Overheard a guy at the coffee shop say he never tips at local restaurants

I was grabbing a latte at this spot in Decatur last week and this guy was talking loud to his friend about how he never tips because "the owner should pay them more." It got me thinking because I've always tipped at least 20% at places like The Brick Store or Octopus Bar where the service is solid. But I also know a server who told me she makes like $3 an hour before tips. So I'm kind of torn on whether the system is broken or if we're just supposed to keep tipping to make up for it. Has anyone else heard people defending no-tipping around town and what do you think about it for sit-down meals?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_mason9d ago

...and that reminds me of this one time at a barbecue joint over in Tucker, this guy at the table next to us was loudly telling his buddy he never tips because servers "chose that job." I mean, I get it if you had a bad experience or something, but that attitude just feels off to me. My cousin waited tables for years and she'd come home with stories about people leaving those little tracts with fake money and a bible verse instead of a tip. Like, come on, that's just adding insult to injury. I'm not saying the system is perfect, but if you're eating at a place where someone brings you food and refills your drink, that person is relying on you to make their rent.

mark_mitchell11d ago

Yeah the "owner should pay them more" thing always bugs me because like, sure the system is broken, but youre still choosing not to tip which just screws the worker on the spot. That $3 an hour thing is real and waiting for some theoretical change isnt helping the person serving your food right now.

emmawood10d ago

Flip it around and think about how the owner making $3 an hour minimum wage work possible is basically legalized wage theft lmao. The customer isnt the bad guy for not wanting to subsidize the owner's payroll through guilt. But here's the thing nobody talks about - what if the owner is also struggling? Small diners are getting crushed by food costs and rent, so they cant raise prices without losing customers to chains. The real problem is the whole system is held together by this awkward social contract that makes everyone feel crappy no matter what they do.