Tipping Point

Locals weigh in on the trending topic of tipping.

The topic of “tipflation” is on everyone’s tongue of late—and burning up the media circuit from The New York Times to TODAY Show to Jimmy Kimmel Live! as everyone navigates how to tip against seemingly increasing pressure to tip more—and tip on everything. 

Pundits tend to agree that the rules for tipping are changing. And, certainly, the advent of Square and the like, which allows businesses of all kinds to accept credit payments with ease, also now prompts consumers with the choice to tip for services once unthought of (you handed me a croissant, bro)—leaving us all wondering how much to tip to whom and when to skip. 

“Now it seems like there’s this expectation that no matter where you go or what service is performed you should be tipping,” said NBC TODAY co-host Craig Melvin on a recent tipping etiquette broadcast clip, and leaving in its wake a “tipping fatigue,” from both the charge and the convo (but stay with us). Before we all tap out, we want to tap into tipping culture—and get down to brass tacks on tipping. So we surveyed a host of hospitality insiders from business owners to regulars on tipping percentages across myriad venues and services.

Forced Tipping

Arguably the best part about tipping is you get the choice of how much to tip—and when to decide not to. But some businesses are taking that option away. Locally, Layered Croissanterie requires a tip in order to place an order online. We tried—but you literally cannot get one of those delectable “blankets of buttery goodness” without entering a tip. Sure, you’ll probably tip anyway, but it’s always nice to have the choice.

Service Charges

Let’s get one thing clear: Service charges are not tips. Typically these are automatically added to the bill if you’re dining at a restaurant with a large party (think six people or more). Lately, though, even smaller groups are getting hit with a service charge—a result of the pandemic and inflation, naturally. The extra fee helps restaurants further pay their employees, who most of the time are making only about $10 an hour or less. But it can be frustrating for unaware diners who are already forking out a tip (and, yes, you’re still expected to tip on top of the service charge). Whether you hate the idea or love it, it doesn’t look like service charges are going anywhere anytime soon. 

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