Tipping question: do you tip on the bottle of wine too? (1 Viewer)

[Henry Ford]

Of course you do. Why wouldn't you?

I recall being out at a work dinner with a wine nerd I work with, guy who has tens of thousands of dollars worth of wine in his wine cellar and drinks the expensive stuff, and he told me after a big meal like this with multiple nice bottles of wine, you do not tip fully on the wine. Logic makes some sense, why should the waiter get another hundred bucks for the same effort simply because you happened to pick the expensive bottles?

But Mrs. O told me I was dead wrong on this.

The same reason the waiter gets more when you order lobster instead of chicken fingers.

 

[Henry Ford]

Stop embarrassing your wife and tip the whole check.

 

[kutta]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

 

[Otis]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

I believe some people do this. Based on this thread it seems the minority.

 

[James Daulton]

One thing I've always wondered, how much scratch do waiters at reasonably high end restaurants make? Say a typical meal is $50/person no booze. If the average table (which would include booze obviously) is $250 or so, and they have say 15675 tables per shift, at Oats magnanimous 18% they're pulling in $675/day in tips. I know they have to tip out some, but they're also getting a small hourly rate. Even if they tip out 1/4, that's still over $130k for a year.

Do they make this much or are weekdays so much slower than weekends that they don't have close to as many tables?

 

[Ignoramus]

Of course you do. Why wouldn't you?

I recall being out at a work dinner with a wine nerd I work with, guy who has tens of thousands of dollars worth of wine in his wine cellar and drinks the expensive stuff, and he told me after a big meal like this with multiple nice bottles of wine, you do not tip fully on the wine. Logic makes some sense, why should the waiter get another hundred bucks for the same effort simply because you happened to pick the expensive bottles?

But Mrs. O told me I was dead wrong on this.

By that logic, why should they get a bigger tip for a piece of fish and a glass of wine vs. a less expensive chicken dish and a glass of water?

 

[Ignoramus]

One thing I've always wondered, how much scratch do waiters at reasonably high end restaurants make? Say a typical meal is $50/person no booze. If the average table (which would include booze obviously) is $250 or so, and they have say 15675 tables per shift, at Oats magnanimous 18% they're pulling in $675/day in tips. I know they have to tip out some, but they're also getting a small hourly rate. Even if they tip out 1/4, that's still over $130k for a year.

Do they make this much or are weekdays so much slower than weekends that they don't have close to as many tables?

I'm sure they do a lot better than the waitress at your local diner does, but usually at nicer restaurants the pace is slower so the tables don't turn over as many times and the waiters have fewer tables and more "support" staff helping them out.

 

[dparker713]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

 

[Otis]

Of course you do. Why wouldn't you?

I recall being out at a work dinner with a wine nerd I work with, guy who has tens of thousands of dollars worth of wine in his wine cellar and drinks the expensive stuff, and he told me after a big meal like this with multiple nice bottles of wine, you do not tip fully on the wine.Logic makes some sense, why should the waiter get another hundred bucks for the same effort simply because you happened to pick the expensive bottles?

But Mrs. O told me I was dead wrong on this.

By that logic, why should they get a bigger tip for a piece of fish and a glass of wine vs. a less expensive chicken dish and a glass of water?

I get it, this is a fair point.

 

[Zow]

I don't even go to restaurants anymore.

I just mail waiters money every weekend.

Even though they'll still talk behind your back?

 

[Zow]

Of course you do. Why wouldn't you?

I recall being out at a work dinner with a wine nerd I work with, guy who has tens of thousands of dollars worth of wine in his wine cellar and drinks the expensive stuff, and he told me after a big meal like this with multiple nice bottles of wine, you do not tip fully on the wine.Logic makes some sense, why should the waiter get another hundred bucks for the same effort simply because you happened to pick the expensive bottles?

But Mrs. O told me I was dead wrong on this.

By that logic, why should they get a bigger tip for a piece of fish and a glass of wine vs. a less expensive chicken dish and a glass of water?

I actually have always found the logic behind tipping based off total bill to be somewhat silly, but hey it's how "we've always done it." So yeah I'd think you'd count the wine.

But, man, I gotta admit if it was a super fancy occasion and hypothetically speaking we splurged on like a 500 dollar bottle of wine and let's say the bill came out to $800, I'd have a tough time tipping $160 for one meal. But I think that's still the acceptable thing so it should just factor on whether to purchase the super fancy bottle or live with the still very enjoyable $80 bottle.

 

[Zow]

One thing I've always wondered, how much scratch do waiters at reasonably high end restaurants make? Say a typical meal is $50/person no booze. If the average table (which would include booze obviously) is $250 or so, and they have say 15675 tables per shift, at Oats magnanimous 18% they're pulling in $675/day in tips. I know they have to tip out some, but they're also getting a small hourly rate. Even if they tip out 1/4, that's still over $130k for a year.

Do they make this much or are weekdays so much slower than weekends that they don't have close to as many tables?

I knew some waiters in Vegas that work at the fancy restaurants and all were making over 80k/year easy. I think one guy even made like 120k - which made sense since he and his wife owned a condo right on the strip.

