Kind of a random topic but curious on people’s thoughts. We don’t dine in restaurants often. Usually it’s a to go order because we are a family of 7 and dining in isn’t something that ends up very enjoyable lol. What are people’s thoughts on tipping for take out orders? We ordered at Olive Garden last night, to go. As I was checking out, it recommended that I tip 15%. When it comes to dining in where a server is bringing you food, drinks and checking up on you, tipping should absolutely be part of the equation. (Amount depends on how good they actually are) But to tip 15% for somebody to just hand me food seems a little much. The to go/hostesses typically get paid an hourly rate to do that job, servers are mostly tip based. I always feel obligated to tip them, but I never really understand why it’s such a huge thing. Maybe I’m just an asshole I don’t know.
I do, just because I’m a server and have been a to-go person and they deserve tips too. They might not do much but if they don’t have tables they get screwed out of tips then…
Yes, because my son worked at a restaurant and one or two day a week he would work to go and he was still basically working on tips.
I tip on to go orders but at a lesser amount as I see it more as a service than actual being served
Catering. Or if there is many modifications - IMO you should tip. It goes directly to the kitchen and yes to go orders take more time and effort to make. However if its something off the menu no crazy modifications or requests then no, i always tip however ive worked in the food industry and feel this is my way of giving back some good karma lol.
Oh, tip definitely. Just think they go pick up your food, they bring it to you, they deserve it.
i work in a restaurant and any amount of tip is greatly appreciated
No. Tipping has gotten out of control. 
I never tip when I get takeout but maybe that’s just me.
As someone who has been in the service industry, in almost all facets for over 20 years, I typically tip 10% on to go orders. It also depends upon the amount of work going into the order. We are a family of 6 with all personalized meals typically so I’ll tip 10%. When I’m dining in it’s always 20%.
I don’t tip on takeout orders.
I always tip on to go orders, but I don’t follow the whole 15 or 20 % recommendations bc to me that is on there to help people who are dining in to figure out what to tip. But I do always tip depending on my order between 7-10 dollars! I think any tip on a to go is extra and appreciated even a dollar or two.
I tip the delivery guy even though I question why since when I ireder I pay an additional $10 delivery fee. I tip the server when I eat out. I don’t tip take out. I figure I’m supporting their business by purchasing their food. My car, my gas, my tip lol
To go orders are packaged up by someone who makes minimum wage or higher. So I usually give a couple bucks or if it’s individual meals then I do $1 per meal to whoever hands me the food. Waitresses get 15 to 20 percent. Since they are paid $2.83 ish
I haven’t read any of the comments but definitely know that hard work and preparation is happening behind the scenes in the to-go part of the restaurant. 
there are probably 5 people or more preparing that order: think of the cooks who take time away from the people dining in to ensure speedy service to to-go orders…to-go orders in a lot of restaurants are higher priority than dine in unfortunately), think of the person managing the go between of the food to ensure that it’s prepared as ordered and if not, having the cooks prepare it immediately to be fixed, think of the person carefully packing and properly wrapping things to prevent spilling, the time taken to get a drink, time to get a ‘few extra ranches’, making sure everything is precise…whew the list goes on ‘just’ for to-go orders. They make it look very easy when handing you the bag (hopefully with a smile on their face.) 
absolute bare minimum tip for to-go should be 10% which is ‘decent’ but 20% is really due, necessary and appreciated. To-go people can make as low as 4.00/hr. The highest I know of is 7.25 per hour and they too are dependent on tips. Again, in any restaurant, just know tips are important and it’s never forgotten who tips what. 
They put your order together n bag it up n make sure everything you ordered is in the bag. You should tip them for all of that
I don’t tip unless they serve me. Cooking it and handing it to me doesn’t count. They didn’t fill my drinks, clear my plates, check on me, etc. So no, I don’t tip on takeout or anything where I order at the counter and take it to my own table.
I don’t tip often on to go orders but if I do maybe $2 or so. Or I round up.
Nope, and I’ve even worked on the industry. If I sit down. I will make sure your taken care of.
I’m so glad I live in Australia and tipping isn’t a thing. It’s expensive as shit to eat out etc…I wouldn’t want to have to pay more on top as well
If I’m picking it up, absolutely not. I’m not tipping someone to put my food in a bag. Coming from someone who always tips 20% when I go out to eat.
Fuck that. Tipping is insane. Servers and wait staff should be paid living wages like they are the rest of the world over.
Absolutely not. This is a hot topic because people are tired of getting guilted in to tipping on to go orders.
I know in Australia
If you order through
Menulog, door dash or uber
They automatically put a 15%
Tip on your order
Seeing so many of us go through the same crap with these toxic people.
