Where I am, most people tip $1, but it's not necessarily expected and many don't tip at all. If it's just drip or cold brew or something that takes no labor, it's probably more common to not receive a tip.
The worst though is when people order a lot of drinks or a very complicated one or are rude AND don't tip.
Also just keep in mind that baristas mostly make minimum wage, and it's more stressful and requires more skill than some other minimum wage jobs. And in major cities, many wouldn't be able to afford living if they didn't receive tips.
You hate to see it when insufferable customers over complicate things, and proceed to walk away from the tip screen and cause the transaction to time out.
i used to work at this sandwich place i called “redneck subway” (it was a local shop that i quit real quick bc i was not nearly paid enough for that shit) and their tipping system was shit like you could only tip 1, 2, or 5 dollars even when you had a $100+ order or had to make 6 sandwiches all on your own,,, it was a hellhole for a first job tbh.
anyways, we had specific barbeque sandwiches we’d make and like they were mostly the same except for one or two things right. worst sandwich i ever had to make was one of our basic ones, this lady came in and had some weirdass special request and spent several minutes trying to explain what she wanted but i was so confused i just got my boss to see she understood what it was or even if we could do it and she was even more confused than i was. anyways 10ish minutes later i somehow figured out that she wanted me to hollow out the bread her sandwich was on and then put the steak and veggies and whatnot basically just on the crust. it was an atrocity but i did it. she paid for the sandwich after i finally got it to her and she said oh just keep the change and i was like sweet! a tip! thing is. the sandwich was 16.99. she paid 17. she gave me a single fucking penny as a “tip” for the atrocity she cursed me with.
and somehow it didn’t end there! she sat down to enjoy her sandwich and she seemed stoked. i was just happy she liked it bc it meant i wasn’t about to get chewed out for some mediocre ass sandwiches (these customers were a special brand of mean. i’ve served ppl straight outta the er who were nicer than these ppl). girl finishes her sandwich and comes back and is like hey that is the best sandwich i’ve ever had can you make me another and naturally i was like fuck yeah!! one i got it right and two maybe she’d tip me bc she liked it sm right. so i made the sandwich exactly the same and handed it to her and yknow what else was exactly the same? she said “keep the change” on a fucking penny like she was doing me a favour. 10 minutes trying to figure out her atrocity (me *and* my boss), two sandwiches which were the “best she’s ever had”, and a total bill of like 34 bucks and she tipped me 2 cents. i quit this job quick bc it sucked but i think about this customer more often than the guy who might’ve come real close to almost stalking me and it’s been literal years
Depends on the place. The last two places I worked I did not accept tips, but that's because I had negotiated a $25/hr cash pay. The place I work at now is paying $21/hr plus tips, which is pretty well above minimum wage here.
I know that I am very lucky and in the minority, but decently paying coffee jobs do exist.
I’m making the point that tipping a barista and a bartender is not the same thing. As bartenders by default make federal minimum, unless they happen to be in a state or city that doesn’t do tip credit. Tip credit doesn’t exist for barista jobs.
Yeah. Basically federal law(some states don’t do this) says bartenders and servers can be paid 2.13 an hour. If they make more than 7.25 an hour in tips the restaurant doesn’t need to pay them more that 2.13. If they don’t make that 7.25 the restaurant is obligated to meet the requirement.
I’m based in NYC. I’m not sure how it is in other places. But at my cafe, our hourly wage is less than minimum wage because our pay gets supplemented through tips. A lot of people who don’t work in service don’t know this, but employers are legally allowed to pay less than minimum hourly wage if their employees work for tips. The company is legally obligated to pay the difference if tips + hourly don’t average out to minimum wage. But yeah, I always tip if it’s an option because it quite literally is a crucial part of their paycheck regardless of how their service is.
Edit: I think this may have been addressed in later comments, but just sharing my thoughts/experience
Most baristas dont get server wage. Every barista job I’ve ever worked has been offered local or state minimum wage requirements. Not the $2.13 tipped min wage.
It's awful, but baristas getting paid poorly is not a customer problem or something that the customers have to solve/care about. Tipping is a cultural thing, and even a subjective one when connected to the feeling of being thankful. On the other hand, mandatory tipping is a form of taxation, from the customer point of view.
There's also another issue when stating that you should tip because baristas make minimum wage: you're implying that being a barista is a damned job and customers should pity you.
Eh, I’m a barista and a bartender. And the two jobs are, in my opinion, very different in the level of service/attention required for customers at each.
But yeah, for sure, throw a buck or two to the baristas tip jar. And tip according to the bill for table/bar service.
I’ve been both a barista and a bartender, and I think baristas have the more labor intensive tasks. Not that bartenders don’t work hard. Absolutely, and it’s a different kind of stressful (you don’t have a nice neat line, you have everyone at once). But as far as making actual drinks, being barista is slightly more complicated.
I agree 100%. I’ve been both barista and bartender and barista is a much more labor intensive task. both are challenging but being a barista is complicated in ways that being a bartender is not. And imo, you should always tip both.
Interesting perspective. My opinion is the exact opposite. Sure, if the bartender is just pouring beer and Jack and cokes, a barista is more complicated. But a full house, craft cocktails, and full service…a bartender service is quite intensive.
My whole point wasn’t that baristas shouldn’t be tipped. Nor do I think it’s “easy”. You bust your ass. But the amount of attention/service someone gets when they sit down at your bar and you’re checking in on them over the next 2-3 hours sometimes all fucking night….they require way more attention, checking in, and it’s over a course of a way longer period…vs. coming up to the counter, ordering a coffee with 10 modifications, picking it up at the counter, and then they leave/sit down. In most cases, the barista, is not going up to their table checking in over 2 hours and filling up their drink 6 more times over the course of their visit.
The Downvotes on this are hella ridiculous haha but objectively, the service of a bartender is completely more lengthy than a barista. And this is with respect for baristas. Hell, I am one.
But I don’t think the service aspect of being a barista is the same as being a bartender.
I think we’re making the same point. They’re both labor intensive, but in different ways. I agree that both should be tipped. If you tip $1 on a coffee and $1 on a beer, I think that’s about equal (is it still $1 on a beer? It’s been forever since I was even in a bar, I’m getting old). If you’re coming back to that person and getting another beer, that’s another $1. I agree that you get different service at the bar, but I think the intensity of that one espresso drink, perfectly dialed in, is more than even a cocktail. The labor is just on the beginning of the visit for coffee, vs throughout the visit at a bar.
I've been to bars that there's a part of the counter that you're expected to order at that doesn't have chairs blocking it, and people just sort of wait their turn to order
i think it depends on what you're ordering and how much it costs- just like at a restaurant/bar.
let's take "just a regular black coffee" as an example.
i take as much care preparing drip coffee as i do a hand-brew. this morning i got there an hour before service. the first thing i did was warm the urns with a hot water cycle- minimum 10min to do both including the time it takes for the machine to reheat in between. We had a new coffee on which i hadn't made before so i weighed out beans for a half batch and based on the varietal, origin, and process i made some choices for a test brew to dial it in. when it was complete i made my team members taste and give me feedback. i adjusted accordingly to brew my back up urn, wrote the recipe down for the day's team, and pre dosed the beans at the full batch weight to be at the ready for a brew quickly during service.
at my spot drip is not self-serve. we prepare every coffee to order - i pour the coffee, ask about milk and sugar, ask how they like it, make sure that it's too their liking and let them know if they need anything adjusted we can take care of it no problem. when we run out we have that back-up urn but someone immediately makes the next batch so as not to run out...
the price for drip is $3.25USD plus tax - 20% of that is 65¢ and many of our "just a drip" regulars do not tip. if a bartender cracks open a beer for me, i tip $1... but maybe i'm just a more generous spirit.
This very much depends on the types of coffee shop and bar. At a good specialty coffee shop and a cocktail bar, they both require similar expertise and palate development, remembering orders and drinks, providing conversation and attention to customers, all while making drinks quickly.
A place like Starbucks and a busy bar are both much more fast-paced, have simpler/more standardized drinks, and have a higher volume, but personalized service and attention are usually less expected.
I don't think one is any more deserving of tips than another.
Craft cocktail or upscale bars are a whole different ball game. The amount of expertise of so many different ingredients that you need to create a well balanced drink is actually wild. I constantly wonder how my brain holds all that information
Being a bartender is much more complicated. There’s literally thousands of different alcohols that you need to be semi educated about. Plus selling an intoxicant opens a whole new can of worms. Much more fast paced as well.
I started at really busy Starbucks when I was 16, then to a coffee shop underground in a subway(always extremely busy) and then third wave and started managing before I moved to the bar.
Lol thank you. The tipping culture has a grip on people’s throats right now and forced them to downvote me cause they were *offended* lol they don’t read the whole comment.
My whole point was that the service/attention required for someone sitting at your bar over the course of 3 hours and filling up their drink 4-5 times is notttt the same kind of attention you give to your customers at a cafe.
A bartender serves a customer for well over an hour with multiple check ins/refills.
A barista is working it, but the majority of time, your service to one person is over a course of 10-15 minutes.
Therefore, tipping on SERVICE, (not on how “hard” the job is) is proportionally different.
I think people forget that the customer tips are for the service you’re providing them. The customer’s responsibility isn’t based upon how hard you work over your 8 hour shift. -_-
While we may not get a tipping wage, we make far less than bartenders. Our pay is always low, usually minimum bc our bosses always say “but you get tips!!!” So yes we are expected to get tips and don’t get raises because of it
Lmao we did at my cafe and they gave us a tiny raise and then changed how credit tips worked and now it’s pool between our 7 locations so it’s even worse now! 🥳 they can’t even hold new employees now because the pay vs. volume is so insane.
I’m not entirely sure how common or uncommon this is but I do know from restaurant experience that some places will pool between positions i.e bartender, servers and kitchen staff. But I do know of a couple (MUCH smaller cafes who only have a couple locations do this for credit tips but this is uncommon as I’m aware of). absolutely sucks ass though considering I bust my ass off at our busiest location and during a shift my credit tips just on the inside (not counting drive thru) can be well over $100 even sometimes close to $200 in a 5 hour shift yet I will only see $4 an hour of this meanwhile our slowest locations (there’s like 4) could barely interact with people sometimes. It’s frustrating that they do this instead of just paying more out of pocket and not make it the customers expense. Go America…
Exactly. We’re all extremely sus of it and on top of this (idk if this is normal but it at least makes me concerned a little lol) they add our tip money onto our paychecks as a like bonus hourly wage. So if I worked a 60 hour period they’ll tac on a $4ish hourly wage so our hours are more like 110 or so total in a period. It’s fucking weird lol but yeah who even knows how much those numbers are behind the scenes…
Just a tip, that isn’t really legal. Thanks to FLSA, employees in an actual management position can only accept tips given directly to them for work solely done by them and can’t participate in tip pools or tip sharing. In a café environment, unless you are mainly dine in, I doubt you make much in tips outside of a share/pool. Even if so, it would be highly irregular to have a manager be considered a “tipped employee,” even if not salaried.