 

[kutta]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

Who would spend $500 or $1000 on a bottle of wine and then look like a cheap ### for not tipping on the whole thing? Makes even less sense.

 

[Ilov80s]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

Who would spend $500 or $1000 on a bottle of wine and then look like a cheap ### for not tipping on the whole thing? Makes even less sense.

It's like buying a Ferrari and then complaining how much insurance costs. That's part of the package, you knew that going in.

 

[Ilov80s]

One thing I've always wondered, how much scratch do waiters at reasonably high end restaurants make? Say a typical meal is $50/person no booze. If the average table (which would include booze obviously) is $250 or so, and they have say 15675 tables per shift, at Oats magnanimous 18% they're pulling in

By my math they would be making $700k a night. I just suspect you are overestimating how busy waiters actually are.

 

[The General]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

Who would spend $500 or $1000 on a bottle of wine and then look like a cheap ### for not tipping on the whole thing? Makes even less sense.

Perhaps they aren't concerned about the waiters opinion and are tipping on service provided.

 

[Fullback Fro]

What's up with 18%? People do that?

Just divide the total bill by 10, and double it.

Samesies

 

[kutta]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

Who would spend $500 or $1000 on a bottle of wine and then look like a cheap ### for not tipping on the whole thing? Makes even less sense.

Perhaps they aren't concerned about the waiters opinion and are tipping on service provided.

Perhaps they should follow social norms when eating out. Waiters have to tip out busboys and bar, and that is usually based on their sales. By not tipping them on the full amount, they could really end up getting screwed. If you don't want to tip on a bottle, buy it at the store and drink it on your back patio.

 

[The General]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

Who would spend $500 or $1000 on a bottle of wine and then look like a cheap ### for not tipping on the whole thing? Makes even less sense.

Perhaps they aren't concerned about the waiters opinion and are tipping on service provided.

Perhaps they should follow social norms when eating out. Waiters have to tip out busboys and bar, and that is usually based on their sales. By not tipping them on the full amount, they could really end up getting screwed. If you don't want to tip on a bottle, buy it at the store and drink it on your back patio.

The OP was talking about tipping fully on the meal and to a lesser degree on a couple of extremely expensive bottles of wine. It is not unreasonable to do this. He would not be "screwing" anyone by doing this. What if he drank no alcohol? Looking like a cheapskate is not what determines what I tip the waitstaff.

 

[kutta]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

Who would spend $500 or $1000 on a bottle of wine and then look like a cheap ### for not tipping on the whole thing? Makes even less sense.

Perhaps they aren't concerned about the waiters opinion and are tipping on service provided.

Perhaps they should follow social norms when eating out. Waiters have to tip out busboys and bar, and that is usually based on their sales. By not tipping them on the full amount, they could really end up getting screwed.If you don't want to tip on a bottle, buy it at the store and drink it on your back patio.

The OP was talking about tipping fully on the meal and to a lesser degree on a couple of extremely expensive bottles of wine. It is not unreasonable to do this. He would not be "screwing" anyone by doing this. What if he drank no alcohol?Looking like a cheapskate is not what determines what I tip the waitstaff.

If he drank no alchohol, the waiter would not be required to tip out on the alcohol sales, so no harm, no foul. Not sure I understand the question.

I just find it surprising that someone could afford a $1000 bottle of wine but doesn't want to tip out on it. There's just a disconnect there in my head.

 

[dparker713]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

Who would spend $500 or $1000 on a bottle of wine and then look like a cheap ### for not tipping on the whole thing? Makes even less sense.

Perhaps they aren't concerned about the waiters opinion and are tipping on service provided.

Perhaps they should follow social norms when eating out. Waiters have to tip out busboys and bar, and that is usually based on their sales. By not tipping them on the full amount, they could really end up getting screwed.If you don't want to tip on a bottle, buy it at the store and drink it on your back patio.

The social norm is to discount the tip on extremely expensive bottles of wine. So, there's that.

 

[kutta]

So people who can afford to order a $100 bottle of wine to accompany a nice dinner are really not going to tip 20 bucks on that bottle? What is wrong with you people?

Its not the $100 bottles where you generally change tipping. Its the expensive bottles.

Who would spend $500 or $1000 on a bottle of wine and then look like a cheap ### for not tipping on the whole thing? Makes even less sense.

Perhaps they aren't concerned about the waiters opinion and are tipping on service provided.

Perhaps they should follow social norms when eating out. Waiters have to tip out busboys and bar, and that is usually based on their sales. By not tipping them on the full amount, they could really end up getting screwed.If you don't want to tip on a bottle, buy it at the store and drink it on your back patio.

The social norm is to discount the tip on extremely expensive bottles of wine. So, there's that.

I think we hang in different social circles.

 

[bagger]

Settle a debate: you go to a nice restaurant and order a fancy bottle of wine or three over dinner. The wine is expensive by whatever metric you consider is expensive. Do you tip your 18% based on the total value of the check, or do you remove the cost of those several bottles of wine and then tip 18%?

TIA

tip on the whole check obviously.

 

[bagger]

What's up with 18%? People do that?

Just divide the total bill by 10, and double it.

this as well. I just tip 20% if I get good service.