TIPPING POINT

Frustrated Diners Are Tipping at the Lowest Rate in Years

Rising prices and ubiquitous requests for tips have diners feeling less generous.

Restaurant prices have gone up, quality has stayed the same, and servers are paying the price, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal. Tips are at their lowest levels in at least six years, according to restaurant payment system Toast. After peaking at 19.9 percent in early 2021, when Americans were just grateful that restaurants had reopened following COVID-19 lockdowns, average tips are now 19.3 percent, the Journal reports. Another survey from the technology company Popmenu found that 62 percent of diners tipped less than 20 percent, compared to just 44 percent in 2021. Experts blame mandatory gratuities and service fees, which have resulted in some diners tipping less, and menu prices, which have spiked in recent years. “Instead of that second or third drink, people will go home” said Andrea Hill, director of operations for HMC Hospitality Group, which operates Hooters restaurants in Chicago. “Our servers are making less per table.” Diners are also tired of being asking for tips in places that were previously off-limits, such as airport concession and gas stations. With the service fees in particular, tipping feels “superfluous,” one diner said.