Live stream will be available after this brief ad from our sponsors
  • Listen Live

A heads up for the Tampa Bay servers and bartenders out there… A recent Reddit thread has popped off with some heartwarming stories about our generous local celebs, and some horror stories about some others. It started off as an innocent question on the online forum after the OP (original poster) saw a similar thread about an former Bucs player, “Question for Tampa service workers, which local celebrity has a reputation as a bad tipper?”. The question lead to hundreds of stories from current and former service workers in the comments. Let’s see what they had to say.

A lot of people will argue that the tipping culture has gotten out of control. And while I agree that you shouldn’t have to or feel obligated to tip for every service exchange, like a cup of coffee or a pick-up to-go order, tipping your server or bartender for a sit-down meal should start at 20%.

Speaking from experience, unless you work in Hyde Park or the fancy spots in Downtown Tampa, it’s pretty rare to see Tampa celebrities out on the town. However, in my experience of serving and bartending around Tampa Bay, I was lucky to run into some big names, and had mostly good experiences.

Back in high school/early college days I worked at BD’s Mongolian Grill in Oldsmar (now Craft Street), and one of our regulars was actually Keenan Thompson! Keenan would come in every other month, I even remember seeing him on a Saturday afternoon and thinking to myself “Shouldn’t he be in New York for SNL?” Anyway, he would often get his food to go and still tip our bartender 18-20%.

On the other side, I also had the privilege to meet a former Buccaneers coach while I was working at a Carrollwood restaurant. He came in with his family (about a 12 person party). I split the table with a coworker and it seemed that everything went smoothly! Only to see he left us 18% tip at the bill, which, is okay (especially for pre-covid standards). But with good service and a local reputation, I think me and my coworker expected a little more. Someone else even commented a similar story in the Reddit thread.

What other Tampa celebrities do locals consider ‘bad tippers?’ Without throwing names and people under the bus, many said that some former Buccaneers players had some bad reputations. One of them having filed for bankruptcy back in 2012. If that’s true, it’s a real bummer. I won’t go into details about other people’s experiences, but you can read them here.

On a more positive note, here are the Tampa celebrities that locals agree are “good” tippers

  • Tampa Bay Lightning Players

    TAMPA, FL - APRIL 17: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning, right, celebrates his 100th assist on the season with Brayden Point #21 against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at the Amalie Arena on April 17, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

    A very common thread in this Reddit forum is that Tampa Bay Lightning players (and other NHL players) are great tippers and generally nice dudes. Many people commented that stars like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, and even former captain Steven Stamkos are often seen leaving generous 25%+ tips. 

  • Hulk Hogan

    TAMPA, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 08: Hulk Hogan attends a New Era In Florida Gaming Event at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa on December 08, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
    3 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

    With a restaurant of his own on Clearwater Beach, it’s no surprise the Hulk shows the love to other restaurants and servers in the Tampa Bay area.

  • Dave Bautista

    SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 21: Dave Bautista visit’s 'The IMDb Show' on February 21, 2020 in Santa Monica, California. This episode of 'The IMDb Show' airs on March 5, 2020. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)
    (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)

    A  lot of commenters on the Reddit thread had so many nice things to say about Dave Bautista. One user even remembered a night in SoHo where Dave game in after close and left the entire staff $500 for about $60 worth of pizza.

  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers Players

    TAMPA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 02: Mike Evans #13 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates a touchdown reception from Tom Brady #12 with Chris Godwin #14 against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium on October 02, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

    We warned you about some former Bucs that have a bad reputation for tipping. But others in the Tampa Reddit thread commented that other current and former players are not only super nice to service workers, but usually leave 25-30% tips. As far as the current roster, the Reddit thread was mentioning William Gholston and Mike Evans (no surprise there). A former Buccaneer that still has current ties to the Bay area is Gronk. So many nice and heartwarming stories about Gronk being a nice guy and good tipper.

Get The Q Factor Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Stay up to date on the latest from your favorite artists, Tampa/St. Pete happenings, exclusive contests, games, and more.

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.