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Always! They prepare it to go for you so absolutely!
I tip for takeout and they typically do more than just hand you your food.
Nope. No one waits on u for take out. Y tip. It’s part of there job to do take out orders
So I worked at Olive Garden for 7 1/2 years and did togo for about half of that. They get paid hourly there but some restaurants don’t have a “togo” person and it’s just the bartender or servers that have to put them together and they are working for tips. I never expected 20% tips even when we would have $1000 catering orders that would take SO long to put together. But I appreciated any tips. So my rule of thumb is to leave like 10% on togo orders WHEN I CAN. or if I know specifically that the person doing the orders works for tips and not an hourly wage. Or if it was a large order not just a single entree etc.
I always tip when it’s to go.
It’s not much, but it’s something. Usually 10% or so.
Some restaurants the hostess/host and waitress tip share. Some host actually get tips.
I tip 10% usually for to-go orders (in a sit-down restaurant), and 20% for dining in.
These restaurants are now charging 3% of the bill if you use your credit/ debt card and taking out the tip ! It’s out of control!
My family doesn’t tip on take out.
At Olive Garden it’s not the hostess doing the to go orders it’s a server.
But after Covid yes I tip for any sit down restaurant to go orders. Like Applebee’s to go is run by a server as well.
Depends on how much they make an hour. If they earn a basic waitstaff wage of $2.13/hr then yes, 15-20%. If they make minimum wage, I leave like 10%.
In our small town location the city has added a second tax on fast food. I do not typically tip on that fast food. I don’t understand the whole tipping everybody thing all of a sudden. And I have worked in the food industry all my life. Those at the drive through windows are getting a regular paycheck. I see no need to supplement that. I tip well at sit down restaurants.
I still believe that everyone needs a regular wage paycheck including waitresses. The restaurants are the ones making the money by not having to pay the waitresses regular wages. In this day and age it needs to be changed.
In a sit down restaurant like that, you should definitely tip. Not necessarily as much as dining in, bur those people are still working hard to prepare and fill your order, making sure everything is in the bag. And they have families to work and provide for. If 20 orders have even $5, that server would go home with $100. If you can afford to order food, you should be able to tip, otherwise you shouldn’t be eating out. This is actually what my sister does, she works to go at Olive Garden and the stories I hear about people, how rude they can be, how demanding they are. The least we can do when your blessed to not cook and to get carry out is to also bless the people who do work hard to make sure we get what we need for a successful meal. The stories I’ve heard break my heart.
I had someone at Chili’s say that to go orders is still a service so it should be tipped
I will give $2 for a curbside pick up.
I heard some drivers look at the tip to decide which order to deliver. Don’t know if it’s true, but it sounds reasonable.
Who ends up with the tip if I use my card business or worker?
I do not tip 20% for carry-out, but I do tip a small amount. Honestly, I only do so because I would be embarrassed not to. When I really think about it, why though? Doordash/delivery services are not tipping out of their tip…and I assume that accounts for most pickups. The question becomes when does it stop? If the employee is not making the wages they need to survive, it’s a restaurant (employer) problem - as we are certainly paying more than enough for food these days.
My two daughters are both hostesses and do the take outs. Their hourly pay is $3.85 and they get tip share. They absolutely do not get paid a “regular” hourly rate.
Tipping has gotten out of control. With the computerized checkout asking if you’d like to tip 25%, 28%, or 30%, it is absolutely crazy! But I do tip on to go orders, minimum is $2.00. For family of seven for to go order, $3-6 depending on how complex the meals are. Like a side salad with ranch, extra ketchup, drinks with straw, dips on the side, that kind of thing, but if it’s this meal, that meal, etc, $4 is fine. Or just tip whatever your heart desires!
My question is who does the tip go to when you’re getting a to-go order? One person takes the order over the phone or it goes through an app, and another is bagging up the food from reading it off of a screen. Then it could be another person ringing you out, so who are you tipping on a to-go order? Or is it like a pooled thing and everyone splits the tips from the back end? I honestly would think the cook would be tipped for making all the food before the person bagging up the food right?
We do not tip on the to go orders. It seems no matter where you go anymore, someone wants a tip.
No, I don’t. Tipping is for service. Handing me what I bought doesn’t earn a tip. Unless it’s delivered or maybe even curbside I’d give a small tip for, but if I’m going in for my own order, no.
I tip whether , “eat in or out”. Tipping is out of hand, Tipping jars everywhere and that guilts me to tip. I wish prices reflect paying real wages. I’m old, when I was young ( 70yrs. ago) tips were for exceptional service. Now as I said tip jars everywhere for an and all occupations.In Nursing when families appreciated your care they couldn’t tip money. So usually they gifted staff food.
