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Tipping a friend who is a bartender
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:06 am
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:06 am
I have a friend who is a bartender at a very nice restaurant. The wife and I went to dinner and ate at the bar, as it is more low key there and we can visit with our friend and people watch. When the bill came, my friend basically comped us all our drinks and only charged us for food. All the drinks he brought us were items he thought would pair well with our food. In other words, he didn't ask us what we wanted, but knew what would be good. No telling how much the bill would have been had he charged us, but I left him a 40% tip on what he did charge us. Wondering if I should have left him a bigger tip, and what the protocol is in situations like this. I didn't want to leave a 100% tip because I thought that would look suspicious and my friend wouldn't expect something like that.
This is our first time to ever take advantage of this situation, and we will not be doing it regularly. I am interested to see the different responses to this.
This is our first time to ever take advantage of this situation, and we will not be doing it regularly. I am interested to see the different responses to this.
13
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:10 am to FredSecunda
i have about multiple friends who are bartenders that all take care of me very well. i typically a hefty tip.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:19 am to FredSecunda
i always tip more if a friend of mine is behind the bar serving
now if that friend is also basically giving me free drinks also ill tip him what i think each drink costs that he is giving me for free
now if that friend is also basically giving me free drinks also ill tip him what i think each drink costs that he is giving me for free
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:24 am to FredSecunda
If one of my good friends are bartending, then hell no I'm not giving him a tip. 
If its someone I know pretty well but aren't close friends, I'll leave him a nice one.
If its someone I know pretty well but aren't close friends, I'll leave him a nice one.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:24 am to Walt OReilly
Sounds about right to me. 40-50% should be sufficient.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:30 am to lsumailman61
Always drinking on a discount... always leave a hefty tip... factors include.. how big was the discount... how flush am I... how drunk am I when its time to pay the tab...
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:31 am to FredSecunda
Which restaurant?
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:33 am to FredSecunda
I'm not sure that you 'took advantage' of anything if you weren't expecting te drinks to be comped. In saying that, I think 50% is probably a good tip assuming your meal was $60-75. I probably would have left $30-40.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 11:49 am to FredSecunda
I has a bartender that has served me about a dozen times comp an entree and a bottle of wine a few weeks ago. I tipped just over %100 of the resultant bill, but my original bill would have exceeded my final total anyway.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 12:08 pm to Walt OReilly
quote:
ill tip him what i think each drink costs that he is giving me for free
Posted on 1/12/13 at 12:11 pm to FredSecunda
As a former bartender, you did right. Don't worry.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 12:13 pm to FredSecunda
So your friend is a thief and that's ok?
Posted on 1/12/13 at 12:19 pm to Martini
Like you've never been taken care of before. Did you report your buddy?
Posted on 1/12/13 at 12:43 pm to Motorboat
So the friend stole liquor ( and apparently a good bit) from the owner of a restaurant and benefitted by getting a big tip.
How about if the name of the restaurant was Motorboats Italian Restaurant and he was your bartender? And if he does it for Fred and his bride who's to say the couple sitting at the other end of the bar aren't his friends too and he's giving them the same deal? Well unless Motorboat is a baller, he's losing his arse on liquor and soon jiminoballs11 is looking for his juice and you don't have it to pay. Motorboat ends up sleeping with the fishes while the bartender moves down the street and sets up shop at LaCarson Crazy Chicken with the same gig. Capeesh?
But apparently stealing substantial amounts is ok. I'm not saying a good pour or the fourth drink is on the house isn't necessarily a bad thing even to an owner but wholesale discounts are jail worthy in my book. That bartender would be looking for a job if I own the joint.
How about if the name of the restaurant was Motorboats Italian Restaurant and he was your bartender? And if he does it for Fred and his bride who's to say the couple sitting at the other end of the bar aren't his friends too and he's giving them the same deal? Well unless Motorboat is a baller, he's losing his arse on liquor and soon jiminoballs11 is looking for his juice and you don't have it to pay. Motorboat ends up sleeping with the fishes while the bartender moves down the street and sets up shop at LaCarson Crazy Chicken with the same gig. Capeesh?
But apparently stealing substantial amounts is ok. I'm not saying a good pour or the fourth drink is on the house isn't necessarily a bad thing even to an owner but wholesale discounts are jail worthy in my book. That bartender would be looking for a job if I own the joint.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 12:50 pm to Walt OReilly
quote:this.
i always tip more if a friend of mine is behind the bar serving now if that friend is also basically giving me free drinks also ill tip him what i think each drink costs that he is giving me for free
Posted on 1/12/13 at 12:57 pm to Martini
I agree in principal with what you are saying, Martini. It's not his booze to give. But I don't think my friend is doing it because he is fishing for a giant tip. I think he is doing it because he is a friend and wants to take care of me. But let's not pretend we live in a world where this doesn't happen at every bar and restaurant in America. For every friend that gets a discount, there are three guys getting hosed on overpriced booze. I think it all comes out in the wash.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 1:22 pm to FredSecunda
I dunno... regulars at neighborhood bars get "regulars prices" in most of the NOLA bars I know... Most of the owners know that...
I realize the OP was a Rest. and thats a little bit of a different animal...
I realize the OP was a Rest. and thats a little bit of a different animal...
Posted on 1/12/13 at 2:16 pm to Martini
quote:
So your friend is a thief and that's ok?
this.
It's nice to get free drinks and all but it's stealing from the owner of the restaurant/bar. They are expecting more tip because they are passing on stolen booze from the establishment to you for free. When I was younger and in college I used to do this from time to time, but as you age you realize its stealing and not ok.
Somebody is paying for those drinks.
my 2 cents.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 2:24 pm to FredSecunda
Whether he gave it to you for a tip or just to be friendly isn't relevant . What is relevant is he gave you someone else's liquor which he himself does not pay for. And if he does it to you I'm sure he does it for other friends, which compounds the crime. I'm not naive to think it doesn't happen but regardless of that the question is is it right? To overcharge one makes it balanced enough to give another a free one? If he did this to take care of you then wouldn't you, by nature, return at some point to get another "deal" which puts him on a slippery slope that he is already sliding down.
I own businesses. I pay my employees very well and I expect them to act professional and do their job accordingly. If they use company vehicles on personal time or company gas cards in personal vehicles to name a couple things. They are stealing and are terminated. Same as your bartender. He's not just giving you an extra strong drink or a few more ounces of wine. He's wholesale giving you a nights worth free.
I own businesses. I pay my employees very well and I expect them to act professional and do their job accordingly. If they use company vehicles on personal time or company gas cards in personal vehicles to name a couple things. They are stealing and are terminated. Same as your bartender. He's not just giving you an extra strong drink or a few more ounces of wine. He's wholesale giving you a nights worth free.
Posted on 1/12/13 at 2:34 pm to Martini
I've never expected friends to give me free drinks when they'r bartending, and only once have I actually accepted a free drink from a friend.. I was really, really broke and having a shitty time so they gave me a couple of shots of some bottom shelf tequila ( 
). But other than that I tell them I don't want them to get in trouble and tell them to put the cash in the register
). But other than that I tell them I don't want them to get in trouble and tell them to put the cash in the registerThis post was edited on 1/12/13 at 2:34 pm
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