Hi all!
It's my 50th post! Sorry I have been MIA. I have been working on finding a full time job (successful - I start Monday) and my computer with all my future blogs stored on it broke! Again. So, that's my excuse. But I will be doing the best I can in the future to add to this. I am going to be looking for a weekend job at a restaurant soon, I sort of miss the atmosphere. But enough about me!
Recently, I saw a blog from So you want to be a waiter about carry out orders and tipping. (You can find his link on my blog roll.. I'm not sure how to add a link to my posts. The article was about carry out food:
http://teleburst.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/why-should-i-tip-for-to-go-food-pt-1/
I agree with what he has said.. basically you should tip when you go for carry out.. at least something. I usually tip a little more than ten percent.
Carry out orders are the same as in house orders except that you don't refill their glasses. Really you take their order, put them in at the kitchen, gather the food and sauces together and make the transaction. It takes time, and most people don't like to do this job because they never get tipped out.
I will admit that before I waited tables, I didn't tip on carry out. I can imagine their scowls as I left the restaurant, annoyed that yet another customer came and left without acknowledging their hard work. But I didn't think about the work that went into it.
I'm wondering what other people do. Do you tip out carry out orders, and, if you do, how much on average? And those of you who have worked in a carry out position do you get paid minimum wage or do you get paid similar to other waiters, who rely mostly on tips for their wages. I know at my restaurant the waitresses took care of the carry out along with their other tables.
Please go and read So you want to be a waiter's blog on this topic it is much more articulate than my random rambling. He poses a much better argument than I am able to, so check it out:
http://teleburst.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/why-should-i-tip-for-to-go-food-pt-1/