the usual tip is fifteen (15) to twenty (20) percent on the pre-tax amount of the bill
However, tipping extra on the your first round isn’t necessary—“a large first tip (followed by smaller tips) suggests you want special treatment as a guest,” Meehan says, but “a well-run bar with a good bartender should not solicit or encourage this type of tipping.”. When you tip the bartender, make the tip visible to him. Don't place the tip out his sight. In addition, don't place the tip on top of the garnishes. It is unsanitary to have money on the fruit. You could place the tip on top of the bar (where it is visible to the bartender), in the tip jar (when it's near) or just hand it to the bartender.
self-service restaurants: 10%
extra accommodating waiters: an extra $5.00 for extra special service
lingering at your table on a busy night: an extra ten (10) to fifteen (15) percent
bartenders: fifteen (15) to twenty (20) percent of the total bill
sommeliers:
tipping the maitre d’, bartenders, washroom attendants, valet parking attendants, busboys, and musicians. tipping less, tip jars
Guidelines for Tipping:
![Bar Bar](https://www.etiquettescholar.com/images/dining_etiquette/gourmet_guide/aside-de-menu.jpg)
A gratuity is already included in the bill. Check the bill to see if a gratuity is included (or a service charge).
Your meal costs much less than the restaurant average. If you eat light, or use a coupon, it is thoughtful to leave a tip commensurate with a full-priced meal. Street fighter bonus round.
A line for the captain's gratuity. Most restaurants with captains combine tips, with seventy-five percent going to the waiter and twenty-five percent to the captain. If there is a separate line for the captain, you can ignore it and increase the tip if you like.
Host, Hostess and Maitre d’
Unless you are a frequent patron, it is not necessary to tip the maitre d'.
Bartenders
How much you tip a bartender depends in part on whether you're waiting at the bar for a table in the adjoining restaurant or you're at a bar for its own sake.
Washroom Attendants
Valet Parking Attendants
- Tip the parking attendant $2.00.
- Give the tip when the car is brought to you, not when you arrive.
Busboys
Busboys are usually not tipped, with two exceptions:
- You spill something and the busboy cleans it up - you may give him or her $1.00 or $2.00 as you leave.
- If a busboy in a cafeteria carries your tray to the table, $1.00 or $2.00 is appropriate.
Musicians
- In nicer restaurants with piano entertainment, do not tip the piano player unless you see a tip jar - that is unlikely.
- You may tip musicians in more casual restaurants - $2 to $5 on leaving, even if you've made no request - receptacles for tips are usually in clear view.
- If you have made requests, add an extra dollar or more for each song.
- For strolling musicians, the basic tip is $1 per musician, $2 for a party of two; a total of $5 is enough for a group.
- If you make a special request, add an extra dollar to each musician's tip.
- You needn't stop eating when musicians perform table side. Just smile and thank them as you tip when the musicians finish.
Related Tipping Etiquette:
We have complied thorough international tipping guidelines in this section. If you are traveling on business or pleasure, investigate this valuable tipping resource.
This is a bar and restaurant tipping guide. It teaches the proper way to tip the food servers, cocktail waitresses and bartenders. It also contains a restaurant tip calculator, a bar tip calculator and a tip chart.
Note: If you are interested more about the etiquette of tipping, please visit the Tipping Etiquette.
What is a tip?
A tip is a gratuity. A sum of money given to someone for a service rendered. The word 'tips' stands for To Insure Proper Service.
What is a good tip?
Restaurant Server
A good tip is 15% of your pretax bill. If you receive an excellent service, then you should tip 20% or more.
Not good with percentages or there is no calculator present
If you can't calculate the percentage, look at how much is the tax and double it. If you double the amount of the tax and leave it as a tip, you will be OK. Doubling the tax is usually between 15 to 20 percent depending on where you are.
If you can't calculate the percentage, look at how much is the tax and double it. If you double the amount of the tax and leave it as a tip, you will be OK. Doubling the tax is usually between 15 to 20 percent depending on where you are.
Bartender
A good tip is about 20% of your bill or $1 per drink. Usually people will tip 1 through 5 dollars when they buy a couple of drinks. You are welcome to leave more money. Many people will leave bigger tips when they receive a great service. It's a way of saying,'Thank you!'
Note: If you order drinks that require more time to make, you should tip more. Example: Blended drinks, layered drinks, drinks that required muddling, etc.
Should I leave a tip if I got a bad service?