Yes, I tip to go orders. I don’t tip as much as I would if I dined in, but I still tip them. They take you order, check your order and bag it.
I’m a pretty decent tipper. When it comes to to go orders, I only leave about 2-3$ because I feel bad if I don’t leave anything 
I don’t understand tipping on to go orders myself.
As a server, I always tip dine in or to go if it’s an establishment that has servers. I work in a small town, mom and pop type of restaurant. We don’t have a hostess and are responsible for everything. So when a to go comes in, we take it. In doing so, we are taking time away from our in house guests (especially for the patrons that want you to read them the menu or have very specific customized orders). We check on it, box it up correctly, put all sauces/ condiments, utensils, napkins, drinks, desserts, whatever it may be. So a service is still being provided by said server or host that is making anywhere between 2.13-5 an hour because tipping is customary in this line of work.
With that being said, tips are not expected but very much appreciated!
I do not tip fast food though.
On Togo orders, they aren’t just handing you your food. They are taking the order, making sure everything is there, bagging it up etc. maybe you shouldn’t tip as much as you would your dine in server, but you should tip more than you would a Sonic car-hop. We usually tip more than we’re supposed to, bc I was in the service industry for 15+ years. But I would suggest maybe 10% for take out orders.
I tip 5 bucks on take out. The server still takes your order, puts it in, checks to make sure it’s correct, and cashes you out. This takes away from time they can be at the tables showing attentiveness to dining in customers. Also servers are usually responsible for getting your sides such as coleslaw, cottage cheese, bread, etc that kitchen doesn’t handle to put in those orders. I tip the 5 to make up for the time it takes away from the busy tables they need to pay attention to. I know all this though from working as a waitress.
No, they’re not serving you like you were dining in. I feel as if you are taking it home you shouldn’t have to give a tip. It’s your choice if you feel like you want to give them a tip or not. Are usually don’t if I was dining in yes
In most full service restaurants, it’s a server making $2.13 an hour that has to take your order if you call in, check the order is correct, get your condiments together, build your salad (if you ordered one), bag your meal, make sure you have plastic ware and napkins, cash you out, and bring you your food. It takes time and energy. Yeah a tip is nice to help make up the minimum wage difference.
I always tip . On coffee , to go orders , dine in don’t matter . Times are tough for so many right now . If I can afford to eat out then I can afford atleast 1-3$ tip . But I always tip 20% or more on dine in .
Absolutely not. For cooking the food? Putting it in a bag? That’s literally what they get paid to do lol. Servers get tips because they are serving you and making sure you are good. This whole “tip” for damn near everything is getting ridiculous.
As a server of 37 years YES tip on to go! Our restaurant the to go person works their butt off! In the book of tipping etiquette, it says to tip at least $1 per plate or dish or app! NOW in person it is 20% PLUS… 20% of the bill at regular price plus extra if server did everything right! BUT I dont believe in that tipping system because I do as much work for your meat and 2 veggies as I do for a steak plate (which is double the money) 
I think 2-5 per person is right way. If you make a huge mess then leave more. I leave no less than 5 even if it sucked!! Here in NC we only make 2.13 an hour and thats what it has been since I started working in the 80s!
We are always generous tippers but don’t tip for to go orders that we pick up. Tips are for being served…cooking our food & putting it in a bag is not “serving” us.
I’m sick of tipping period… We are paying for their employer to get away with paying cheap wages period.
Most restaurants have a to go person that makes at least minimum wage to put an order together, that’s at least $14 an hour to put your food together. It actually takes more effort to make it look good when eating in a restaurant than packaging a to go order.
I tip $5 for carry-out, 10% lousy service, 15% for ok service, 25%+ for excellent service. I don’t live in a town with delivery, but I tipped delivery people 10-20% plus $10.
If I spent my gas money to pick up the food to take home instead of sitting down at a restaurant to eat it, or having it delivered to me, then that ‘tip’ is mine. I do not tip someone to carry my food from inside, out to my car.
Shouldn’t have to tip someone handing you a bag of food in it. We don’t tip baggers at the market who actually move their arms and put our bags in the carriage
If I am coming to pick up the food and do to go, no I don’t tip. I do tip if say they deliver it to me.
As a server, I don’t really care whether or not you tip on Togo orders. It’s not time consuming to bag your order and bring it up front. These Doordash and Uber eats people though can get a little out of line trying to rush us like we have control over how busy it is or how fast the food is coming out though lol. If you’re a delivery driver and rude best believe you’re shit is staying in the back an extra few minutes 
10% on to-go orders for me.
I believe that if I can’t afford to tip people then I shouldn’t be at that establishment. I tip 10% on take out and fast food and 20% if I’m sitting down inside to eat.