don't you dare to offer me money like I'm some beggar or whatever - I work for my living and need no charities!' but I never do eat out really. Maybe twice per year, if I don't count those times I'm traveling and simply have to use a restaurant, or the workplace canteen, where we do actually have table service but it's the students who do the service.

Given the speed how quick waiters and waitresses change in workplaces, I'd be amazed to ever come across the same person more than once.

However, since I've taught restaurant people for almost a decade now, whenever I do get out to a bar or restaurant, chances are there's at least one or two of my ex pupils working there.

A skilled waiter/waitress here should make something like $2700 a month anyway after 2-3 years of education which is the bare minimum after school for 99% of people, and given the progressive taxation, he or she would get over 2000 net, and while a professional like myself might make, say over $4000 a month, that makes maybe 800 to a 1000 more per month, and given I have had six years more training and have to pay for the study loans etc. and probably also a mortgage while a waiter most likely lives in a cheap apartment and travels a lot etc. they'll most likely have more disposable income than I do.

So no, I won't be tipping waiters or waitresses whatever the case.

There's a HUGE oversupply of educated people here in Finland, so someone with a PhD might make one third of what a plumber does etc. and also one must consider a plumber etc. can get to well paid jobs when they're maybe 20 years old and thru schooling, whereas most M.A.'s and PhD's like me and my wife still study and scrape together their thesis' well into their thirties and after that have to fight for tenures and meagre grants for a decade at least.

So considering the cost of schooling and the time one gets to be in a paid job, a waiter most likely makes at least the same money, or even more, than a highly educated professional here anyway.

Yeah, I'd be crazy to tip someone.

[syo]

I always tip nothing. Here in Japan and when I'm in China anyway. Must say that I like it this way. Not because I'm cheap but because I always resented the pressure to reward (sometimes) poor service just to ensure that my food wouldn't be tampered with on the next visit.

When I was living in the US I was a 15-25% tipper. Now, after years in Asia I find that I tip a bit less when I'm over for a visit. Over here service is usually excellent in our no-tipping culture. Seems to me that the business of paying the staff should be up to the restaurant management and not the customer.
Just pay them with the extra 15-20% charged for the food.

Pay the wait staff properly and let the customers enjoy their dining experience without having to worry about math. :hungry

[deeaa]

I just checked the starting pay for a trained waiter/waitress here is 12 U.S. dollars an hour, and the law says even an untrained trainee/youth worker MUST have a minimum of 8,50 per hour or the employer breaks the law.

That doesn't include the 1,5x overtime and 2x weekend work pay etc. and of course some bars and better restaurants will give better pay to good workers. I know my friend the bartender for instance likes to work double shift weekends and then have 4 days off - so he works basically 3 or 4 days a week, almost all round the clock, 14-15 hour days, and still gets 500-700 a week easy. Living alone, he then drinks the rest of the week, or travels around or whatever single people do. But, basically, his pay is not in any real way any inferior to mine when I work normal 5-day weeks at school and taking into account the taxation that levels out income differences quite effectively.

Bartenders sometimes get tips here too, BTW, when some yuppie wants to flash his wealth and order a round and pay with a hundred or whatever, keep the change.

[Commodore 64]

I always tip nothing. Here in Japan and when I'm in China anyway. Must say that I like it this way. Not because I'm cheap but because I always resented the pressure to reward (sometimes) poor service just to ensure that my food wouldn't be tampered with on the next visit.

When I was living in the US I was a 15-25% tipper. Now, after years in Asia I find that I tip a bit less when I'm over for a visit. Over here service is usually excellent in our no-tipping culture. Seems to me that the business of paying the staff should be up to the restaurant management and not the customer.
Just pay them with the extra 15-20% charged for the food.

Pay the wait staff properly and let the customers enjoy their dining experience without having to worry about math. :hungry

I agree 100% and I hate the culture of tipping, but nevertheless, where I live, tipping is the culture.

I want to go live with Deeea and repair furnaces. I'd love a job where I simply troubleshoot and fix, and make a good living.

