By randy

January 12, 2009 2:00 PM | Link to this

of course you want to tip for the carry-out. of course you do realize that carry-out here is defined as a regular meal, i.e., steak, potato, salad, drink, roll, etc., not the everyday type hamburger, pizza or fast food restaurant items. and i usually give them 10% (half of my normal) simply because they have taken the time away from “live” customers to take care of me. be generous as some time you may want to sit down in that restaurant and you might just get the one from the take out that you didnt tip! and what kind of service will you get then, happy waiting! lol

By cathy

January 12, 2009 10:54 AM | Link to this

Yes, if I go to a sit-down restaurant for carry-out food, I generally do leave a small tip. Exceptions are pizza places and certain Chinese restaurants (where they do most of their business as carry-out).

By Dutch Uncle

January 12, 2009 9:55 AM | Link to this

Writing as a former general manager (GM) of a 120-seat, mid-scale chain restaurant. I’m excluding fast-food from my comments. I’m quite confident that any restaurant owner or GM is happy to have tips come in, regardless of how the meal is served. Tips will offset labor costs, and will in turn raise profit margins. A carry-out sale costs a few extra cents per serving for the packaging, granted. But, that food sale is still a sale going to your store, rather than to a competitor. Let’s assume that food cost is one-third of a meal’s price. Your actual meal may vary. The additional unit costs include direct and indirect labor, facilities (rent, insurance, HVAC, maintenance), perhaps even spoilage and shrinkage due to employee theft. The restaurant loses the beverage mark-up (which is substancial), but gets the increase in turnover. If carry-out wasn’t profitable, it would not exist. A server cannot select her/his customers. There is an assigned station, getting a share of the customer flow. The tables must be set up, attended to, and cleaned up for each party. Remember when you last felt ignored, or worse, rushed, or were simply in a snotty mood. Did you tip 20% regardless? Likely not. My point is, a carry-out customer receives little of the “service” experience for which tips are the commission. Is carry-out worth a 20% commission without receiving such service? That’s entirely up to you.

By alp

January 12, 2009 9:48 AM | Link to this

I work for minimum wage and don’t recieve tips. I do not tip in states where servers are paid minimum wage (CA for example). Other states I tip 15-20%.

By REDFAN

January 12, 2009 4:58 AM | Link to this

I tip a dollar & change as a rule. If you can afford to eat out at olive garden, cracker barrel, lone star etc; then you can afford to give these poor kids a bone!

By CONSUMER

January 11, 2009 10:01 PM | Link to this

come on, why not tip the carry out clerk when you pick up a six pack at the drive thru, or the clerk at the department store when they put your items in a bag, or your ups man when he delivers a package…there is too many that feel that they are “entitled” in the US, this is what’s wrong with our country today!

By chadams

January 11, 2009 10:53 AM | Link to this

We should be tipping for to-go orders. Its not the southern thing to do, its the right thing to do. Servers usually prepare the to-go orders on top of servicing their tables so it can become alot of extra work and headache for them…so do the right thing and tip! And a $1-$3 tip while eating in is ludacris…if you cannot afford to tip correctly then you shouldnt be eating out.

By null

January 11, 2009 10:33 AM | Link to this

I TIP WHEN I CAN. BUT WHEN I GO TO THE WAFFLE HOUSE THEY ADD A TIP 15% TO YOUR BILL.THAT IS FINE WITH ME.ALL THE SERVERS WORK HARD AT WHAT THEY DO.

By w

January 11, 2009 10:32 AM | Link to this

are you kidding?—the owner should pay these people—we are already paying more than the product is worth—do you tip every other service job—i think not

By SnowMan

January 11, 2009 8:25 AM | Link to this

Tip’s, well everbody that works in fast food or in sit down dinners,can use the tip’s, money is hard to come by these’s days.I alway try to gave cash when tipping.If you can afford to eat out you can afford some type of tip.The SnowMan………

By amanda

January 11, 2009 5:25 AM | Link to this

The cooks do cook the order put they don’t put it together. They also don’t get all the extra condiments and everything else that most people ask for when they get carryout. “yeah can I also get 4 waters to go and extra silverware” If you don’t want to tip go to Mcdonalds or stay home and cook yourself.

By Hanging In Middletown

January 10, 2009 12:59 PM | Link to this

I used to, if the service & food were the same quality as eating in, I have stopped tipping & pickup ordering at Cracker Barrelall together. Takeout orders are skimpy & have left out or mixed up food items, when you call to complain, you have to drive back across town & to get treated like your lying to scarf extra food. I’ve talked to the manager and he assures me, there is a 6 point check system, apparently none of the 6 employee’s know what goes in meals or can read an order! I’m done with them, Bob Evans is always happy to get my orders

By Rachael

January 10, 2009 12:36 PM | Link to this

I have to agree with Nora on this. I say this even though I use to wait on tables. I was 17 at the time and had no bills. When I got married I had to find a job with a dependable wage. One that would at least let me get by. I don’t mind tipping when someone is making a huge effort and I have tipped more than the bill before. If they are extremely busy and have only been by my table twice I will tip more than if the place is empty and they are bugging the crap out of me. It’s in the effort. And I tip on take out but only a $1 or so. Pizza delivery $2 ($4 in the snow). They are down the street and charge me $1.50 fee. I don’t mind tipping when service is good but I do mind it being expected. I am on my feet working 12 hour shifts in a warehouse. I was making sure people got their orders in time for Christmas. I want tipped.

