I Tip 20% On Takeout. Yes, On Takeout. Here's Why I Think You Should Too

We’ve all been there: It’s been a long day and you’re picking up takeout. You just want to get home and binge-watch Netflix and enjoy your tom kha kai soup. But first, you are confronted with one of the most controversial topics of the day:

Tip, or no tip?

For my money, the answer is simple. I always tip. Usually 20%. Yes, 20% on takeout.

I can already hear the howls of protest.

(FWIW, some of my meals are covered through work expenses. But I'm referring to tipping on my own meals when I'm the only person footing the bill: like I said, 20% always.)

Just this week, a Miss Manners column on tipping was overrun with comments both pro and con. Same over on Reddit, where you can go down the rabbit hole of the “tipping is out of control” debate. Closer to home, a friend posted a query on IG about tipping, and ultimately deleted the post because of all the hate they received.

And I can already hear plenty of people saying, "Do I get a tip just by showing up to my job?"

To which I say … maybe?

Are you motivated by incentives such as promotions and raises to do a good job? That’s a kind of a tip.

So let me explain my position. (Also, you do you. If you don’t want to tip on takeout, don’t tip. But I hope everyone can agree that we should all tip on a sit-down meal and for delivery.)

I spend much of my time dining out as part of my job and paying attention to what happens in restaurants. I see firsthand how much those working in the restaurant industry depend on tip money to survive. And I think it’s essential that we look out for one another and the hard-working people at the heart of L.A.'s restaurant scene.

But I know there are many of you that will have objections to my way of thinking. Here's my take on those:

Aren't all restaurant workers getting paid $20 per hour now?

You may have heard of a California state law that went into effect this month requiring all "quick service" restaurants with over 60 employees to pay their workers $20 an hour. But this law doesn't affect smaller, independently owned businesses, such as mom-and-pop establishments, which still pay their employees around $16 an hour.

So you don’t always know what the workers at your favorite takeout spot are actually getting paid. And the high cost of living — and inflation — is hitting us all.

Leaving a tip feels like the equitable thing to do.

How do I know management isn’t taking the money?

Technically, you don’t. But in California, it is illegal for business owners to take any part of a tip left for an employee. California also doesn’t allow “tipping credit,” meaning that employees can’t pay their workers less than minimum wage because they might make more in tips.

Also, you can always ask employees or managers how tips are divided.

What about the cooks and dishwashers?

They are among the top reasons why I tip on takeout. In general in the restaurant industry, there is a "tip pooling" policy so that all the tips collected at the end of the night are shared among all employees — the cooks, the cashiers, the dishwashers. You know, the people doing a lot of the work.

You can always just ask the cashier if you have any doubts and take your business elsewhere if you hear an answer you don’t like.

What if I already pay a service fee?

Certain restaurants have begun instituting a service fee policy. It's a fee collected by the business owners to be used as management sees fit, such as paying their kitchen staff or employees' health care.

That’s still not a tip, though. And, yes, in this case I would still tip on top of this fee for takeout. Again, if this is happening at your favorite takeout place, just ask for a few details.

My own rule of thumb

My rule of thumb is always to tip on takeout, no matter the situation. And I tip on the full bill, tax included, knowing that many, many others leave nothing at all on takeout.

I'm not trying to lead by example; people should spend their money how they see fit.

It's more of an act of good faith.

During COVID, restaurants served as a lifeline for many of us by providing food and lots of basic necessities. (Remember when your favorite restaurants were also selling groceries and face masks?) Many of us tipped accordingly back then.

As life has returned to “normal,” many have scaled back in terms of their generosity.

The reality is that it’s still very tough for people out there. Chances are, if folks work in a restaurant as a full-time job, they’re doing their best to scrape by to make ends meet.

Tipping well is just my way of paying it forward.