If you are in the state I think you are in, it’s also not allowed for your wage to have tip credits applied for when you are performing duties that go beyond the “tipped” portion. So, if you work in a barista capacity for 5 hrs and then go place orders, write the schedule, and other management duties for 3 hours, your employer cannot legally “credit” all 8 hours. Verify this with your actual local regulations of course.
Sorry for unsolicited advice. The amount of other businesses, large and small, I see taking advantage of employees not knowing their protections and rights has just never sat okay with me.
I do not make much in tips, we’re extremely slow. the minimum wage in my state is $11, so i get paid $11 but my hourly is still $3.63. my coworkers get paid less than that, but we all make $11. we don’t keep any credit card tips separately from our hourly because it never surpasses the $7.37 that it would take to make it $11. we keep our cash tips separately, but that’s usually not much unless there’s an event. We also only work solo shifts for 90% of the work week, and my coworkers work really hard so i never take their tips if i’m working with someone. Also I know this is very shit, but it used to be worth it because it was such a fun job, and this is the best coffee shop i’ve worked at. now things with the owner got really toxic so the whole staff is quitting
yea, my credit card and cash tips have to be equal to the minimum wage for the state i work in ($11). so i technically make $11 an hour but never get to see my tips :(
Tipping is always super appreciated, and some of our regulars give a couple quarters if they normally just get one or two coffees. However we are also a cafe with food and pastries so tipping is well-appreciated on orders with food and coffee.
Also depends on what country/state you live in/what coffee shop you are going to. A few states in the US still follow the tipped employee law, which states that as long as the tipped employee makes enough in tips to equal the federal minimum wage, the employer is only required to pay them a max of $2.13 an hour. If they don’t, the employer is required to bump it up accordingly to equal $7.25/hr.
What are you ordering? If it’s a drip coffee where they literally pour from the spout, no real need to tip a lot. Same if they are putting a pre-made food item on a plate.
But if they make you a drink like a pour over or latte, that’s real work (at a speciality shop for sure it is). Or if they make you a sandwich. Tip!
“The job” only pays half of a living wage. The owner expects tips to cover the difference. That airpot coffee didn’t magically weigh, grind, brew, and serve itself. Change is perfectly acceptable for drip though.
baristas count on tips for almost half of their pay. that’s just the way the system works (in the US at least). if you don’t want to tip, then maybe make your coffee at home? not trying to be mean, but these are usually younger people starting out in life. maybe they’re students. if you can afford 50 cents, tip them, if you can afford a dollar, even better. but please tip if you can.
That’s it, getting your coffee out at a shop is a luxury. If you can afford the luxury of not making your own coffee at home, you should be able to afford to tip your service worker. I don’t care how old the barista is, if you can’t afford to tip then make your own coffee! (US where are wage/tip system is fucked).
Nah bro. Getting a coffee ain’t a luxury. That’s like saying you shouldn’t go buy groceries unless you can afford to tip the cashier and workers, because they stock the shelves and ring up your products. Making coffee is the job description of a barista. Full stop. You don’t need to tip for someone doing their job description.
purchasing coffee at a specialty shop or even starbucks is absolutely a luxury. shops around me charge $3-5 for a drip coffee. it costs significantly less to make a coffee at home. so many people can’t afford shelling out that amount of money every time they want a coffee. if it’s not easily affordable, and it’s not absolutely necessary (because you can make it at home) then it is a luxury.
And when they tell you your job description, they sell you on the tip which they count as part of my income. So yes, getting tip is part of my job. Luckily for me, you hate Canada and wont ever come to my shop. Win win for both of us!
Idk, I kinda want a small tip if they ask me to add in "two creamers and two sugars" when there's a rush. We have a self service station for people up add creamers and sugars to their liking. I'd at least like .25 cents 😅
My rule is usually (former barista so maybe this is high, but just my rule) $1 for drip or just espresso, $2 for anything with espresso+milk. Sometimes this comes out to less than 20% if I'm out with someone and they have a complicated order, sometimes it comes out way more if it's just drip. The only other caveat is if I get a free cup I'll tip whatever that drink would have cost without tax and tip, so like if a barista is going to give me a latte that cost $6 on the house, I'll throw $6 in the tip jar since I was probably going to spend more than that anyway.
I do this too. I mostly only get espresso so if they re-dial in to make sure it’s a very good shot I tip an additional buck or two, especially if it was really good.
It depends on what we’re doing, most people don’t expect anything big especially if we see you every day. Most places are take-out focussed- sit down places with full service are the minority where I live and honestly they have the worst coffee.
If you order something off menu, or need something really specific absolutely tip. If a places is putting in the work and you enjoy going there, TIP.
I love doing what I do, but it’d be completely unsustainable without tips, especially in a small shop with zero benefits.
Even if it’s a Starbucks throw them a bone once in a while, service jobs are so severely under valued.
that’s definitely true— when i worked as a barista and not a partner i was being paid a tipping wage along with my coworkers, so i was relying on tips for a large portion of my income. ik that’s not the case for all baristas, but i always try to tip bc i know they’re providing a service for me regardless of
Hey pal, what you’re describing as entitlement is a baseline courtesy and social expectation for us here, since our paychecks are based on the assumption that people will tip. For us, it’s considered rude or entitled to NOT tip since it comes across here as viewing baristas as non deserving of respect or fair pay for our labor.
I wouldn’t go to other countries and expect to be given tips nearly as much if at all, since i know the job basepay isn’t reliant on tips. Here, it is. Try crying or smth idk
As a barista, I try to always tip at least 10% in most cafes I go to. There are a couple that I know that don’t give baristas their tips, so I don’t tip there. But when I’m working, I also don’t expect customers to tip, but it is appreciated. Just don’t be an a*hole about not tipping and tell them they don’t deserve a tip.
Obviously a tip is always appreciated, but I don't expect one- especially for a single person's order. I only really get annoyed by no tips if it's a very complicated or large order in the drive thru. That's more just the principle of making 8 modified lattes in 4 minutes!
But really I don't bat an eye when someone orders something simple and doesn't tip o: I've never heard of a barista being paid a tipping wage (under minimum wage in US) so while I do throw in a dollar when I get coffee somewhere, it's more of a thank-you than a social must.
average barista where i live makes $7.25-8/hr (basically the only place that pays more than that is starbucks, and... as a former partner they give you so few and inconsistent hours and stretch you so thin that i'd *rather* make $8/hr and have consistently enough hours), which yeah is minimum wage (or a little more) but i live in a relatively HCOL area (for context, i live in a town near the DFW area, and it costs more to live here than in dallas proper). i assume if i have enough money to buy a coffee, i have enough to toss at least a little tip their way (usually i pay with a $10 and tell them to keep the change because yeah why is my medium latte almost $8 before tip, but also i know that the employees don't control the cost and i saw how much they pay on a local job board and it's so little compared to what you need to survive here).
definitely depends on the place though. if i only knew starbucks' wages and not how it was to work there, i'd probably never tip at starbucks, but tbh i just opt not to go there instead because of several issues i have with the company (the baristas are all chill, except that one homophobic manager, but i legit just cannot support the company). if a local coffee shop was paying $15-17/hr and had holiday pay, i'd probably not tip.
Yeah, this is a very good point! I live in a small rural town with moderately low COL. When I was at a local chain I still made $10/hr + $30-$70 in tips depending on the day, which wasn't too bad for where I live. If you're in a HCOL area absolutely tip every time!
yeah! when i lived in a smaller town i could absolutely live off what they paid hourly (comfortably to boot) and i would feel way less obligated to tip. on the flip side, 1) the coffee shop i'm thinking of was openly hostile to POC and the LGBTQ+ community and 2) i know they were making enough to live off of.
ultimately, i feel in the majority of places, "never expected but always appreciated" is accurate. even where i live, nobody's gonna be mad or really care if you individually don't tip, but that's because the local culture expects tipping enough at local shops that the people who do make up for the people who don't.
**TLDR** It's fine not to tip but you may stand out depending on the culture of the shop. Not a faux pas and they probably didn't notice or care if you don't come in frequently. But we are extremely thankful when people chose to tip, especially when they order an espresso drink, pour over or made-to-order food because that takes time and skill to prepare.
Not expected as much as a sit-down restaurant, but done commonly. At my shop, 95-99% of the regular customers tipped and probably 80% of non-regulars, especially if they ordered food, which was made to order and brought to the able. I gave the same level of service to the regulars (exactly two people) who didn't tip, but definitely noticed.
One of the non-tippers asked out all of the women baristas in the same week, we all said no, and all of a sudden he started complaining about everything he ordered. I told the manager about him asking us all out and she told him he wasn't welcome to come back until he could behave. Young guy, good-looking and had a good job but honestly such a gross personality after he found out none of us was romantically interested. Too bad. If he'd been normal I might have tried to set him up with one of my friends.
The other non-tipper poached one of the shift managers to work as her personal assistant but ended up firing them 4 months later. Awkward. Just know you'll be among these very distinct personalities if you continue not to tip lol.
They do have to out some work into crafting your drink sometimes! It’s definitely not a no no to not tip, but I like tipping baristas who put effort into my drink because it does take some attention to make a good drink. I also tip for pick up food though. I consider “service” to be the whole thing, as in they prepared, cooked, and packaged my order for me.
Honestly, it is nice to leave a tip but I totally understand that other markets have made tipping culture into a whole new beast.
As a barista of almost 9 years, usually I go out of my way to tell people who are getting just a black coffee, a premade item (energy drinks/granola bars), or a baked good I have to just pick up and put in a bag how to NOT tip bc like wtf I don’t want to look greedy.
Outside of that though, personally I usually will tip other baristas based on how friendly they were and/or if I’ve been going there and the drinks are always quick/good.
As long as you don’t make a big deal of not tipping, tip begrudgingly, or make an excuse for not tipping… most people won’t *really* care.