Restaurant Server
Yes, but don't leave 15%. If you got a horrible service, you should leave a quarter. When you leave a quarter, it means that you didn't forget to tip, but the server does not deserve it.
Bartender
It is really unusual that you get a bad service from a bartender, but if it happens to you, don't leave a tip.
If I got an OK service, how much do I have to tip?
Restaurant Server
Here is the basic breakdown:
- Horrible Service: Tip a quarter (It shows that you didn't forget to leave a tip, but the server doesn't deserve one.)
- Poor Service: Leave a 5% tip
- Fair Service: Leave a 10% tip
- Good Service: Leave a 15% tip
- Great Service: Leave a 20% tip
- Excellent Service: Leave a 25% tip or more
Bartender
If you got a bad service, don't leave a tip. Otherwise, leave 20% of your bill or $1 per drink.
Do I have to leave a tip when I buy a drink?
It's not that you have to; it's the right thing to do. Remember that you are getting a service and that a tip is the payment for that service. Bartenders work hard for their tips. Please be generous to them.
How much do bartenders make?
Bartenders make minimum wage or less. In addition, they get taxed on their tips. Their pay checks are very small after all the deductions. Their income comes from the tips received from the customers and not much from the pay checks that they get from the place they work at. All bartenders rely on tips for their living.
Note: A tip is not extra money; it's the bartender's income. Some bartenders don't even get a pay check.
Bartenders get taxed on their tips
Most people don't know this. Well, it is time for you to know it. Bartenders, severs and cocktail waitresses get taxed on their tips. Tips are income and are subject to federal income tax.
How can the government get the tax from your tips?
The government doesn't have access to the tips, but they have access to the pay check. The government will get the tax from tips out of the pay checks.
Note: Some bartenders don't get a pay check because all the money was taken out of their check.
How does the government know how much you made on tips?
When a customer leaves a tip with a credit card or debit card, it automatically gets recorded in the computer. In addition, when a bartender clocks out, he has to report how much he made in cash tips.
The amount of tips that servers and bartenders have to declare should be at least 8% of their sales. If they fail to do that, they will get Allocated Tips on their W-2.
What happens if you don't tell the government how much you made on tips?
Bar Tipping Etiquette
All bartenders, servers and cocktail waitresses have to report their tips. The tip amount should be at least 8 percent of their sales. If an employee fails to report his tips, the employer will assign Allocated Tips on the employee's W-2.
What are Allocated Tips?
Allocated tips are tips that the employer assigned to a server or bartender in addition to the tips that the employee reported for the year. The employer will do this when the tips reported by the employee (server or bartender) where less than the 8% of food and drink sales.
Note: If a server or bartender has Allocated Tips on his W-2, he will have to pay taxes on that amount. If you would like to know more about Allocated Tips, please visit the IRS web site.
Internal Tipping
Besides the customers tipping the wait staff, there is also internal tipping between fellow employees. Here is a general idea of how it works:
- Bartenders tip barbacks and food runners.
- Cocktail Waitresses tip bartenders and bus boys.
- Food Servers tip the bartender, the bus boy and the expo/food runner.
South park slot machine. Note: Every establishment is different and the tipping may vary from place to place. This is just a general idea of who tips who.
Always leave a tip
Bartenders make minimum wage or less. All the bartenders rely on tips for their living. That's their major income. Bartenders work hard for their tips. Please be generous to them.
![Bar Tipping Etiquette Bar Tipping Etiquette](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X1PdCkb5R2c/maxresdefault.jpg)
Bill Total | Tip (20%) |
---|---|
$5 | $1 |
$10 | $2 |
$15 | $3 |
$20 | $4 |
$25 | $5 |
$30 | $6 |
$35 | $7 |
$40 | $8 |
$45 | $9 |
$50 | $10 |
Dry Bar Tipping Etiquette
Bill Total | Tip (20%) |
---|---|
$55 | $11 |
$60 | $12 |
$65 | $13 |
$70 | $14 |
$75 | $15 |
$80 | $16 |
$85 | $17 |
$90 | $18 |
$95 | $19 |
$100 | $20 |
Bill Total | Tip (20%) |
---|---|
$200 | $40 |
$300 | $60 |
$400 | $80 |
$500 | $100 |
$600 | $120 |
$700 | $140 |
$800 | $160 |
$900 | $180 |
$1000 | $200 |
$2000 | $400 |