re: Tipping on large takeout order

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the expediter in the kitchen

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We didn't have an expo where I worked. Or bus boys. Or hostesses.

We had kitchen, a dishwasher/food prep person, servers, and a to-go person. That's it. Servers and the to-go person bussed the tables and sat people between waiting on customers. And the to-go person was paid $5/hour by the business owner due to the assumption that the rest would be made up in tips.

A $250 to-go order can be the difference between having a decent shift and wanting to jump off a building If anything, people ordering that much food should tip a few dollars simply because they've caused the next few customers after them to have delayed service and THOSE customers may also decide the wait time wasn't worth a tip.

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One particular restaurant I work with the expediter in the kitchen handles the whole order, the servers deliver the order to the hostess, and the hostess takes payment and hands off food. The hostess might have done the least in the whole operation and receives the tip. 

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I believe this is often the case. The person you are tipping literally just walks to the kitchen, grabs your order, and brings it to you. I get takeout from Lucilles bbq in Long Beach pretty often and this is what they do. I decline when they want to take everything out of the bag and "show" it to me because the transaction takes place in a cramped little entry area where people are standing around waiting to be seated. I still tip but feel it is gratuitous on my part. Pun intended.

$10. Bagging all that food, making salads, throwing in the necessary dressings, etc. i usually do a $2 flat tip for takeout but $250 is a lot of shite to keep track of

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It's usually the manager, or the guy doing expo that bags to go food. The little SJW in the front of house is usually paid minimum wage for sitting there all night and answering the phone/taking to go orders.

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Yep. And she's likely getting paid more than minimum wage.

If you are a waitress and you are doing takeout orders, you are being taken advantage of. You are essentially working two jobs. Of course, if you work at a crappy restaurant that isn't busy, then yes, you might be expected to do double duty.

should be based on service and quality of product.

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A lot of places for to-go orders the cooks put the food directly in the to-go containers, and they never see a penny of any tips.

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not trying to correct you, but Ive worked at about 20 restaurants around BR from the time I was 16-28 and Not once did the cook ever bag them...Box yes, but servers def arent in the kitchen boxing food lol. once its in a box in the window its all front of house dealing with it. Front of house who makes lower than minimum wage, and is why kitchen doesnt get tipped out

I wish we could just do the European thing and not have to tip. I think if you take tips out of the equation service would improve. How many servers get burned out or disgruntled cause the thought they gave great service but got stiffed on the tip?

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Yeah but they get to cheat on their taxes with the tipping system :)

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I haven't served in 16 years (thank god), but is that still a thing? By the time I left the industry, all tips received on a credit card were being entered into the system at nights end.

You could still get away with not claiming cash, but that has got to be negligible by now, right?

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but is that still a thing?

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Absolutely.

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You could still get away with not claiming cash, but that has got to be negligible by now, right?

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A lot of tips are still cash. The variance may not be what it once was, but it's certainly not negligible.