Do you enjoy going out to eat at local restaurants? Do you continue to leave a generous tip?
Even as inflation continues to rise and restaurant menu prices increase, customers are not pulling back on tips for wait staff and cashiers. According to a report by Toast News, restaurant staff are generally tipped 19.6% for a full-service experience while 16.9% is average for a fast food restaurant.
The report gathered data from 68,000 locations and Toast found that inflation does not seem to be impacting the rate at which customers are compensating their servers.
Although inflation is pressuring household budgets, fast food chains have noticed that lower-income customers have been spending less money at their locations while higher-income consumers visit their locations more frequently.
Full-service restaurants reported that they have noticed no change in spending habits or even a change in customers’ willingness to pay for more expensive options.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost for consumers to eat away from home increased by 7.6% over a 12-month span. This explains why customers may choose not to eat outside of their homes. However, there is not enough evidence to show that inflation is impacting the spending habits of consumers for those who choose to eat out.
If you do choose to eat out, please continue to compensate servers with a generous tip. If you are unable to do so, consider a location where a tip is not required, or use a facility with a drive-through. Workers are depending upon tips to help them meet their increasing living expenses.