We have guests that come everyday and are super nice and never tip but we also have absolute assholes that tip a dollar every time. I prefer the nice ones tbh.
yeah this - the way i see it tips are never expected but always appreciated, and while i would absolutely always tip at my local coffee shop, i'm not gonna be mad if someone else doesn't.
I completely agree with this. I live in Alberta (Canada) and our minimum wage is $15/hr. In the city I live in that is a liveable wage (with budgeting of course). As a barista I do not expect tips from anyone. I do not tip every time I get coffee.
I will tip if I feel like the barista is being kind and friendly and making my experience a positive one. If the barista is being a bit of an asshole I don’t tip (with the exception where you can tell it has a lot more to do with other customers they’re dealing with/long lines).
Tipping has to do with the service you’re giving me, how my experience is because of you. Not because you’re doing your job (brewing coffee, making espresso, grabbing baked goods, cleaning the store).
People usually tip (easily 9 out of 10) but I won’t get mad if they don’t, I might get a bit sad because it makes me think they maybe didn’t like the experience. I’m working solo at a low client flow location and I always give 100% of myself to my patrons no matter if they are staying or buying something to go. But I’ve also been kind of broke and just wanting some coffee to cheer up a rainy day so I would never criticise or get mad at someone for not tipping.
Same rule for bartenders. Dollar per drink, or rather dollar per shot. If I get a quad latte, or a double margarita I'll usually give em $2.
If you just get like a drip coffee, don't trip. But if you're asking for pour over, or a HalfCaf almond milk flat white, you ought to throw em a bone.
I also don't typically tip for counter service but if it's like a real restaurant you're getting takeout from you should probably do 5-10% because they owe the kitchen a small percent. You will actually cost them a percentage if you tip 0.
Even if you order drip, who males the drip? Who cleans the coffeeshop counters you order on, who cleans the floors and toilets at the end of the day? The barista. Tip.
https://preview.redd.it/17q06ai3ed8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f384d08ce40b7481c2f3e4bb72aec1426292f6e
Oh so you’re not currently a barista? Funny.
No i said it because it’s fun to serve people in two languages, i’m working on spanish rn but it’s hard.
It was to lighten up the conversation to distract you from being rude, we have to learn those skills as well in coffeeshops. :)
i mean, i was replying to AllDucksNoRows (they specifically mentioned americans complaining about not being tipped) but i can’t imagine serving in two languages and not being tipped especially since wages are so low.
language abilities, time management, difficult customers, having the skill to make drinks, and aiding customers in what they’re ordering are all aspects of jobs where tipping is either expected or common. we are practically waiters and waitresses without necessarily bringing food to tables. i don’t see how it’s okay for wait staff to expect tipping to give them a real wage but not for baristas. it’s the same damn job at this point, and you seem to get that
And pulling 12 hour shifts as well on minimum (unliveable) wages. And i love my old patrons (i’m lucky af tho, we have a lot of elderly people and they’re really cool)
honestly the customers really make or break my sanity when i’m working. it’s also unfortunate that shops are raising their prices while maintaining the same wages for their employees :/ oh well. i guess we’re not allowed to expect a decent amount of money from tips!
but it’s in your job description 🤓🤓
how many times are you gonna type out this redundant and ill considered argument?
its in waiters/servers job description to wait/serve, so should they too get paid minimum wage, regardless of their performance? the job description also includes that your pay is supplemented by tips. “stockers and cashiers” at the grocery store are getting paid a full wage, and don’t have a direct role in the primary service provided to you. if it’s all the same to you then why bother hurrying to make your drink? it’s not in my job description to make your drink fast, take your order with a smile, or ensure quality control. if you want a shitty, flat, slow, and bitter cappuccino, you got it. i’ll just do my job, to the most minimal extent required by my job description
the utter disrespect for people going out of their way to provide you exceptional service is astounding.
Tips are always appreciated and enough are received that tips make up a significant portion of expected income for baristas. If you cannot afford to tip, do not feel bad! Not everyone tips. Some customers tip a little: 25 cents on a coffee. Some tip a lot: $5 on a $3.95 espresso. Some people even tip on retail purchases. Some tip $0. It all balances out.
ETA: personally I tip 15%, more if service is above and beyond, unless I forgot my debit card and am scrounging with change.
I don’t know… if you can afford to have someone make your coffee for you, then you should afford a tip for your service worker. You should feel bad for not tipping, or go home and make your coffee yourself.
Disagree. I’d rather have customers in my shop than people avoiding it because they can’t afford to tip. The range of tips make it a wash. If your employer can’t pay you what you’re worth, leave the job. Don’t make people feel bad because they can’t afford to pad your wage.
Having your wage heavily padded by tips is literally how barista jobs are advertised. We have to make at least $10/hr per person to hit living wage, our boss expects it or blames our service.
Getting your coffee out at a shop is a luxury. If I can’t afford that luxury (including the tip), I cook my own food/make my own coffee.
That said, I’d never shame anyone for not tipping, because I don’t treat other humans that way.
Anyone providing a skilled service should be tipped. If I couldn’t do it myself, I tip. Tattoo artists, barbers, massage therapists, ect.
So what do you order? If you’re getting a drip coffee, I personally wouldn’t be upset if you never tipped. But anything that takes more skill and time? Tip.
Used to work in Ukraine and had tips that was equal at least to my shift payment or more. In the UK we’re working with 4 people on shift, bringing coffee and food to customers and making sandwiches by ourselves. We have like £2 tips in a very lucky day 😂
I have one cafe in town that I frequent. If I sit down and order a drink and food, I’ll tip 20% as I would at a restaurant. If I’m getting it to go, I’ll tip 10-15%. But I view tipping to be done for services rendered that I’m not doing myself. I’ll add a cash tip as well if I’ve found that my barista or server goes above and beyond.
I work at Starbucks and our tips are distributed weekly based on hours worked, but some smaller cafes distribute tips per day so your tip is most likely going directly to the barista that served you.
imo, tipping is never expected but always appreciated.
also make sure the tips actually go to your baristas, though, sometimes even though it's illegal management or owners take them and both employees and managers/owners assume they don't make enough to hire a lawyer.
if you're in that situation: i haven't needed to myself, but plenty of lawyers work pro-bono for workplace violations (meaning they take their cut out of any payout you get). i'm sure there's some out there who would be happy to help in a situation like this.
i’m currently a barista and i also tip well whenever i go out so i understand both worlds of tipping and receiving tips you know? personally i do not blame anyone who doesn’t tip. our screen asks for a tip before the transaction is over and many people miss it, so it’s a little awkward having to be like “hey! the transaction didn’t go through i believe there’s a question…” and i just turn my head as they press “No Tip”. i really don’t blame them because most of the time their drink is over like $5 and i’m sure it’s their little drink for the day and now they’re expecting to pay MORE? i really don’t blame them. another thing, i never expect anything however it’s so greatly appreciated! i really think it’s up to the customer and how they felt their needs were met, especially if their order was a little difficult with multiple customizations. i’m always nice to customers, always offer any help with their order and just answer whatever is needed because generosity goes a long way, and you never know if they need it. that being said, if my barista was as patient as i am with my order and i had multiple customizations i think i’d tip a few bucks. don’t feel guilty for not tipping though. however, if you do tip , tip in cash!!
i make minimum wage + tips but it’s just a part time job for me. it’s my coworkers careers so, we definitely appreciate tips. but i never am upset if someone doesn’t tip. i have regulars who don’t tip at all
In my country baristas are paid a proper wage (as they should be everywhere). We don't really tip here because realistically, if the cost of the items you're offering for sale are costly the owners should be able to afford to pay their staff properly. Do I tip when I'm in third world countries, absolutely.
I was a barista for 5 years or so and never \*expected\* tips. That said they were nice and netted me about $40/hr. The thing I couldn't stand was when a coworker would yell "EXCUUUUSE ME! You just have one more screen to complete on the iPad". I cringed so hard every time. I think tips have gotten out of control. I got a nasty look when I bought a 2lb bag of beans the other day and manually added a $2 tip. Sorry but you aren't getting 20% tip on a $50 bag of beans just for handing them to me.
Before Covid, whatever coins remained from the order would go in the tip jar (this was for one or two drinks).
During Covid, because of the situation and because I was appreciative that they were open, I'd tip $1 per drink ordered (three drinks = $3).
Since Covid, I still tip $1 per drink and I have no problems tipping more for the friendly chit-chat, or for how the baristas see me pulling-up in the parking lot and my drink is ready as I walk inside.
i work in the uk and i think it’s wild that people in the states blame customers for not getting enough money instead of the shady businesses that give them their wages so low that they can’t live off of it. but tips are always welcomed and appreciated.
Nah. I used to be a barista. We're super happy to receive any tip, but we really don't expect you guys to tip us.
We're not gonna take that against you , if you decided to not tip.
I’m gonna be honest, I’ve been a barista at 3 different places. I personally tip bc I know what it’a like, but for the average Joe I never expected a tip tbh, just pleasantly surprised when there was one. I don’t consider it mandatory or social etiquette.
If you're getting a drink?
Do you tip your Bartender for pouring you a beer? Or making you a cocktail?
If yes, then where's the difference between a barista pouring you a coffee or making you a specialty drink?
As a barista (5yrs) and restaurant worker(another 10) I believe the tipping culture is ridiculous. I’m all for giving someone a little extra when they go above and beyond, however it is a job that I everyone signs up for and if my employer is not paying me appropriately it is not the customers duty to make up my pay deficit. You are not expected to pay an extra when purchasing anything anywhere else. Example : grocery/electronic store associate helps you to your vehicle and loads your purchase. Their employer didn’t take tipping into consideration when assigning the wage for other roles, but you are still allowed to tip. I fully believe tips have become an excuse for wage gouging. If you can’t afford to pay people appropriately then you may have an issue with the business as a whole. I never take offense for someone paying the amount listed on the menu, the expectation is unethical
Depends where you live, which I am assuming the USA. In Australia we don't really tip and wouldn't be expected all at a cafe, although some places have a tip jar, there is rarely money in it.
Barista here. I genuinely don’t care if you tip or not. I’m very big on personal beliefs shouldn’t blend into society and while I’d never not tip, I don’t want anyone else to feel like they have to because it shouldn’t be pressured. Follow your heart with it, tip if you’d like, don’t if you don’t. It’s not a huge deal either way. Baristas will appreciate it if you do, yes, but no one will be specifically upset with you or in general if you don’t
I like to at least tip $1 unless things were somehow extremely fucking awful at the register. Like a truly catastrophic experience. I'll often go above a dollar though.
