I’ve Been Tipping My Servers a Little Bit More Than Usual

Tipping has always been a sensitive subject for our servers but I think we can all agree we have to take care of those that are taking care of us.

I'm one of those people that when we could go and enjoy outdoor seating, I called and booked reservations right away. It was tough to go from eating out several times a week to cooking at home for every meal.

Hopefully, I'm not alone on this but the handful of times I have gone out to eat in the last few weeks, I have found myself being a little more generous with the tip. My rationale was that many of the servers had been out of work for months and are probably not getting half as many tables as they are used to having. Some were also making more staying at home through the added unemployment benefit, sure, but I think most were probably struggling.

While I'm so fortunate to not only have kept one job but two during this pandemic, I know many have been home not only wondering how they will pay their bills but also stressing over their future.

Most restaurants are opening their doors to limited seating and also shortening their operating hours, so just because servers are back to work doesn't mean the struggle is over.

It may not be much but adding a few more dollars to the traditional 20 percent will add up if everyone does it.

So my rule of thumb is if I can swing it, I add five dollars to the tip.

Have you been doing a little something extra for your servers when you head out on the SouthCoast?