How much do you tip at a restaurant? There’s no hard and fast rule for the amount to leave, but etiquette suggests tipping between 18% and 20% at sit-down restaurants and around 15% at casual ones. While tipping for restaurant service is expected in the U.S., not everyone follows the guideline, and a new report reveals where people are the best and worst tippers.
- The research from Toast, a restaurant point of sale system, analyzes data from 171-thousand restaurants across the country to see which states’ diners are tipping the most.
- It finds that tip habits nationwide haven’t really changed over the last few years. The average tip at both full-service and quick-service spots isn’t more than one percentage point different from what customers were tipping in 2018.
- So, which states are the biggest tippers? Delaware tops the list, with diners leaving an average of 22.5% at sit-down restaurants and 18.8% at quick-service spots.
- West Virginia comes in a close second, tipping an average of 21.4% for seated meals and 18.9% for quick-service restaurants.
- On the flip side, the state that tips the least is California, where the average is 17.7% at sit-down eateries and 14.8% at quick-service ones.
States With The Highest Rates Of Tipping
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- New Hampshire
- Indiana & Ohio & Wyoming (tie)
States With The Lowest Rates Of Tipping
- California
- District of Columbia
- Washington
- Nevada
- Florida
Source: Food and Wine