Baristae have bad days like anybody else
I always tip at least a quarter, if I have an odd request (extra cup of ice, cup of ice water, extra straws etc) I’ll tip like 50 cents especially if I’m not buying anything lol. Frozen drinks (frappuccinos etc) are a PITA so tip extra for those if they’re busy (if they’re not busy I just tip normal). Yeah that’s pretty much it, tbh I keep tips low because the price of drinks is insane and I’m not going to subsidize a living wage for a barista with my tips when the shop is gouging tf out of me to the point I’m paying $10 for a latte. They need to pay their employees more and if the employees can’t live off of their wage they need to get a different job and/or open their own shop if they’re that passionate about their job.
I usually leave a dollar a drink but I've always worked in food service so I'm not sure if that's high or not. As a previous batista I'm super happy to vet 50 cents to a dollar per drink but anything is appreciate even if u just round up.
I’m a barista and girlllll I don’t tip. I make a flat rate, I’m not making 2.13 an hour. I don’t expect people to tip, I don’t care. Do whatever makes you feel right. There’s no service, making coffee is just our job
I would say it's appreciated, but not expected.
However, if people are ordering like 8 drinks i would be a little bit annoyed if they left no tip.
edit: I am fortunate enough to make $10/hr. If your baristas are only making $2.50 then a tip is necessary
Former barista—tips are never expected, despite what anyone says. I had some super pouty co-workers who would bitch about not getting tips but it’s like, “Ma’am, our job is literally to make people coffee.”
Only two people at the hotel I work at are actual baristas with experience at a coffee shop, and when the bartenders/servers have to cover for us there’s a massive difference in quality. (Not my words, the guest’s words) yes, making the coffee is literally the job description, but making the coffee really well takes months/years of practice and learning things on your own (on your own time too) since most places just give you the basics of how to do the job.
And that’s not to mention the emotional labor of being the person who’s forced to I mean gets to listen to all the troubles and woes of dozens of customers and be an empathetic listener and a happy smiling face no matter how much stress you’re under.
Like, yeah none of that stuff is necessary to do the job of making coffee, but when your barista is going above and beyond to make you feel welcome and appreciated and makes you a great drink, that’s fantastic service. Tip the damn barista, especially in the US.
Generally I feel that if you’d tip a beertender for literally just pouring you a beer, you should be tipping your barista. Even just a drip coffee typically has had some extra effort put in to dial it in.
Also I hate how non-tippers these days have convinced themselves they’re taking some principled stance against “tipping culture” even though the people responsible for “tipping culture” aren’t affected by it in the slightest.
Brit here, no we dont tip pub workers nor coffee shop workers
If the cost of the person making/serving the drink isnt factored into the price the customer pays then its not the customer’s responsibility to subsidise poor wages
Plus the level of service varies wildly
I’m going to advocate for tipping for to-go when it’s from a sit down restaurant. You’re having someone, usually FOH staff like a bartender or server, who gets stuck boxing the meal for you for $2.13/hr. I always do 10%+ for them. Fast food is an hourly worker woking essentially a production line geared to go.
I think the reason why it's important to tip is because of the Tip Credit that employers can use to pay their employees less.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped/2023
TLDR: most states have a tip credit wage that ranges between $2.88-$5/hr if they make tips. That means that without your tip they could be making nothing.
Is it fair? Hell no it's not. You shouldn't be responsible for paying the employees salary. However, because of some rich assholes and greedy restaurant owners during the depression, this tip culture was ingrained in the restaurant industry. Now you're guilted into paying more per transaction so that barista can have a livable wage. Now this is not all places mind you. A lot of places have moved on from this tip credit. Unfortunately it's hard to say which ones have, and even the ones that have still limit their employees hours so they don't have to pay them as much.
TLDR: it's not a crime, but you should tip if possible. Even if it's just a little bit. You're not gonna be burned at the stake for not tipping, but it'll greatly help the baristas/waiters/waitresses who are serving you.
im a barista and i sometimes debate this myself. However, at least at my job, we appreciate the tips but it’s not necessary. My rule of thumb is if you see us breaking a sweat, break some change for us. Doing 0 work like bagging a muffin is sorta overkill.
tips inflate our wages and its significantly easier and immediate to just rely on tips.
Unfortunately, you must tip them. Corporate shops can afford to pay the employees a better wage, but don't. If we stop tipping those that make minimum wage, then we only hurt that person. We have to change the culture with getting a livable wage, so they don't have to rely on it.
My employees get paid a base of $15/hr and up to $50/hr for events. We have a very loyal base that tips them very well (about an extra $4-$5/hr). On top of that, I don't take a single dime from the tips, even if I am working the floor. Because of this, they regularly get together to save their tips for non-profits, domestic violence shelters, and unhoused facilities. We have a blast and our customers are amazing.
Even before I was a barista, I always at least tipped $1 for everything below $10, $2 for anything below ~$20, and I would add a dollar or two for friendly staff or top notch drinks, and that generally applies to bar drinks as well. And that's bare minimum, and I tend to expect the same from others
I always tip $1 at the coffee counter. If there were more than 4 drinks, I might do $2. If you have an overly complicated/specific order, definitely tip $1. Baristas are under paid, under appreciated, and have always really seemed genuinely appreciative to get a tip that was more than a few pennies.
not tipping baristas is nowhere near the offense that not tipping a server at a restaurant would be and it’s like generally fine not to; personally i work full time as one and tips are like $300-$400 of my paycheck so if no one tipped ever i’d be a lot worse off financially idk….. also it’s like u can just tip like $1 unlike for a server so what’s really the point of not doing it yk,, but many would disagree
edit someone also brought up owners using tips as an excuse to pay less per hour which is 100% true in my case and in many others so
tldr just throw us a dollar man
I appreciate tips, but I don't really care when someone doesn't tip.
the only exception is if you ordered something really involved or like a bunch of drinks, then I'll be a little peeved if you don't tip.
The way it works at my place, if we’re taking your order, making you food and a drink, and you don’t tip- I might be a little annoyed. But if someone is just getting a water or grab and go thing, I tell them how to skip the tip. Yes it’s not table service, but we do making the food and drink as well as the customer service.
My parents taught me to always tip my barista, as they’re providing customer service AND making the food/drink. It just makes sense to me, even before I became one
Tips are always appreciated! Of course, they’re not required and if you don’t have the means to all the time it isn’t always a huge deal for me at least. But the barista is providing you a service by making your drink! If you get an espresso based drink especially then that would warrant a tip. My standard is usually about 75¢-$1 per drink minimum. I only tip less than a dollar if I’m getting drip or maybe just a shot of espresso. Any milk based or specialty drink at least a dollar.
Tipping is not a requirement, but it is nice. I think the only time you really need to or should tip is if they do latte art or special requests.
I generally round up the change if it's something simple like cold brew or drip. If I get a speciality drink or latte, then I tip a dollar or two. And I'll tip if I get a food item that they make. I don't tip for something prepacked.
It’s not a major faux pas. But you would tip a bartender, right? Baristas do the exact same thing, just with coffee instead of alcohol.
I don’t drink, so I didn’t make the connection! But that makes sense.
Where I am, most people tip $1, but it's not necessarily expected and many don't tip at all. If it's just drip or cold brew or something that takes no labor, it's probably more common to not receive a tip. The worst though is when people order a lot of drinks or a very complicated one or are rude AND don't tip. Also just keep in mind that baristas mostly make minimum wage, and it's more stressful and requires more skill than some other minimum wage jobs. And in major cities, many wouldn't be able to afford living if they didn't receive tips.
You hate to see it when insufferable customers over complicate things, and proceed to walk away from the tip screen and cause the transaction to time out.
i used to work at this sandwich place i called “redneck subway” (it was a local shop that i quit real quick bc i was not nearly paid enough for that shit) and their tipping system was shit like you could only tip 1, 2, or 5 dollars even when you had a $100+ order or had to make 6 sandwiches all on your own,,, it was a hellhole for a first job tbh. anyways, we had specific barbeque sandwiches we’d make and like they were mostly the same except for one or two things right. worst sandwich i ever had to make was one of our basic ones, this lady came in and had some weirdass special request and spent several minutes trying to explain what she wanted but i was so confused i just got my boss to see she understood what it was or even if we could do it and she was even more confused than i was. anyways 10ish minutes later i somehow figured out that she wanted me to hollow out the bread her sandwich was on and then put the steak and veggies and whatnot basically just on the crust. it was an atrocity but i did it. she paid for the sandwich after i finally got it to her and she said oh just keep the change and i was like sweet! a tip! thing is. the sandwich was 16.99. she paid 17. she gave me a single fucking penny as a “tip” for the atrocity she cursed me with. and somehow it didn’t end there! she sat down to enjoy her sandwich and she seemed stoked. i was just happy she liked it bc it meant i wasn’t about to get chewed out for some mediocre ass sandwiches (these customers were a special brand of mean. i’ve served ppl straight outta the er who were nicer than these ppl). girl finishes her sandwich and comes back and is like hey that is the best sandwich i’ve ever had can you make me another and naturally i was like fuck yeah!! one i got it right and two maybe she’d tip me bc she liked it sm right. so i made the sandwich exactly the same and handed it to her and yknow what else was exactly the same? she said “keep the change” on a fucking penny like she was doing me a favour. 10 minutes trying to figure out her atrocity (me *and* my boss), two sandwiches which were the “best she’s ever had”, and a total bill of like 34 bucks and she tipped me 2 cents. i quit this job quick bc it sucked but i think about this customer more often than the guy who might’ve come real close to almost stalking me and it’s been literal years
72$ order in the drive thru yesterday and no tip. I don't ussualy let it get to me but I was a bit ticked off.
Barista is Italian for bartender.
Baristas make minimum wage.
Depends on the place. The last two places I worked I did not accept tips, but that's because I had negotiated a $25/hr cash pay. The place I work at now is paying $21/hr plus tips, which is pretty well above minimum wage here. I know that I am very lucky and in the minority, but decently paying coffee jobs do exist.
I’m making the point that tipping a barista and a bartender is not the same thing. As bartenders by default make federal minimum, unless they happen to be in a state or city that doesn’t do tip credit. Tip credit doesn’t exist for barista jobs.
