Do you tip in this situation?

[asscherisme]

I took my kids to noodles and company for dinner last night. I have always done carry out but last night we ate in.

Its a place where you go to the counter and order but then when you pay, you get a number and you display it at your table and a server brings you your food. Then when you are done, you just leave your dishes and they clear them for you.

I have never been to a place like that. Its either pay for food at counter and bus your own table and clear dishes (like Panera) or waiter /waitress where of course you tip.

But when you are getting your food at a counter and prepaying for it, but then its served to you and cleared for you, do you tip?

I ended up leaving a tip because I felt you can''t be wrong by doing that, but I left l much less had it been a waiter/waitress situation. I left 10% but in a regular restaurant I would leave 20%.

What would you have done?

 

[Skippy123]

I tip but 10% - 15%, we have one here too.

 

[asscherisme]

Good, I"m glad I did the right thing. I found myself suddenly in an awkward postion as my kids and I were finsihing and I had no other adults to consult with! Cant exactly ask a 10 year old or a 5 year old "So what you think, should I tip?" The tip ended up being a little over 10% so it sounds about right.

Boy was the pad thai good! Noodles and company is a rare treat but we all enjoyed it! And it tasted better dining in and eating it when it was fresh rather than reheated at home.

 

[luckystar112]

The place you''re describing sounds a lot like Jason''s Deli. We never tip there. There is no waiter or waitress, just someone who drops off the food at our table. We get our own drinks/re-fills, they bus the table when we leave.

However, I did wonder what to do at another place we went to...
At this place you order and pay at the counter, get your own drink and sit at a table with your receipt. Then, a server comes to the table, grabs the receipt and confirms that the information on it is correct (I hope so, I just paid for it!). I assume they then put in your order. Then they bring out your food, ask if you''re okay, re-fill your drink, etc. Very bizarre. We do tip them.

 

[that_someone_special]

Weird! The one I''ve been to... NOT A SINGLE PERSON TIPS. I''ve never.. ever ever ever everrrr seen someone tip at a Noodles and Co, AND you never bus your own table. You pay up front, take a number then they rush your food to you. You eat, then leave. I swear, there is NOT a place to even put dishes if you wanted to!!!

I''m in MN btw

 

[Elmorton]

The Pad Thai is VERY yum. I love it - and I never even bother with adding the protein. It's just good on it's own. And I can't resist their flatbread or the rice krispies, though I try.

While typically, I say yes, you still tip somewhere like a buffet if your food is served/bussed, I've never tipped at noodles partly for reason Swedish Bean described - ours is usually so crowded that people sit down the second you stand up from your table! I don't think it lends itself to the tipping because you're not actually seated by anyone, thus your busser isn't keeping an eye on the tables to even collect a tip. Also, the wait staff is actually a revolving cashier/manager/prep cook, so they're probably getting paid a full wage, as no one is actually designated a server there.

Is there even a tips cup at the register??

 

[vip0802]

Date: 9/18/2009 10:17:51 PM
Author:asscherisme

But when you are getting your food at a counter and prepaying for it, but then its served to you and cleared for you, do you tip?


I ended up leaving a tip because I felt you can''t be wrong by doing that, but I left l much less had it been a waiter/waitress situation. I left 10% but in a regular restaurant I would leave 20%.


What would you have done?

oh, i LOVE Noodles & Co.!!!

i would''ve done (and always do) the same thing you did. i may be a little biased since i bartend & waitress, but even at places like Starbucks or just picking up some take-out, i always leave a tip. it might not be as much as i would normally leave at a regular restaurant, but at least it''s a little something. i know it always makes me smile when someone leaves me a tip for take-out!

 

[ckrickett]

we have something like that and yes we do tip 15%.. altho we do get our drinks they do bring us our food and they will offer to get us our drinks/box out leftovers/take away dirty plates even tho they don''t have to.

I was also a server/bartender for a long time and I always tip something.

 

[KatyWI]

Date: 9/18/2009 11:40:35 PM
Author: swedish bean
Weird! The one I''ve been to... NOT A SINGLE PERSON TIPS. I''ve never.. ever ever ever everrrr seen someone tip at a Noodles and Co, AND you never bus your own table. You pay up front, take a number then they rush your food to you. You eat, then leave. I swear, there is NOT a place to even put dishes if you wanted to!!!