[deeaa]

Believe you me, sometimes I just ache to get me a job that'd take me away from the desk and doing stuff with my hands.

BUT what I do is, I have long 3-month summer holidays, so I build a lot of things then...I have practically re-built my entire house etc. All the plumbing and electrics work as well, insulation, you name it - I can't afford to pay a plumber twice the hourly wages I make myself at work, so I do it myself to save money.

Sometimes that means spending the entire summer digging tunnels under the house manually to change the entire base drainage systems and waterworks, then filling the ground, still working in the tunnels, and then making concrete floors complete with floor heating etc. all without tools basically...but I estimate I saved well over 10.000 dollars easily by doing that for instance...also it maybe took me two weeks to hand-paint the entire roof and required veritable abseiling skills hanging on that very steep V roof, but that also saved me several thousands as opposed to having it painted by a pro. Lots of stuff like that. Next summer I'm rebuilding the kitchen compeletely, new drainage, electrics, floors and drywalls plus the actual cabinets and appliances as well. Estimated savings in the 10k region again.

It really pays to self-educate and learn the basic construction work...

[Brian Krashpad]

I shoot for 15%, but will go higher (20% max) or lower depending on the quality of service. The tip is a major part of a waiter/waitress's income in the US.


^This.

I'm above 15 way more than under. Under is reserved for bad service, and it has to be noticeably bad.

[Robert]

So I wonder why the tip has to be a major part of the waiter/waitress's income? Why don't the place they work at pay them a better salary? Is it just a "culture thing"? Perhaps it goes back many years, and now has become "just the way it works"?

By the way, I believe in Scandinavia in general, tipping isn't as common as in North America.

[Tig]

So I wonder why the tip has to be a major part of the waiter/waitress's income? Why don't the place they work at pay them a better salary? Is it just a "culture thing"? Perhaps it goes back many years, and now has become "just the way it works"?


I'd blame the restaurants for that trend. It allows them to pay the wait staff much lower by pushing that onto the customer. Here's the US law:
Under the federal law, workers that receive a portion of their salary from tips, such as wait staff, are only required to have their total compensation, including tips, to meet the minimum wage, so often their hourly wage, not including tips, is less than the minimum wage.

[R_of_G]

It also serves as a way for restaurants to keep costs down. If they have to pay servers more, they will make it back by raising prices. In other words, you're paying either way.

[Bloozcat]

I believe that tipping started as a method to ensure good service. By making it the major portion of the waiter's salary it was motivation to take care of the customer. Obviously good for the restaurant as the burden for earning more pay was shifted to the waiter.

This isn't a one-way street, though. One can't overlook the benefit to the waiter for providing great service either. I know waiters and waitresses who make a very good living because they are not only good at what they do, but they have great attitudes as well...and their tips reflect that.

[deeaa]

I guess just the way it works, similar to why are there homeless people. No reason to change it in the minds of those who decide.

[deeaa]

I find it very interesting to hear about people's math shortcuts. I always move the decimal over and double that number, then round as needed.

I don't have any fixed shortcuts but I calculate stuff in strange ways I'm told...even in highschool I always got my task results the wrong way rhey said.

I mean like a kitchen door costs 66 and we need nine, so it's almost 7 times eight is 56 times ten plus 66 is 500 plus 126 is 626 minus 8*4 is 32, is 604 minus ten equals 594.

So it's not a shortcut by any means...I guess easier to calculate 660 minus 66 is 600 mins six is 590 plus four. Yep, same result either way.

[deeaa]

To clarify, to me it is harder to calculate something minus seven for instance; easier to do minus ten add 3 because from 7 to ten it's three which is less than seven to count...it doesn't make sense does it? Well I just see it that way. I don't like counting numbers, I rather count known entities and decipher the difference to given value.

Known entities to me mean 'beautiful' numbers like 3...7...16...32...56...128...160...etc.