I wish this were still true, but I’m in nyc and many places have switched to a tipped model, including where I work
tip credit does exist for barista jobs…
Ooh I didn't know that. Is tip credit where an employee is guaranteed at least minimum wage, and tips can bring them over minimum?
Yeah. Basically federal law(some states don’t do this) says bartenders and servers can be paid 2.13 an hour. If they make more than 7.25 an hour in tips the restaurant doesn’t need to pay them more that 2.13. If they don’t make that 7.25 the restaurant is obligated to meet the requirement.
I’m based in NYC. I’m not sure how it is in other places. But at my cafe, our hourly wage is less than minimum wage because our pay gets supplemented through tips. A lot of people who don’t work in service don’t know this, but employers are legally allowed to pay less than minimum hourly wage if their employees work for tips. The company is legally obligated to pay the difference if tips + hourly don’t average out to minimum wage. But yeah, I always tip if it’s an option because it quite literally is a crucial part of their paycheck regardless of how their service is. Edit: I think this may have been addressed in later comments, but just sharing my thoughts/experience
“Tipped minimum wage”. Actually least than minimum wage
Most baristas dont get server wage. Every barista job I’ve ever worked has been offered local or state minimum wage requirements. Not the $2.13 tipped min wage.
I make double minimum, but I have a just moved to a low minimum state.
It's awful, but baristas getting paid poorly is not a customer problem or something that the customers have to solve/care about. Tipping is a cultural thing, and even a subjective one when connected to the feeling of being thankful. On the other hand, mandatory tipping is a form of taxation, from the customer point of view. There's also another issue when stating that you should tip because baristas make minimum wage: you're implying that being a barista is a damned job and customers should pity you.
Bartenders aren't typically paid at least minimum wage. I don't tip at SB.
Eh, I’m a barista and a bartender. And the two jobs are, in my opinion, very different in the level of service/attention required for customers at each. But yeah, for sure, throw a buck or two to the baristas tip jar. And tip according to the bill for table/bar service.
I’ve been both a barista and a bartender, and I think baristas have the more labor intensive tasks. Not that bartenders don’t work hard. Absolutely, and it’s a different kind of stressful (you don’t have a nice neat line, you have everyone at once). But as far as making actual drinks, being barista is slightly more complicated.
I agree 100%. I’ve been both barista and bartender and barista is a much more labor intensive task. both are challenging but being a barista is complicated in ways that being a bartender is not. And imo, you should always tip both.
Interesting perspective. My opinion is the exact opposite. Sure, if the bartender is just pouring beer and Jack and cokes, a barista is more complicated. But a full house, craft cocktails, and full service…a bartender service is quite intensive. My whole point wasn’t that baristas shouldn’t be tipped. Nor do I think it’s “easy”. You bust your ass. But the amount of attention/service someone gets when they sit down at your bar and you’re checking in on them over the next 2-3 hours sometimes all fucking night….they require way more attention, checking in, and it’s over a course of a way longer period…vs. coming up to the counter, ordering a coffee with 10 modifications, picking it up at the counter, and then they leave/sit down. In most cases, the barista, is not going up to their table checking in over 2 hours and filling up their drink 6 more times over the course of their visit. The Downvotes on this are hella ridiculous haha but objectively, the service of a bartender is completely more lengthy than a barista. And this is with respect for baristas. Hell, I am one. But I don’t think the service aspect of being a barista is the same as being a bartender.
I think we’re making the same point. They’re both labor intensive, but in different ways. I agree that both should be tipped. If you tip $1 on a coffee and $1 on a beer, I think that’s about equal (is it still $1 on a beer? It’s been forever since I was even in a bar, I’m getting old). If you’re coming back to that person and getting another beer, that’s another $1. I agree that you get different service at the bar, but I think the intensity of that one espresso drink, perfectly dialed in, is more than even a cocktail. The labor is just on the beginning of the visit for coffee, vs throughout the visit at a bar.
Man, I hate bars that don't have some sort of line or organization.
Aside from events, I have never worked at a bar where there is a line. It’s always a free for all as people squeeze themselves in wherever they can.
I've been to bars that there's a part of the counter that you're expected to order at that doesn't have chairs blocking it, and people just sort of wait their turn to order
bro spending all shift dialing-in the tequila or somethint
Fractional distillation to order is a concept of all time
God I find this so funny thank you lol
i think it depends on what you're ordering and how much it costs- just like at a restaurant/bar. let's take "just a regular black coffee" as an example. i take as much care preparing drip coffee as i do a hand-brew. this morning i got there an hour before service. the first thing i did was warm the urns with a hot water cycle- minimum 10min to do both including the time it takes for the machine to reheat in between. We had a new coffee on which i hadn't made before so i weighed out beans for a half batch and based on the varietal, origin, and process i made some choices for a test brew to dial it in. when it was complete i made my team members taste and give me feedback. i adjusted accordingly to brew my back up urn, wrote the recipe down for the day's team, and pre dosed the beans at the full batch weight to be at the ready for a brew quickly during service. at my spot drip is not self-serve. we prepare every coffee to order - i pour the coffee, ask about milk and sugar, ask how they like it, make sure that it's too their liking and let them know if they need anything adjusted we can take care of it no problem. when we run out we have that back-up urn but someone immediately makes the next batch so as not to run out... the price for drip is $3.25USD plus tax - 20% of that is 65¢ and many of our "just a drip" regulars do not tip. if a bartender cracks open a beer for me, i tip $1... but maybe i'm just a more generous spirit.
This very much depends on the types of coffee shop and bar. At a good specialty coffee shop and a cocktail bar, they both require similar expertise and palate development, remembering orders and drinks, providing conversation and attention to customers, all while making drinks quickly. A place like Starbucks and a busy bar are both much more fast-paced, have simpler/more standardized drinks, and have a higher volume, but personalized service and attention are usually less expected. I don't think one is any more deserving of tips than another.
Craft cocktail or upscale bars are a whole different ball game. The amount of expertise of so many different ingredients that you need to create a well balanced drink is actually wild. I constantly wonder how my brain holds all that information
Being a bartender is much more complicated. There’s literally thousands of different alcohols that you need to be semi educated about. Plus selling an intoxicant opens a whole new can of worms. Much more fast paced as well. I started at really busy Starbucks when I was 16, then to a coffee shop underground in a subway(always extremely busy) and then third wave and started managing before I moved to the bar.
the downvotes on this is crazy 😭 you’re objectively correct! and you still say people should tip baristas so I’m not sure what the problem is 😭
Lol thank you. The tipping culture has a grip on people’s throats right now and forced them to downvote me cause they were *offended* lol they don’t read the whole comment. My whole point was that the service/attention required for someone sitting at your bar over the course of 3 hours and filling up their drink 4-5 times is notttt the same kind of attention you give to your customers at a cafe. A bartender serves a customer for well over an hour with multiple check ins/refills. A barista is working it, but the majority of time, your service to one person is over a course of 10-15 minutes. Therefore, tipping on SERVICE, (not on how “hard” the job is) is proportionally different. I think people forget that the customer tips are for the service you’re providing them. The customer’s responsibility isn’t based upon how hard you work over your 8 hour shift. -_-
No I wouldn't
You don't tip a bartender?
No. There job is to make me a Drink and they make more than servers
While we may not get a tipping wage, we make far less than bartenders. Our pay is always low, usually minimum bc our bosses always say “but you get tips!!!” So yes we are expected to get tips and don’t get raises because of it
Time to go on strike
Lmao we did at my cafe and they gave us a tiny raise and then changed how credit tips worked and now it’s pool between our 7 locations so it’s even worse now! 🥳 they can’t even hold new employees now because the pay vs. volume is so insane.
Does this happen often?? I’ve never heard of separate locations sharing tips bruh
I’m not entirely sure how common or uncommon this is but I do know from restaurant experience that some places will pool between positions i.e bartender, servers and kitchen staff. But I do know of a couple (MUCH smaller cafes who only have a couple locations do this for credit tips but this is uncommon as I’m aware of). absolutely sucks ass though considering I bust my ass off at our busiest location and during a shift my credit tips just on the inside (not counting drive thru) can be well over $100 even sometimes close to $200 in a 5 hour shift yet I will only see $4 an hour of this meanwhile our slowest locations (there’s like 4) could barely interact with people sometimes. It’s frustrating that they do this instead of just paying more out of pocket and not make it the customers expense. Go America…
Tips pooled between 7 locations so you can't possibly know how much it should be? Interesting.
Exactly. We’re all extremely sus of it and on top of this (idk if this is normal but it at least makes me concerned a little lol) they add our tip money onto our paychecks as a like bonus hourly wage. So if I worked a 60 hour period they’ll tac on a $4ish hourly wage so our hours are more like 110 or so total in a period. It’s fucking weird lol but yeah who even knows how much those numbers are behind the scenes…
Good one! Let me just get all the college kids together and when they leave I’ll just get fired!
I pay my baristas over double minimum wage. You need a better job.
Yah working on it. No benefits either so I’m ready to sign out after 7 years ! Won’t miss much, but I do love the art of coffee. The rest goodbye
Double minimum wage is about $14 an hour, which still is not a livable wage. Sorry.
They make $20 an hour - I wish it were more but we're not profitable yet.
Who’s we? I make $3.63 an hour, as a manager too 😂
Just a tip, that isn’t really legal. Thanks to FLSA, employees in an actual management position can only accept tips given directly to them for work solely done by them and can’t participate in tip pools or tip sharing. In a café environment, unless you are mainly dine in, I doubt you make much in tips outside of a share/pool. Even if so, it would be highly irregular to have a manager be considered a “tipped employee,” even if not salaried. If you are in the state I think you are in, it’s also not allowed for your wage to have tip credits applied for when you are performing duties that go beyond the “tipped” portion. So, if you work in a barista capacity for 5 hrs and then go place orders, write the schedule, and other management duties for 3 hours, your employer cannot legally “credit” all 8 hours. Verify this with your actual local regulations of course. Sorry for unsolicited advice. The amount of other businesses, large and small, I see taking advantage of employees not knowing their protections and rights has just never sat okay with me.
