3 ms·

Since always. If you're getting takeout from a sit down restaurant, even if you're not being served you're still getting service from the kitchen. The kitchen s

Since always. If you're getting takeout from a sit down restaurant, even if you're not being served you're still getting service from the kitchen. The kitchen staff is tipped out by the front of house, so when you don't tip from takeout the front of house is tipping the kitchen out of their own pocket. That's why the customary takeout tip is 10%. Source: friends who work in restaurants.

geodel 3y ago
I'd say tip is also needed for restaurant owners, building owner where restaurant is located, meat suppliers, greens supplier, cardboard box suppliers drivers of delivery trucks and so on. When it comes to restaurant everyone associated works for free.
NovemberWhiskey 3y ago
The definition of service is not "someone does their job". We should also recognize that food service workers are not, in fact, selfless and saintly as a collective group and have skin in this game.
- mullingitover 3y ago
  I agree, the tipping economy in the US is corrupt and rigged to benefit the owners. Service employees should be paid a living wage. However, currently they're not, so while I would love to only patronize establishments that pay a living wage, that's not really an option. In the meantime, I don't take out my frustrations on the staff who are the victims of this system by short-changing them.
  - JohnFen 3y ago
    You are every bit as much of a victim as the staff.
    - NovemberWhiskey 3y ago
      As is the taxpayer: it's estimated that over $20bn of tax underpayment is non-reported tips, constituting 10% of the tax gap.
heliodor 3y ago
What variable is there in the kitchen staff's work that warrants tipping? What you get from a waiter/waitress can vary tremendously. But a cook cooks. If they don't do the job well, you choose to eat elsewhere and the manager may choose to fire the person.
- mullingitover 3y ago
  > What variable is there in the kitchen staff's work that warrants tipping? Turnaround time, quality, order accuracy, etc. When you order from the server, they're the customer of the kitchen and depend on the kitchen's work to get their tips. The kitchen gets paid somewhat better than the waitstaff, which is why it's not a 50/50 split with the waitstaff, but nobody working in a restaurant is getting a living wage except maybe the management.

geodel 3y ago

I'd say tip is also needed for restaurant owners, building owner where restaurant is located, meat suppliers, greens supplier, cardboard box suppliers drivers of delivery trucks and so on. When it comes to restaurant everyone associated works for free.

NovemberWhiskey 3y ago

The definition of service is not "someone does their job". We should also recognize that food service workers are not, in fact, selfless and saintly as a collective group and have skin in this game.

mullingitover 3y ago
I agree, the tipping economy in the US is corrupt and rigged to benefit the owners. Service employees should be paid a living wage. However, currently they're not, so while I would love to only patronize establishments that pay a living wage, that's not really an option. In the meantime, I don't take out my frustrations on the staff who are the victims of this system by short-changing them.
- JohnFen 3y ago
  You are every bit as much of a victim as the staff.
  - NovemberWhiskey 3y ago
    As is the taxpayer: it's estimated that over $20bn of tax underpayment is non-reported tips, constituting 10% of the tax gap.

heliodor 3y ago

What variable is there in the kitchen staff's work that warrants tipping? What you get from a waiter/waitress can vary tremendously. But a cook cooks. If they don't do the job well, you choose to eat elsewhere and the manager may choose to fire the person.

mullingitover 3y ago
> What variable is there in the kitchen staff's work that warrants tipping? Turnaround time, quality, order accuracy, etc. When you order from the server, they're the customer of the kitchen and depend on the kitchen's work to get their tips. The kitchen gets paid somewhat better than the waitstaff, which is why it's not a 50/50 split with the waitstaff, but nobody working in a restaurant is getting a living wage except maybe the management.