Ask George: What kind of tip is appropriate at a fast-casual restaurant? —George W. St. Louis
“Fast-casual”—that hybrid between fast food and a full-service restaurant—has been the concept of the decade, even though “fast-cas” has been in our lexicon since the millennium.
Orders are placed at the counter, eliminating a table server, and guests are then attended to by a staff of food runners, bussers, and floor managers.
So who do you tip, how do you tip--or is it appropriate to tip at all?
My mantra is that if service is involved (and not just order-taking) and the restaurant is in the U.S., then a tip is probably in order. There are two ways to do this—at the counter or at the table. I cannot condone the former simply because at that point service is an unknown—the diner could either be fawned over, ignored, or something in between. So tipping at the register is inappropriate, especially because tip prompting of 15% or 20% or even 25% has suddenly become de rigueur. I see it as an upfront money-grab with no basis on its predication—i.e., good service.
It makes more sense to assess one's experience and tip accordingly, after the meal, at the table. But therein lies the rub. Nowadays, so many diners pay with plastic that it’s far easier to leave a tip at the register, even if it’s a blind tip. Alas, tipping at the table requires carrying cash, small bills usually, and fewer and fewer consumers are doing that.
The correct amount to tip in fast-cas situations? If service was good, 10% of the bill is standard, more is appreciated; if service was poor, less than that; and if it was horrible, as the saying goes, “tip the management,” even if it's after the fact.