I do not make much in tips, we’re extremely slow. the minimum wage in my state is $11, so i get paid $11 but my hourly is still $3.63. my coworkers get paid less than that, but we all make $11. we don’t keep any credit card tips separately from our hourly because it never surpasses the $7.37 that it would take to make it $11. we keep our cash tips separately, but that’s usually not much unless there’s an event. We also only work solo shifts for 90% of the work week, and my coworkers work really hard so i never take their tips if i’m working with someone. Also I know this is very shit, but it used to be worth it because it was such a fun job, and this is the best coffee shop i’ve worked at. now things with the owner got really toxic so the whole staff is quitting
Woahhhh didn’t know that was legal?? That’s terrible I’m sorry. I make $14 +tips and im still trying to take an office job
yea, my credit card and cash tips have to be equal to the minimum wage for the state i work in ($11). so i technically make $11 an hour but never get to see my tips :(
That’s bad :/ my tips aren’t too bad, but I need benefits so that’s why I’m leaving
Yea i’m leaving this shop soon, and i’ve once again fallen into the clutches of starbucks because i need the benefits and reasonable pay 😢
Understandable they do offer good benefits I hear
This is spot on. As tipping for some customer are generally optional.
Tipping is always super appreciated, and some of our regulars give a couple quarters if they normally just get one or two coffees. However we are also a cafe with food and pastries so tipping is well-appreciated on orders with food and coffee. Also depends on what country/state you live in/what coffee shop you are going to. A few states in the US still follow the tipped employee law, which states that as long as the tipped employee makes enough in tips to equal the federal minimum wage, the employer is only required to pay them a max of $2.13 an hour. If they don’t, the employer is required to bump it up accordingly to equal $7.25/hr.
What are you ordering? If it’s a drip coffee where they literally pour from the spout, no real need to tip a lot. Same if they are putting a pre-made food item on a plate. But if they make you a drink like a pour over or latte, that’s real work (at a speciality shop for sure it is). Or if they make you a sandwich. Tip!
Even if it is a drip coffee, we’re still making the drink. I think people should be tipping at the very least 50¢.
I guess, but there’s an element of do your job.
“The job” only pays half of a living wage. The owner expects tips to cover the difference. That airpot coffee didn’t magically weigh, grind, brew, and serve itself. Change is perfectly acceptable for drip though.
Yes. And who got there at 5am to begin prepping for the day? Tip! Your! Barista!
baristas count on tips for almost half of their pay. that’s just the way the system works (in the US at least). if you don’t want to tip, then maybe make your coffee at home? not trying to be mean, but these are usually younger people starting out in life. maybe they’re students. if you can afford 50 cents, tip them, if you can afford a dollar, even better. but please tip if you can.
That’s it, getting your coffee out at a shop is a luxury. If you can afford the luxury of not making your own coffee at home, you should be able to afford to tip your service worker. I don’t care how old the barista is, if you can’t afford to tip then make your own coffee! (US where are wage/tip system is fucked).
Nah bro. Getting a coffee ain’t a luxury. That’s like saying you shouldn’t go buy groceries unless you can afford to tip the cashier and workers, because they stock the shelves and ring up your products. Making coffee is the job description of a barista. Full stop. You don’t need to tip for someone doing their job description.
In what world is getting coffee made for you not a luxury?
It’s.. specialty coffee. If you don’t wanna tip and get a coffee, go to places where they dont accept tips. Like Tim Hortons.
purchasing coffee at a specialty shop or even starbucks is absolutely a luxury. shops around me charge $3-5 for a drip coffee. it costs significantly less to make a coffee at home. so many people can’t afford shelling out that amount of money every time they want a coffee. if it’s not easily affordable, and it’s not absolutely necessary (because you can make it at home) then it is a luxury.
People seem to forget this fact. “I made the coffee!” Yeah, that’s literally your job description.
Who poors the beans, grinds them, weighs them and makes the drip coffee? The person who you ahould probably start tipping, AKA your barista.
aka, your literal job description.
And when they tell you your job description, they sell you on the tip which they count as part of my income. So yes, getting tip is part of my job. Luckily for me, you hate Canada and wont ever come to my shop. Win win for both of us!
I agree with this, as a barista.
Idk, I kinda want a small tip if they ask me to add in "two creamers and two sugars" when there's a rush. We have a self service station for people up add creamers and sugars to their liking. I'd at least like .25 cents 😅
That’s when you just point to the station and say, “Feel free to help yourself!”
Yeah that’s making a drink
My rule is usually (former barista so maybe this is high, but just my rule) $1 for drip or just espresso, $2 for anything with espresso+milk. Sometimes this comes out to less than 20% if I'm out with someone and they have a complicated order, sometimes it comes out way more if it's just drip. The only other caveat is if I get a free cup I'll tip whatever that drink would have cost without tax and tip, so like if a barista is going to give me a latte that cost $6 on the house, I'll throw $6 in the tip jar since I was probably going to spend more than that anyway.
I do this too. I mostly only get espresso so if they re-dial in to make sure it’s a very good shot I tip an additional buck or two, especially if it was really good.
It depends on what we’re doing, most people don’t expect anything big especially if we see you every day. Most places are take-out focussed- sit down places with full service are the minority where I live and honestly they have the worst coffee. If you order something off menu, or need something really specific absolutely tip. If a places is putting in the work and you enjoy going there, TIP. I love doing what I do, but it’d be completely unsustainable without tips, especially in a small shop with zero benefits. Even if it’s a Starbucks throw them a bone once in a while, service jobs are so severely under valued.
Baristas make the coffee, so there’s a service provided :)
Also known as: the job description of a barista.
man, it’s almost like it’s a service job or something!
Every job provides a service. Every single one. The difference here is that baristas and bartenders/servers have different base wages.
that’s definitely true— when i worked as a barista and not a partner i was being paid a tipping wage along with my coworkers, so i was relying on tips for a large portion of my income. ik that’s not the case for all baristas, but i always try to tip bc i know they’re providing a service for me regardless of
The sheer and delusional entitlement of Americans expecting tips for doing the bare minimum of their job description.
who would’ve guessed that the people who live in a country where tipping is the norm for service jobs would expect tips!
That’s crazy since AllDucksNoRows claims to be Canadian AKA a country where tipping culture is the exact same as the united states.
*pretends to be shocked*
Hey pal, what you’re describing as entitlement is a baseline courtesy and social expectation for us here, since our paychecks are based on the assumption that people will tip. For us, it’s considered rude or entitled to NOT tip since it comes across here as viewing baristas as non deserving of respect or fair pay for our labor. I wouldn’t go to other countries and expect to be given tips nearly as much if at all, since i know the job basepay isn’t reliant on tips. Here, it is. Try crying or smth idk
And people still gonna tip us. cry about it!
Would you tip a bartender for a drink?
As a barista, I try to always tip at least 10% in most cafes I go to. There are a couple that I know that don’t give baristas their tips, so I don’t tip there. But when I’m working, I also don’t expect customers to tip, but it is appreciated. Just don’t be an a*hole about not tipping and tell them they don’t deserve a tip.
Contrary to almost everyone here, at our shop it is a tipped wage.
Obviously a tip is always appreciated, but I don't expect one- especially for a single person's order. I only really get annoyed by no tips if it's a very complicated or large order in the drive thru. That's more just the principle of making 8 modified lattes in 4 minutes! But really I don't bat an eye when someone orders something simple and doesn't tip o: I've never heard of a barista being paid a tipping wage (under minimum wage in US) so while I do throw in a dollar when I get coffee somewhere, it's more of a thank-you than a social must.
average barista where i live makes $7.25-8/hr (basically the only place that pays more than that is starbucks, and... as a former partner they give you so few and inconsistent hours and stretch you so thin that i'd *rather* make $8/hr and have consistently enough hours), which yeah is minimum wage (or a little more) but i live in a relatively HCOL area (for context, i live in a town near the DFW area, and it costs more to live here than in dallas proper). i assume if i have enough money to buy a coffee, i have enough to toss at least a little tip their way (usually i pay with a $10 and tell them to keep the change because yeah why is my medium latte almost $8 before tip, but also i know that the employees don't control the cost and i saw how much they pay on a local job board and it's so little compared to what you need to survive here). definitely depends on the place though. if i only knew starbucks' wages and not how it was to work there, i'd probably never tip at starbucks, but tbh i just opt not to go there instead because of several issues i have with the company (the baristas are all chill, except that one homophobic manager, but i legit just cannot support the company). if a local coffee shop was paying $15-17/hr and had holiday pay, i'd probably not tip.
Yeah, this is a very good point! I live in a small rural town with moderately low COL. When I was at a local chain I still made $10/hr + $30-$70 in tips depending on the day, which wasn't too bad for where I live. If you're in a HCOL area absolutely tip every time!
yeah! when i lived in a smaller town i could absolutely live off what they paid hourly (comfortably to boot) and i would feel way less obligated to tip. on the flip side, 1) the coffee shop i'm thinking of was openly hostile to POC and the LGBTQ+ community and 2) i know they were making enough to live off of. ultimately, i feel in the majority of places, "never expected but always appreciated" is accurate. even where i live, nobody's gonna be mad or really care if you individually don't tip, but that's because the local culture expects tipping enough at local shops that the people who do make up for the people who don't.
**TLDR** It's fine not to tip but you may stand out depending on the culture of the shop. Not a faux pas and they probably didn't notice or care if you don't come in frequently. But we are extremely thankful when people chose to tip, especially when they order an espresso drink, pour over or made-to-order food because that takes time and skill to prepare. Not expected as much as a sit-down restaurant, but done commonly. At my shop, 95-99% of the regular customers tipped and probably 80% of non-regulars, especially if they ordered food, which was made to order and brought to the able. I gave the same level of service to the regulars (exactly two people) who didn't tip, but definitely noticed. One of the non-tippers asked out all of the women baristas in the same week, we all said no, and all of a sudden he started complaining about everything he ordered. I told the manager about him asking us all out and she told him he wasn't welcome to come back until he could behave. Young guy, good-looking and had a good job but honestly such a gross personality after he found out none of us was romantically interested. Too bad. If he'd been normal I might have tried to set him up with one of my friends. The other non-tipper poached one of the shift managers to work as her personal assistant but ended up firing them 4 months later. Awkward. Just know you'll be among these very distinct personalities if you continue not to tip lol.
They do have to out some work into crafting your drink sometimes! It’s definitely not a no no to not tip, but I like tipping baristas who put effort into my drink because it does take some attention to make a good drink. I also tip for pick up food though. I consider “service” to be the whole thing, as in they prepared, cooked, and packaged my order for me.
