Philadelphia Magazine

Tipping

Food and drink at Sonny's Cocktail Joint in Philadelphia, which already has an auto-gratuity policy. Will more Philadelphia restaurants add an auto-gratuity to all checks during the World Cup in Philadelphia?
Restaurants

Should Philly Restaurants Add Auto-Gratuity During the World Cup?

       Listen to the audio edition here: Over the course of 39 days in June and July, amid all of our semiquincentennial festivities, more […]

A credit card slip from John Henry's Pub, a restaurant in Ardmore. The customer who signed it was apparently unhappy that his server had asked him to wear a mask while not seated. (Photo via John Henry's Pub)
Restaurants

Please Don’t Stiff Your Servers After They Ask You to Wear a Mask

I’m sure that a lot of you have been overtipping at restaurants during COVID. I know that’s what I’ve been doing. But some people… well, […]

Restaurants

Martha Is Eliminating Tipping. What Does That Mean?

On Monday, June 15th, Martha reopened in Kensington for outdoor dining, offering high-quality food and drinks made from locally sourced ingredients, just like before the […]

comcast tip belgian cafe lisa sloat
Restaurants

A Comcast Exec Left This Philly Bartender a $1,000 Tip on a $47 Check

When an NFL star left a 20-cent (as opposed to 20 percent) tip at P.Y.T. in 2014, I exposed his utter rudeness. And when a […]

Restaurants

When Did Tipping Your Barista Get So Damn Complicated?

A cup of drip coffee in the city goes for about $2 now — which already feels like a lot of money for what is […]

City Life

Bartenders at Pink Show in A.C. Believe Thousands in Tips Went Missing

Last week, tens of thousands of Pink fans crammed onto the Atlantic City beach for a concert by the Grammy-winning singer. With tickets priced at […]

Business

Uber Adds Tipping in Philly, but the Option Won’t Save the Company

On Friday, Uber’s new tipping feature rolled out to users in the Philadelphia region as part of the company’s “180 Days of Change” campaign, an […]

Shoppist

Say It Ain’t So: Automatic Spa Gratuities Are Becoming a Thing

Recently, a very good friend gave my wife a gift card to the luxurious Rittenhouse Spa inside the also luxurious Rittenhouse Hotel. But instead of […]

City Life

It’s Almost Christmas. Should You Tip Your Uber Driver?

I like to consider myself a pretty good tipper. Then again, I suspect tipping is like sex and dancing — everyone walks through this world […]

Restaurants

Bad Bar People #2: The Lousy Tipper

Last week, we introduced you to our new series Bad Bar People by investigating the scourge known as The Jukebox Violator. This week, in honor […]

City Life

Music Venue Stirs Controversy By Letting Customers Add Tips for Live Music

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about tipping, first with prolific restaurateur Danny Meyer — he of Shake Shack fame — declaring that he […]

Restaurants

William Street Common’s Tipping Policy Makes MSNBC

MSNBC files a report on Avram Hornik’s William Street Common, the recently opened restaurant at 39th and Chestnut that adds a flat 20% service fee to […]

City Life

Abolish Tipping? The Practice Should Actually Be Expanded

You fly to Chicago. Your hotel has a courtesy shuttle that picks you (and a few other people) up at the airport. The driver has […]

Restaurants

Lawsuit: Caribou Cafe Owner Took Employee Tips, Failed to Pay Overtime

Longtime Walnut Street restaurant Caribou Cafe has been hit with a lawsuit filed in Philadelphia’s federal court. In the filing, five employees claim that the […]

Shoppist

Your No-Stress Holiday Tipping Guide

I’ll save the line about how the holidays cause anxiety, because duh. But, according to our experts, figuring out how much to give to those […]