[Heywood Jablomie]

The "trick" I learned is thus:

For 15%, first determine 10% simply by moving the decimal point one position to the left. Example: 10% of $27.68 is $2.76. Then add 1/2 of that to itself.

For 20%, get the 10% and (obviously) double it.

Also, the tip is usually determined before sales tax. And if you're using a "buy 1 get one" coupon or such, the tip should be based on the menu price, not the discounted price.

[deeaa]

How is it in Scotland and England btw anybody know? Because I'm going there soon, and hadn't planned to bring any cash. I was expecting Mastercard to work everywhere...I don't actually own a wallet I just have this metal chain with a metal folder attached that fits a creditcard and i.d. card..I suppose I could try to get some notes and coins for traveling and keep them in the pants pocket simply.

[Eric]

I don't have any fixed shortcuts but I calculate stuff in strange ways I'm told...even in highschool I always got my task results the wrong way rhey said.

I mean like a kitchen door costs 66 and we need nine, so it's almost 7 times eight is 56 times ten plus 66 is 500 plus 126 is 626 minus 8*4 is 32, is 604 minus ten equals 594.

So it's not a shortcut by any means...I guess easier to calculate 660 minus 66 is 600 mins six is 590 plus four. Yep, same result either way.
Wow. I feel dumb for not even doing the 660 thing. I rounded to 70 and multiplied (630), then subtracted off the difference (4) times 9 (36).

I do little math calculations all of the time to keep my mind sharp. On long road trips I used to use mileage, fuel tank size, and percentage of fuel left to determine my fuel economy thus far and see how many more miles I could go. I'd do it in my head for fun.

But your whole thing is what I find really kind of fun -- discovering how people do math in their head. No way is wrong, and I don't think many people who do math regularly use the same logic all of the time. I just find it really kind of cool to see how different people reach the same conclusion.

I use 5s and 10s a lot, then use my instincts on rounding and estimates to get within 5% of so of whatever number I need. That's usually good enough.

[R_of_G]

And if you're using a "buy 1 get one" coupon or such, the tip should be based on the menu price, not the discounted price.

The service industry thanks you for noting that. :D

The server does the same amount of work whether you pay with cash, credit, or a coupon so tip accordingly.

[Tig]

Also, the tip is usually determined before sales tax. And if you're using a "buy 1 get one" coupon or such, the tip should be based on the menu price, not the discounted price.

+1
We have a really good IHOP that has a kids eat free deal. We base the tip on the amount before the deductions are applied. The waitresses there like us!

Back in my bike shop mechanic days, a few customers would tip us a six pack each for our excellent service. One guy was Polish and would bring a different Polski beer each time, so we got to enjoy the variety his homeland offered. :thumbsup

[deeaa]

Jeez...isn't it terribly hard if you need to think of gifts etc. to people? I never give gifts to anyone except my wife on wedding day - something like a new phone or such usually - and kids at xmas. Even that seems like an ordeal having to think of what to get people.

If I must give a gift, I prefer money, and am happy to pay a good sum for good service too but of the guy doesn't have a price he likes, it's not my problem. I pay what they ask and nvermind the rest.

Somehow, tipping just feels condescending and annoying to me, because I never did it really. If I'm expected a tip I feel kinda like I'm having to say sorry I was here, here's some money to compensate, sorry again..why it feels the same as the waiter would toss me a cloth and ask me to wipe the table when I leave. When I go to a restaurant I don't want to apologize my being there by offering mysterious sacrifical percentages of money etc. I just want a decent service at the price mentioned.

Taxi is an exception - that is usually paid for with petty cash that was originally left over from a bar/nightclub...because that is one place cash is still used, at bar door and cloakroom...I don't need the cash the next day so I'm happy to dump what I have for the driver. I usually withdraw a 20 going to a bar, say a fiver for entering, fiver for cloackroom, leaves a tenner and taxi is 7-8. so I just give the tenner and need not carry change like a small kid carries the allowance. I always thought cash is for people who don't have creditcards, kind of. The poor and the children. But of course that is quite stupid too :-) sti.l I do think it used to be regarded rather low-class to handle money, it's the servant's job to carry the monies and arrange such matters for the lord...not that I've delusions of grandeur....LOL...