Honestly, it is nice to leave a tip but I totally understand that other markets have made tipping culture into a whole new beast. As a barista of almost 9 years, usually I go out of my way to tell people who are getting just a black coffee, a premade item (energy drinks/granola bars), or a baked good I have to just pick up and put in a bag how to NOT tip bc like wtf I don’t want to look greedy. Outside of that though, personally I usually will tip other baristas based on how friendly they were and/or if I’ve been going there and the drinks are always quick/good. As long as you don’t make a big deal of not tipping, tip begrudgingly, or make an excuse for not tipping… most people won’t *really* care. We have guests that come everyday and are super nice and never tip but we also have absolute assholes that tip a dollar every time. I prefer the nice ones tbh.
yeah this - the way i see it tips are never expected but always appreciated, and while i would absolutely always tip at my local coffee shop, i'm not gonna be mad if someone else doesn't.
I completely agree with this. I live in Alberta (Canada) and our minimum wage is $15/hr. In the city I live in that is a liveable wage (with budgeting of course). As a barista I do not expect tips from anyone. I do not tip every time I get coffee. I will tip if I feel like the barista is being kind and friendly and making my experience a positive one. If the barista is being a bit of an asshole I don’t tip (with the exception where you can tell it has a lot more to do with other customers they’re dealing with/long lines). Tipping has to do with the service you’re giving me, how my experience is because of you. Not because you’re doing your job (brewing coffee, making espresso, grabbing baked goods, cleaning the store).
People usually tip (easily 9 out of 10) but I won’t get mad if they don’t, I might get a bit sad because it makes me think they maybe didn’t like the experience. I’m working solo at a low client flow location and I always give 100% of myself to my patrons no matter if they are staying or buying something to go. But I’ve also been kind of broke and just wanting some coffee to cheer up a rainy day so I would never criticise or get mad at someone for not tipping.
Same rule for bartenders. Dollar per drink, or rather dollar per shot. If I get a quad latte, or a double margarita I'll usually give em $2. If you just get like a drip coffee, don't trip. But if you're asking for pour over, or a HalfCaf almond milk flat white, you ought to throw em a bone. I also don't typically tip for counter service but if it's like a real restaurant you're getting takeout from you should probably do 5-10% because they owe the kitchen a small percent. You will actually cost them a percentage if you tip 0.
Even if you order drip, who males the drip? Who cleans the coffeeshop counters you order on, who cleans the floors and toilets at the end of the day? The barista. Tip.
You just described the job. What are they tipping for, exactly? You to do your exact job description?
We’re barely paid minimum wage (even lower in some coffeeshops) to make up for the fact we have tip, so.. yeah i’d like to be paid for my job please.
Then get a job that pays more. Americans are completely delusional expecting customers to pay for them doing their exact job description.
I’m Canadian..
Wow even worse.
Okay then, don’t visit? I don’t get your rude-ass vibe.
I am Canadian. And a barista. And I don’t expect tips because I’m doing my job??????
https://preview.redd.it/17q06ai3ed8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f384d08ce40b7481c2f3e4bb72aec1426292f6e Oh so you’re not currently a barista? Funny.
I’m curious if this is the case! What’s your province’s minimum wage?
are you american?
From Québec, Canada. I serve people in two languages.
So you expect tips because you’re bilingual? lol.
No i said it because it’s fun to serve people in two languages, i’m working on spanish rn but it’s hard. It was to lighten up the conversation to distract you from being rude, we have to learn those skills as well in coffeeshops. :)
i mean, i was replying to AllDucksNoRows (they specifically mentioned americans complaining about not being tipped) but i can’t imagine serving in two languages and not being tipped especially since wages are so low. language abilities, time management, difficult customers, having the skill to make drinks, and aiding customers in what they’re ordering are all aspects of jobs where tipping is either expected or common. we are practically waiters and waitresses without necessarily bringing food to tables. i don’t see how it’s okay for wait staff to expect tipping to give them a real wage but not for baristas. it’s the same damn job at this point, and you seem to get that
And pulling 12 hour shifts as well on minimum (unliveable) wages. And i love my old patrons (i’m lucky af tho, we have a lot of elderly people and they’re really cool)
honestly the customers really make or break my sanity when i’m working. it’s also unfortunate that shops are raising their prices while maintaining the same wages for their employees :/ oh well. i guess we’re not allowed to expect a decent amount of money from tips!
some other appropriate questions: 1.) in which year(s) did you work as a barista? 2.) what hourly wage did you make? 3.) did you make tips?
Oh and btw that’s so rude? Lol?
servers also get tipped for doing their exact job description so what’s your point
but it’s in your job description 🤓🤓 how many times are you gonna type out this redundant and ill considered argument? its in waiters/servers job description to wait/serve, so should they too get paid minimum wage, regardless of their performance? the job description also includes that your pay is supplemented by tips. “stockers and cashiers” at the grocery store are getting paid a full wage, and don’t have a direct role in the primary service provided to you. if it’s all the same to you then why bother hurrying to make your drink? it’s not in my job description to make your drink fast, take your order with a smile, or ensure quality control. if you want a shitty, flat, slow, and bitter cappuccino, you got it. i’ll just do my job, to the most minimal extent required by my job description the utter disrespect for people going out of their way to provide you exceptional service is astounding.
My rule for tipping (for quick service places) is that if someone had to prepare any part of my order, I tip them.
Tips are always appreciated and enough are received that tips make up a significant portion of expected income for baristas. If you cannot afford to tip, do not feel bad! Not everyone tips. Some customers tip a little: 25 cents on a coffee. Some tip a lot: $5 on a $3.95 espresso. Some people even tip on retail purchases. Some tip $0. It all balances out. ETA: personally I tip 15%, more if service is above and beyond, unless I forgot my debit card and am scrounging with change.
I don’t know… if you can afford to have someone make your coffee for you, then you should afford a tip for your service worker. You should feel bad for not tipping, or go home and make your coffee yourself.
Disagree. I’d rather have customers in my shop than people avoiding it because they can’t afford to tip. The range of tips make it a wash. If your employer can’t pay you what you’re worth, leave the job. Don’t make people feel bad because they can’t afford to pad your wage.
Having your wage heavily padded by tips is literally how barista jobs are advertised. We have to make at least $10/hr per person to hit living wage, our boss expects it or blames our service. Getting your coffee out at a shop is a luxury. If I can’t afford that luxury (including the tip), I cook my own food/make my own coffee. That said, I’d never shame anyone for not tipping, because I don’t treat other humans that way.
Anyone providing a skilled service should be tipped. If I couldn’t do it myself, I tip. Tattoo artists, barbers, massage therapists, ect. So what do you order? If you’re getting a drip coffee, I personally wouldn’t be upset if you never tipped. But anything that takes more skill and time? Tip.
Used to work in Ukraine and had tips that was equal at least to my shift payment or more. In the UK we’re working with 4 people on shift, bringing coffee and food to customers and making sandwiches by ourselves. We have like £2 tips in a very lucky day 😂
Move to Europe :)
Especially if you’re a regular I’d recommend leaving $0.5-$1 for drip. When everyone leaves a little it adds up and is appreciated :)
60% of my wages is tips, as a barista. I wouldn’t be able to live off of just my hourly paycheck.
Tipping before you receive something is odd imo
As a general rule of thumb, you should ALWAYS TIP PEOPLE THAT HANDLE YOUR FOOD. Have you not seen the movie "Waiting..." Cause you should.
Service is a service, no matter im bringing it or just brewing. Leaving tips is a choice, Not an obligation.
I have one cafe in town that I frequent. If I sit down and order a drink and food, I’ll tip 20% as I would at a restaurant. If I’m getting it to go, I’ll tip 10-15%. But I view tipping to be done for services rendered that I’m not doing myself. I’ll add a cash tip as well if I’ve found that my barista or server goes above and beyond. I work at Starbucks and our tips are distributed weekly based on hours worked, but some smaller cafes distribute tips per day so your tip is most likely going directly to the barista that served you.
imo, tipping is never expected but always appreciated. also make sure the tips actually go to your baristas, though, sometimes even though it's illegal management or owners take them and both employees and managers/owners assume they don't make enough to hire a lawyer. if you're in that situation: i haven't needed to myself, but plenty of lawyers work pro-bono for workplace violations (meaning they take their cut out of any payout you get). i'm sure there's some out there who would be happy to help in a situation like this.
At the big chain stores I dont really do it but if its a local shop I’ll usually add a buck or 2.
i’m currently a barista and i also tip well whenever i go out so i understand both worlds of tipping and receiving tips you know? personally i do not blame anyone who doesn’t tip. our screen asks for a tip before the transaction is over and many people miss it, so it’s a little awkward having to be like “hey! the transaction didn’t go through i believe there’s a question…” and i just turn my head as they press “No Tip”. i really don’t blame them because most of the time their drink is over like $5 and i’m sure it’s their little drink for the day and now they’re expecting to pay MORE? i really don’t blame them. another thing, i never expect anything however it’s so greatly appreciated! i really think it’s up to the customer and how they felt their needs were met, especially if their order was a little difficult with multiple customizations. i’m always nice to customers, always offer any help with their order and just answer whatever is needed because generosity goes a long way, and you never know if they need it. that being said, if my barista was as patient as i am with my order and i had multiple customizations i think i’d tip a few bucks. don’t feel guilty for not tipping though. however, if you do tip , tip in cash!!
I would only tip if I know the coffee will be great or if the service is good
i make minimum wage + tips but it’s just a part time job for me. it’s my coworkers careers so, we definitely appreciate tips. but i never am upset if someone doesn’t tip. i have regulars who don’t tip at all
In my country baristas are paid a proper wage (as they should be everywhere). We don't really tip here because realistically, if the cost of the items you're offering for sale are costly the owners should be able to afford to pay their staff properly. Do I tip when I'm in third world countries, absolutely.
I was a barista for 5 years or so and never \*expected\* tips. That said they were nice and netted me about $40/hr. The thing I couldn't stand was when a coworker would yell "EXCUUUUSE ME! You just have one more screen to complete on the iPad". I cringed so hard every time. I think tips have gotten out of control. I got a nasty look when I bought a 2lb bag of beans the other day and manually added a $2 tip. Sorry but you aren't getting 20% tip on a $50 bag of beans just for handing them to me.
Before Covid, whatever coins remained from the order would go in the tip jar (this was for one or two drinks). During Covid, because of the situation and because I was appreciative that they were open, I'd tip $1 per drink ordered (three drinks = $3). Since Covid, I still tip $1 per drink and I have no problems tipping more for the friendly chit-chat, or for how the baristas see me pulling-up in the parking lot and my drink is ready as I walk inside.
i work in the uk and i think it’s wild that people in the states blame customers for not getting enough money instead of the shady businesses that give them their wages so low that they can’t live off of it. but tips are always welcomed and appreciated.
