Tampa Restaurant Sparks Outrage Asking For 40% Tips

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the new standard tipping percentage seems to keep rising for some staff who aren’t traditionally tipped for the service. One customer reported that First Watch in Tampa is recommending customers tip 40% on electronic payment methods and customers are outraged.

One Tampa Bay local took to the r/Tampa Reddit thread to express their frustration with excessive tipping. The post said, "Is anyone else completely tipped out? Am I the only one who thought 20% was for great service? Now restaurants are trying to make it the norm that we tip almost half the bill?" 

The OP continued with, "I have tipped large amounts on a small bill. But it was out of my own volition. Now restaurants are trying to normalize tipping for everything, even at fast food places, and tipping far beyond what has been socially acceptable. This was at the First Watch near USF. I don’t think I will be back."

The customer came ready with a screenshot of their $26.12 First Watch bill on the app. It gives a 20%, 22%, 25%, as well as "super tip" options of 30%, and 40%. $8.07 may not seem like a large tip, but that's 40% of the bill right there.

Listen, I'm not against tipping. As someone who worked in the restaurant industry, I tend to tip 20% for good service and a bit more if the server goes above and beyond. A good tip goes a long way, but recommending a 40% tip is crazy.

With today’s technology, many establishments are opting for online payment methods through apps or websites. They casually introduce you to the touchscreen device and awkwardly watch you as you input the tip amount … or don’t.

In 24 hours, the post gathered over 390 comments with the top comment saying, "It’s dumb. 20% before taxes is what I know as the standard for Dinner out. I’m surely not paying more for a tip than anything I ordered meal wise" with over 136 upvotes and dozens of replies.

One user explained, “10% for below average service, 15% for average, 20% for very good service. The amount is calculated on the bill before taxes. There is no need to ever change that since it automatically adjusts for inflation.”

Another user replied, “COVID didn’t help because everyone thought they were doing a good deed by tipping 30% for anyone and everyone providing a service. Now they just see it as standard since it went on for 2 years.”

On the other side of the aisle, a few users suggested all restaurants, upscale and diner, provide a flat table pay structure for employees. In my opinion, that's the same thinking that got us into this mess, but let's hear what they have to say.

The user said, "You have two employees. One works at an upscale restaurant that caters to the wealthy. One works at a diner that caters to the unwealthy ... The upscale restaurant bill is $279. The diner is $14 ... The whole idea of tipping a percentage of the bill is complete idiocy. How about giving $10 to each person and calling it good?"

The $14 bill is more than likely serving a cup of coffee or soft drink with a plate of food. The $279 table server is likely serving that for a longer period of time with a bigger party and number of customers.

The Diner server is serving up more customers per night to make up for the smaller bills while the upscale restaurant server is limited to fewer tables. $10 a table wouldn't work because servers at many restaurants have to split tips with the kitchen staff. The $55 tip on a $279 order does not only go into the server's pocket but gets distributed throughout the staff.

One server is bringing in $14 for the restaurant while the other brings in $279. I'd rather go to a Diner over a fancy restaurant, but that doesn't change the facts. One is bringing in more money for the restaurant while likely serving more customers per table. 

We're not dogging on First Watch, their food is highly rated across Tampa Bay, but is 40% really a reasonable ask? Maybe it was just a technology mishap with the software, who knows. Let us know your thoughts on social media.

After reading about the frustrations of the people of Tampa Bay, First Watch reached out to us and asked to share the following statement regarding the pay-at-the-table tipping options:

"We've updated our pay-at-the-table interface to omit the 'supertip' option that was the standard on the platform. The 20%, 22% and 25% options mirror that of the chip reader at our cash registers, and as always, customers can choose to leave a custom tip that is higher or lower than these default percentages. We appreciate the feedback and apologize for any frustration this may have caused our customers." - First Watch

[UPDATED: 4/26/2024]

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