[Bloozcat]

Jeez...isn't it terribly hard if you need to think of gifts etc. to people? I never give gifts to anyone except my wife on wedding day - something like a new phone or such usually - and kids at xmas. Even that seems like an ordeal having to think of what to get people.

If I must give a gift, I prefer money, and am happy to pay a good sum for good service too but of the guy doesn't have a price he likes, it's not my problem. I pay what they ask and nvermind the rest.

Somehow, tipping just feels condescending and annoying to me, because I never did it really. If I'm expected a tip I feel kinda like I'm having to say sorry I was here, here's some money to compensate, sorry again..why it feels the same as the waiter would toss me a cloth and ask me to wipe the table when I leave. When I go to a restaurant I don't want to apologize my being there by offering mysterious sacrifical percentages of money etc. I just want a decent service at the price mentioned.

Taxi is an exception - that is usually paid for with petty cash that was originally left over from a bar/nightclub...because that is one place cash is still used, at bar door and cloakroom...I don't need the cash the next day so I'm happy to dump what I have for the driver. I usually withdraw a 20 going to a bar, say a fiver for entering, fiver for cloackroom, leaves a tenner and taxi is 7-8. so I just give the tenner and need not carry change like a small kid carries the allowance. I always thought cash is for people who don't have creditcards, kind of. The poor and the children. But of course that is quite stupid too :-) sti.l I do think it used to be regarded rather low-class to handle money, it's the servant's job to carry the monies and arrange such matters for the lord...not that I've delusions of grandeur....LOL...

Think of it this way dee: A restaurant is a place where you actually get a say in the kind of service you received. It's not built into the price automatically.

You asked about Great Britain and tipping. In restaurants where you have a choice of eating in or taking the food out, there will be two different prices. They call it "eat here" or "take away". Take away is cheaper because they don't have to serve you or clean up after you. Now, if your eat there service is horrible, you have no say...you already paid the higher price. In formal sit down restaurants a gratuity is often added and stated so on the menu. If it's not stated you just ask if service is included...no big deal. If it isn't, most Brits will leave about 10%-12%. Americans will usually leave more if they're unfamiliar with the customary tipping. Wait staff in England have a higher base pay than in America, so they are not as dependent on tips.

It's not customary to tip the bartender in a pub, nor do they expect it. When you pay for your drink the bartender hands you your change at eye level so you have to take it.

BTW: VAT (value added tax) is charged to your meal, but only if you eat in. Take away doesn't get the VAT charge. In sit down restaurants it's usually included in the price of each meal. In sit down/take away restaurants it will usually state on the menu that the VAT is additional because they don't know if you're eating there or taking the food away. And...the VAT is 17.5%. That irks me far more than the tip. At least with the tip I know what I'm paying for!!

Oh, and another thing. Even the taxi's here are going to cash or credit. I like that a whole lot better as it makes it easier to keep tabs on what you're spending on a trip. Plus...I get frequent flyer miles with my credit card...:dance

[Brian Krashpad]

I'd blame the restaurants for that trend. It allows them to pay the wait staff much lower by pushing that onto the customer. Here's the US law:
Under the federal law, workers that receive a portion of their salary from tips, such as wait staff, are only required to have their total compensation, including tips, to meet the minimum wage, so often their hourly wage, not including tips, is less than the minimum wage.



It's not the restaurants, it's the legislation. Businesses by and large do whatever is the least possible to comply with the most minimum requirements of the law. If the law were changed to favor the workers, so as to guarantee a living wage, there would be no problem.

But waitpersons don't contribute large amounts of money to congressional election campaigns.

[sumitomo]

Did I ever tell you about the time I was in a restaurant and the waitress was bringing my food and I noticed that her thumb was in my bowl of chili? Sumi:D

[poodlesrule]

As an aside, my dream restaurant would be a neighborhood place where you run a monthly tab.