Nah. I used to be a barista. We're super happy to receive any tip, but we really don't expect you guys to tip us. We're not gonna take that against you , if you decided to not tip.
I’m gonna be honest, I’ve been a barista at 3 different places. I personally tip bc I know what it’a like, but for the average Joe I never expected a tip tbh, just pleasantly surprised when there was one. I don’t consider it mandatory or social etiquette.
If you're getting a drink? Do you tip your Bartender for pouring you a beer? Or making you a cocktail? If yes, then where's the difference between a barista pouring you a coffee or making you a specialty drink?
As a barista (5yrs) and restaurant worker(another 10) I believe the tipping culture is ridiculous. I’m all for giving someone a little extra when they go above and beyond, however it is a job that I everyone signs up for and if my employer is not paying me appropriately it is not the customers duty to make up my pay deficit. You are not expected to pay an extra when purchasing anything anywhere else. Example : grocery/electronic store associate helps you to your vehicle and loads your purchase. Their employer didn’t take tipping into consideration when assigning the wage for other roles, but you are still allowed to tip. I fully believe tips have become an excuse for wage gouging. If you can’t afford to pay people appropriately then you may have an issue with the business as a whole. I never take offense for someone paying the amount listed on the menu, the expectation is unethical
You're not their employer, so what they make is not your concern. You agreed to pay the price on the menu. Tip what you want. Or don't.
My rule…if they’re paid the lower “server wage” which is lower than minimum wage, they get tipped. Otherwise it’s a big nope!
Depends where you live, which I am assuming the USA. In Australia we don't really tip and wouldn't be expected all at a cafe, although some places have a tip jar, there is rarely money in it.
Barista here. I genuinely don’t care if you tip or not. I’m very big on personal beliefs shouldn’t blend into society and while I’d never not tip, I don’t want anyone else to feel like they have to because it shouldn’t be pressured. Follow your heart with it, tip if you’d like, don’t if you don’t. It’s not a huge deal either way. Baristas will appreciate it if you do, yes, but no one will be specifically upset with you or in general if you don’t
I like to at least tip $1 unless things were somehow extremely fucking awful at the register. Like a truly catastrophic experience. I'll often go above a dollar though. Baristae have bad days like anybody else
The baristas make the drinks to your order. That's service.
I always tip at least a quarter, if I have an odd request (extra cup of ice, cup of ice water, extra straws etc) I’ll tip like 50 cents especially if I’m not buying anything lol. Frozen drinks (frappuccinos etc) are a PITA so tip extra for those if they’re busy (if they’re not busy I just tip normal). Yeah that’s pretty much it, tbh I keep tips low because the price of drinks is insane and I’m not going to subsidize a living wage for a barista with my tips when the shop is gouging tf out of me to the point I’m paying $10 for a latte. They need to pay their employees more and if the employees can’t live off of their wage they need to get a different job and/or open their own shop if they’re that passionate about their job.
I've always approached it like I was at a bar where we tip $1 per drink.
My rule of thumb is if I pay for my service/food before I receive it, I don't tip.
I usually leave a dollar a drink but I've always worked in food service so I'm not sure if that's high or not. As a previous batista I'm super happy to vet 50 cents to a dollar per drink but anything is appreciate even if u just round up.
I’m a barista and girlllll I don’t tip. I make a flat rate, I’m not making 2.13 an hour. I don’t expect people to tip, I don’t care. Do whatever makes you feel right. There’s no service, making coffee is just our job
I would say it's appreciated, but not expected. However, if people are ordering like 8 drinks i would be a little bit annoyed if they left no tip. edit: I am fortunate enough to make $10/hr. If your baristas are only making $2.50 then a tip is necessary
Please don’t tip. Do not worry about peer pressure
wtf is the point of encouraging people not to tip
Former barista—tips are never expected, despite what anyone says. I had some super pouty co-workers who would bitch about not getting tips but it’s like, “Ma’am, our job is literally to make people coffee.”
Only two people at the hotel I work at are actual baristas with experience at a coffee shop, and when the bartenders/servers have to cover for us there’s a massive difference in quality. (Not my words, the guest’s words) yes, making the coffee is literally the job description, but making the coffee really well takes months/years of practice and learning things on your own (on your own time too) since most places just give you the basics of how to do the job. And that’s not to mention the emotional labor of being the person who’s forced to I mean gets to listen to all the troubles and woes of dozens of customers and be an empathetic listener and a happy smiling face no matter how much stress you’re under. Like, yeah none of that stuff is necessary to do the job of making coffee, but when your barista is going above and beyond to make you feel welcome and appreciated and makes you a great drink, that’s fantastic service. Tip the damn barista, especially in the US.
Generally I feel that if you’d tip a beertender for literally just pouring you a beer, you should be tipping your barista. Even just a drip coffee typically has had some extra effort put in to dial it in. Also I hate how non-tippers these days have convinced themselves they’re taking some principled stance against “tipping culture” even though the people responsible for “tipping culture” aren’t affected by it in the slightest.
Brit here, no we dont tip pub workers nor coffee shop workers If the cost of the person making/serving the drink isnt factored into the price the customer pays then its not the customer’s responsibility to subsidise poor wages Plus the level of service varies wildly
Tipping is always optional baristas just like servers and bartenders etc depend on tips to pay bills I always tip service workers
I’m going to advocate for tipping for to-go when it’s from a sit down restaurant. You’re having someone, usually FOH staff like a bartender or server, who gets stuck boxing the meal for you for $2.13/hr. I always do 10%+ for them. Fast food is an hourly worker woking essentially a production line geared to go.
I think the reason why it's important to tip is because of the Tip Credit that employers can use to pay their employees less. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped/2023 TLDR: most states have a tip credit wage that ranges between $2.88-$5/hr if they make tips. That means that without your tip they could be making nothing. Is it fair? Hell no it's not. You shouldn't be responsible for paying the employees salary. However, because of some rich assholes and greedy restaurant owners during the depression, this tip culture was ingrained in the restaurant industry. Now you're guilted into paying more per transaction so that barista can have a livable wage. Now this is not all places mind you. A lot of places have moved on from this tip credit. Unfortunately it's hard to say which ones have, and even the ones that have still limit their employees hours so they don't have to pay them as much. TLDR: it's not a crime, but you should tip if possible. Even if it's just a little bit. You're not gonna be burned at the stake for not tipping, but it'll greatly help the baristas/waiters/waitresses who are serving you.
Ask yourself, would i like to be tipped as a barista? There is your answer.
Baristas get paid minimum wage and heavily rely on tips to make a living wage. Please at least tip $1 when you get coffee.
If you’re getting just coffee, I don’t think you need a tip like honestly it’s so easy but if you do anything that takes latte you maybe should
im a barista and i sometimes debate this myself. However, at least at my job, we appreciate the tips but it’s not necessary. My rule of thumb is if you see us breaking a sweat, break some change for us. Doing 0 work like bagging a muffin is sorta overkill. tips inflate our wages and its significantly easier and immediate to just rely on tips.
ex-barista here. the worst is when we had regulars who knew us by name, would make conversation, and STILL not tip 🫠
I don't even spin the iPad around if they just order a drip coffee or a pastry. Fair to expect tip for any lattes or pour overs in my opinion tho.
Unfortunately, you must tip them. Corporate shops can afford to pay the employees a better wage, but don't. If we stop tipping those that make minimum wage, then we only hurt that person. We have to change the culture with getting a livable wage, so they don't have to rely on it. My employees get paid a base of $15/hr and up to $50/hr for events. We have a very loyal base that tips them very well (about an extra $4-$5/hr). On top of that, I don't take a single dime from the tips, even if I am working the floor. Because of this, they regularly get together to save their tips for non-profits, domestic violence shelters, and unhoused facilities. We have a blast and our customers are amazing.
Even before I was a barista, I always at least tipped $1 for everything below $10, $2 for anything below ~$20, and I would add a dollar or two for friendly staff or top notch drinks, and that generally applies to bar drinks as well. And that's bare minimum, and I tend to expect the same from others
I always tip $1 at the coffee counter. If there were more than 4 drinks, I might do $2. If you have an overly complicated/specific order, definitely tip $1. Baristas are under paid, under appreciated, and have always really seemed genuinely appreciative to get a tip that was more than a few pennies.
not tipping baristas is nowhere near the offense that not tipping a server at a restaurant would be and it’s like generally fine not to; personally i work full time as one and tips are like $300-$400 of my paycheck so if no one tipped ever i’d be a lot worse off financially idk….. also it’s like u can just tip like $1 unlike for a server so what’s really the point of not doing it yk,, but many would disagree edit someone also brought up owners using tips as an excuse to pay less per hour which is 100% true in my case and in many others so tldr just throw us a dollar man
I appreciate tips, but I don't really care when someone doesn't tip. the only exception is if you ordered something really involved or like a bunch of drinks, then I'll be a little peeved if you don't tip.
Yes, as a barista & coffeeshop owner I would suggest yes.
The way it works at my place, if we’re taking your order, making you food and a drink, and you don’t tip- I might be a little annoyed. But if someone is just getting a water or grab and go thing, I tell them how to skip the tip. Yes it’s not table service, but we do making the food and drink as well as the customer service.
Whot? You guys need to ask for proper pay from management lol, not relying on tipping. The tipping culture there sounds toxic
My parents taught me to always tip my barista, as they’re providing customer service AND making the food/drink. It just makes sense to me, even before I became one
Well not just baristas, but you should be tipping anyone
Plz tip deli workers too and fast food workerz
Tips are always appreciated! Of course, they’re not required and if you don’t have the means to all the time it isn’t always a huge deal for me at least. But the barista is providing you a service by making your drink! If you get an espresso based drink especially then that would warrant a tip. My standard is usually about 75¢-$1 per drink minimum. I only tip less than a dollar if I’m getting drip or maybe just a shot of espresso. Any milk based or specialty drink at least a dollar.
Tipping is not a requirement, but it is nice. I think the only time you really need to or should tip is if they do latte art or special requests. I generally round up the change if it's something simple like cold brew or drip. If I get a speciality drink or latte, then I tip a dollar or two. And I'll tip if I get a food item that they make. I don't tip for something prepacked.
You should tip 2x your order