# Tipping on Take-away food? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2018, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673 "2018-02-12T09:04:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/21 "2018-02-13T06:44:42Z")
Most of the places I get takeout from are pretty much primarily takeout, with maybe a table or two where you can eat the food you get at the counter. So, no serving staff, pretty much the owner and the family. I’d go somewhere else to dine out (the ambiance of these places leaves a lot to be desired) I figure giving them my busines is good enough. It would be different if I were doing a massive order. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/22 "2018-02-13T07:09:00Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > I usually pay in cash and throw the coins (or a dollar, if the servers are pleasant) and into the tip jar. Doesn’t seem like much, but if everyone did it, it would add up. When most people paid cash, the tip jar at the cash register worked pretty well. Now that most folks use some kind of plastic or internet payment, it takes effort/additional steps to actually add in a tip… ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/23 "2018-02-13T20:59:09Z")
Nope, I don’t tip for carry out. The price of my food should include cooking it and putting the correct order in however it’s going to be present to me. If the only service is taking my order and handing me my food they get tipped like fast food workers. I’ve done large carry out orders of sushi and hot wings though typically about $200 a couple of times a year. The server should be pissed at management that the cooks can’t be trusted to put food in boxes rather than on a plate and need someone to double check that the order is correct. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/24 "2018-02-13T21:47:10Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I don’t know what the real custom is, and I expect most people don’t tip on takeout, but I usually try to add in about 10%. Most places I do takeout from are places that I’ll revisit, so I want to be known as one of the good guys. Same thing at one of my favorite places where, even if you eat there, you order at the counter. But I go there easily once a week. This. And my tip just might brighten their day a little. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/25 "2018-02-14T00:49:20Z")
No, and I don’t plan to start. I wish tipping would go away. Or at least be for food servers only. Not taxi drivers, car valets, delivery people, hair stylists, furniture movers, hotel maids, or any other service industry people who want in on this guilt scam. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/26 "2018-02-14T14:54:42Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I don’t know what the real custom is, and I expect most people don’t tip on takeout, but I usually try to add in about 10%. Most places I do takeout from are places that I’ll revisit, so I want to be known as one of the good guys. Same thing at one of my favorite places where, even if you eat there, you order at the counter. But I go there easily once a week. I wonder who really gets the tip, the person who took your order over the phone (or was it a web order), the cook who made it & boxed it up, or the cashier who only rang you up? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/27 "2018-02-14T15:35:28Z")
Depends on the place. Larger chain and I am very unlikely to tip even if they have a jar out. Smaller one location place, especially pizza or Tex-Mex, and I’ll probably throw a few bucks in. Not nearly what I would give for delivery but say around half that or a bit less – say 8-10% ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/28 "2018-02-14T15:39:08Z")
I wouldn’t have thought about tipping on takeout any more than tipping at a normal drive-through window. But in this case, given that Outback gave the church a full refund for some reason, I think the nice thing to do would have been to give the fired waitress that full amount. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/29 "2018-02-14T15:41:18Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I wonder who really gets the tip, the person who took your order over the phone (or was it a web order), the cook who made it & boxed it up, or the cashier who only rang you up? It depends on the place. Some have the “shift” split all tips (take-out) while they are working together, some give one person or another ownership of the tips, and I know a few where the house takes a cut on take-out tips and divides the rest by various criteria. There doesn’t seem to be any more of a hard and fast rule for take-out tips than there are for dining in; maybe even the opposite with disposition varying even based on which manager is on duty. It can get really odd and frustrating from the employees standpoint. Most go in expecting no tip at all so whatever they get is a sort of bonus and don’t mind. The rest end up job-hopping a lot. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673/30 "2018-02-14T18:01:55Z")
I tip when the food is brought to me. If I pick it up myself, I don’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-on-take-away-food/808673.md?page=1)