I hate having to break the good feeling of a good meal or nice beverage with spending time and effort to pay the bill and tip... I would be willing to pay (and tip well) for that, but not at the end of a meal. Odd, I concede.

[deeaa]

:-) I hate to pay for food in any case...it's OK for pizza and burgers because they're cheap...but most of the time, I can make better food right at home than the usual restaurant serves, and I'd rather eat in my own home than among strangers in a noisy place.

I don't understand why would anybody want to spend time in a restaurant or town in general, and pay for it even, if you can spend the time in your own pleasant home. Also it's much cheaper to drink at home.

It's a different matter if you're single and such, but once you're married and whatnot, why leave home any more? You can also meet friends at home, or go to friend's homes, no need to get a restaurant etc. involved.

These days when almost everything is available online, 4 me the only reason to visit the town is to rummage drift stores etc. for some used Xbox games or music stuff etc.

[Bloozcat]

I don't understand why would anybody want to spend time in a restaurant or town in general, and pay for it even, if you can spend the time in your own pleasant home. Also it's much cheaper to drink at home.

Why, I don't agree at all....
http://blogit.colgate.edu/blogs/classes/s09/writ222/tgunerman/JamesBond-vi.jpg

[markb]

How is it in Scotland and England btw anybody know? Because I'm going there soon, and hadn't planned to bring any cash. I was expecting Mastercard to work everywhere...I don't actually own a wallet I just have this metal chain with a metal folder attached that fits a creditcard and i.d. card..I suppose I could try to get some notes and coins for traveling and keep them in the pants pocket simply.

In many restaurants in the UK you'll be able to use a card and add a tip at the time of payment should you chose to give one. In most small cafes and pubs you will need cash. £50 notes are not very welcome in bars, especially busy ones, as it's a common way of passing forgeries. Get nothing bigger than a £20 when you get cash.

[sumitomo]

Did I ever tell you about the time I was in a restaurant and the waitress was bringing my food and I noticed that her thumb was in my bowl of chili? Sumi:D

Well when she sat that bowl of chili down in front of me her thumb was still in the bowl,I told her hey what are you doing,how would you like it if I had my thumb in your bowl of chili,she just answered I'm sorry I have a lot of joint pain and they just like heat,I was pissed and told her well why don't you put that thumb of your's up your butt,to which she answered that's what I do with it when I'm in the kitchen.Needless to say I didn't leave a tip!:thwap Sumi:D

[markb]

Reminds me of this, Sumi

6wtfNE4z6a8

[deeaa]

Thanks markb!

I suppose you can withdraw from your creditcard at ATM machines? And they probably give out twenties?

[markb]

Thanks markb!

I suppose you can withdraw from your creditcard at ATM machines? And they probably give out twenties?

Yes, you can get cash with a credit card. You might need to check for the right symbol on your card. ATMs usually give 10s and 20s.

[syo]

:-)
I don't understand why would anybody want to spend time in a restaurant or town in general, and pay for it even, if you can spend the time in your own pleasant home. Also it's much cheaper to drink at home.

It's a different matter if you're single and such, but once you're married and whatnot, why leave home any more?

Well for us, our business is attached to our home and we are working all the time, so eating out is imperative (even though we have a cook come in to make dinner :thwap ). Often at the end of the day we need to escape the energy at work/home and dining out gives us a pleasant break.

But of course, then we have to come back home to work some more to pay for the restaurant and the cook (whose food is now in the freezer). But at least we didn't have to tip! :D

[Justaguyin_nc]

I was raised by a waitress who supported 4 kids on her own. I don't care if I get a dirty fork and a fly in my soup. I always pay 20% or better in any type restaurant..

a tip about service: Place a 5 or 10 on the table as soon as you sit down, you will be amazed how good of service you will be getting. Umm, remember to add to it before you leave.

[ZurkonTheDestroyer]

Depends what the bill is. If it's the usual 50 dollars(for family) I usually tip 9 or 10 dollars.