I''m in MN btw

I haven''t been to Noodles & Co. in about forever, but if I remember correctly, there''s a big sign that explains how it works, and it specifically requests that you don''t tip! So even though I''ve waited tables and hate to not leave a tip, they demand that you don''t! I don''t even know if they have a plan in place in case people do... if it were my store, I''d just put it all into a pool for an employee get-together or something.

 

[April20]

I don't tip in a situation like this more than a dollar or two unless they've refilled my drink or brought me something we've needed. I do like to leave a little something if they're bussing the table. To me, it's really not that different from eating in a Wendy's or similar. I wouldn't tip there at all.

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 9/19/2009 10:19:54 AM
Author: April20
I don''t tip in a situation like this more than a dollar or two unless they''ve refilled my drink or brought me something we''ve needed. I do like to leave a little something if they''re bussing the table. To me, it''s really not that different from eating in a Wendy''s or similar. I wouldn''t tip there at all.

Ditto.

 

[Cehrabehra]

For me it depends on the service... there are a lot of places like this out in the world and some people will just put your food off and go, some will come ask if everything is okay, some are more pleasant... and there is a feel to it too. I don''t leave 20% but sometimes I leave nothing and sometimes I do. Sometimes I just give it to the busboy lol

 

[jewelerman]

I was raised in the restaurant/hotel trade and according to my parents and several other friends who own restaurants.The type of establishment you discribed is tip optional and there is no exact expectation.For me, i dont tip unless there is a server involved that takes my order after ive been seated and goes through the traditional eating experiance.Just because an establishment has an employee clear my plates when i leave dosnt qualify for an extra 10-20%on the bill...this should be a part of the eating experiance so i will return to eat there again.When You eat at an establishment that has you order and pay at the same time a tip is not expected in most situations, no should there be that expectation when there is so little hands on customer/employee service and involvement.

 

[AprilBaby]

Nope, no tip.

 

[MonkeyPie]

How do you think the bussers get paid?

 

[atroop711]

yes I''d leave a little something

 

[IloveAsschers13]

Date: 9/19/2009 10:01:07 AM
Author: KatyWI

Date: 9/18/2009 11:40:35 PM

Author: swedish bean

Weird! The one I''ve been to... NOT A SINGLE PERSON TIPS. I''ve never.. ever ever ever everrrr seen someone tip at a Noodles and Co, AND you never bus your own table. You pay up front, take a number then they rush your food to you. You eat, then leave. I swear, there is NOT a place to even put dishes if you wanted to!!!



I''m in MN btw

I haven''t been to Noodles & Co. in about forever, but if I remember correctly, there''s a big sign that explains how it works, and it specifically requests that you don''t tip! So even though I''ve waited tables and hate to not leave a tip, they demand that you don''t! I don''t even know if they have a plan in place in case people do... if it were my store, I''d just put it all into a pool for an employee get-together or something.

Ditto- they specifically ask you not to tip at this place. We have on in my town at home and at school and when they give you the food they say please don''t tip, we don''t accept them. This isn''t a normal restaurant with a waiter/waitress.

 

[LadyBlue]

Date: 9/19/2009 5:52:20 PM
Author: jewelerman
I was raised in the restaurant/hotel trade and according to my parents and several other friends who own restaurants.The type of establishment you discribed is tip optional and there is no exact expectation.For me, i dont tip unless there is a server involved that takes my order after ive been seated and goes through the traditional eating experiance.Just because an establishment has an employee clear my plates when i leave dosnt qualify for an extra 10-20%on the bill...this should be a part of the eating experiance so i will return to eat there again.When You eat at an establishment that has you order and pay at the same time a tip is not expected in most situations, no should there be that expectation when there is so little hands on customer/employee service and involvement.

ditto

 

[marcy]

At a restaurant like that (and I do love Noodles & Co) I don''t generally tip. Some of the places like that have a tip jar at the register and I will tip there.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

No, I wouldn''t tip.

There are a bunch of places around here like that, Noodles & Co being one of them. I generally don''t tip. I mean, in general, the "bussers" aren''t doing much and I never really benefit from their service, so why would I tip?

I do, however, tip at a buffet where we have a "server" who refills drinks and clears plates. But to me, thats more or less working for the money--there is a huge impact on my meal based on how they are doing their job. In Las Vegas, we ate at a lot of buffets and there was a decent amount of us dining--dirty plates added up quickly and became land mines if they weren''t cleared. If the server was on his/her A-game, I rewarded that. I tip at Starbucks willingly. I tip at the local Mexican place we eat.

 

[gwendolyn]

Yeah, I leave some money as a tip at those types of places, but not as much as I would at a proper sit-down restaurant.