By Mother of Server

January 10, 2009 10:04 AM | Link to this

When I get carry-out from a sit-down restaurant I ALWAYS tip at least $1. My daughter has been a restaurant server for several years and woke me up to the fact that most servers make NO MORE than $3.50/hr and have to give a portion of their tips to the bartender and the bussers. They are dependent on your tips - please be as generous as possible. And remember, your server is working just as hard to bring you your lunch as he/she would if it were supper so please consider tipping more than 15-20% of your lunch bill. I NEVER leave less than $2 tip for a sit-down meal if the service was satisfactory.

By CubicalMan

January 10, 2009 2:00 AM | Link to this

Nora, you have got to be kidding me right? If restaurants paid what you call “fair wages” to waiters, meals would cost at least twice as much as they currently do. I would much rather pay less for my food and tip according to service. And, to stay on topic, I do tip take-out orders because I realize time was put into making sure I am getting what I want and need.

By Francis

January 9, 2009 11:48 PM | Link to this

I never tipped on carryouts until working at a restaurant. Sometimes there is a person assigned specifically for carryouts, and while they make minimum wage, they have just as much responsibility as a server to ensure the order is ordered and prepared properly. As for Nora’s comment that people do not deserve tips AT ALL and employers should pay a fair wage…are you serious? I make $3.50/hr and depend on tips. I provide a service and deserve to be compensated for said service. Also, in many high end restaurants, the servers do not keep all their tips-we are required to ‘tip out’ (give a percentage of our sales to back of house employees and bartenders-they also make $3.50/hr)If you cannot afford to tip-stay home!!!

By Justine

January 9, 2009 10:21 AM | Link to this

At most restaurants where you sit down to eat, they use servers to do the to-go orders. Servers hate being on this job because people so rarely leave tips, yet the servers still only make half of minimum wage. So, I always tip in that case. However, in places that do not use servers (like ice cream shops and coffee places) I only tip if the employee does something better than I would expect. Those employees are earning a full minimus wage or more, so the tips are supplementary.

By Nora

January 9, 2009 10:16 AM | Link to this

Y do we need to tip at all? Employers should pay a fair wage and not rely on the customer to supliment that. I am a healthcare worker who must perform certain distateful procedures on you yet I get nothing extra for my efforts. I am not the doc so I dont get anywhere near what he earns yet I am the one performing the most disgusting procedures not him. Y if a waitress puts ketchup in my bag and takes time to do their job should I have to tip but if i wipe your bottom for you its not worth a tip? Just a thought!

By DaytonDiner

January 8, 2009 11:35 PM | Link to this

Jen has it right on the money! I used to work in a restaurant, and to-go orders require someone to take time away from their tables to pack up your food, utensils, condiments, and also to take payment. I never expected a large tip, maybe a dollar or two - especially for curbside service if the weather is bad. And please don’t forget to tip if you’re ordering for an entire office full of people - it takes a lot of time to pack up all that food!

By NoTip For You

January 8, 2009 10:19 AM | Link to this

No, I do not tip them, they are over paid any way.

By Florida Native

January 8, 2009 9:55 AM | Link to this

In Florida, we tip on carry-outs. I have an extremely hard time believeing they don’t have carry out orders in texas and that certainly is very false about the South, in general. North, Sotuh, East, West, I’ll generally tip when I order for non fast-food.

By Jim

January 8, 2009 7:50 AM | Link to this

For me, it depends on the place. If just picking up take-out pizza, no tip since the cashier just takes my money and hands over the order. But at a nicer restaurant where I know the person waiting on me had to check, bag, add extras etc to the order, I’ll tip some. And a lot around Christmas time. :-)

By Michael

January 8, 2009 6:52 AM | Link to this

Yes, I have tipped for carry-out. It’s less, of course, than for a sit-down meal. I feel like, if they were friendly and helpful, I will give them a couple of dollars. They generally are extremely appreciative of it.

By Jen

January 7, 2009 3:08 PM | Link to this

I always tip for carry-out because the waitress or waiter has to take their time to put the order in the computer, box & bag the food for you, putting in the condiments, salad dressings, napkins, silverware, etc. They also have to take your payment - giving change if paid by cash or doing the paperwork if done by credit card. All of this takes their time away from an inside diner, who might just happen to be a good tipper.

By Patty

January 7, 2009 1:05 PM | Link to this

Not at chains. Local owned restaurants yes. The price of carryout is the same as eat in. Carryout includes additional costs.. containers for the food and drink, salt and pepper packages, ketchup, etc. Sometimes the owners are the cooks and in these times they aren’t making much. Sometimes it’s nice to tip the cook.

By null

January 7, 2009 12:40 PM | Link to this

I don’t think it’s a Southern thing. Pay attention the next time you pick up a carryout order somewhere other than the large chains. The tip cups are everywhere.

By deuce

January 7, 2009 12:38 PM | Link to this

I’d say they want you to tip them, but I don’t see it as something they should expect. All you’re doing is picking up food. The cooks are who made the food. You didn’t dirty a cup, a table, a plate, or the floor. No refills were made. Giving a tip for carry-out is just being generous, not because that person took care of you for a half hour.

By Texas native

January 7, 2009 11:00 AM | Link to this

It’s a Southern thing, but depends on the restaurant. Obviously, the less like fast-food it is, the more some people are inclined to leave a little tip. BUT, my experience is that carry-out isn’t as common in the South as here. You either cook it yourself or you go out for a sit-down meal. Picking up Chinese carry-out or having it delivered is, well, Yankee.