How Much To Tip?

In Canada, it seems to be customary to tip approximately 15% of the total bill before tax although this is not required. However if you receive exceptional service, some people show their gratitude by tipping more. Restaurants may include a mandatory tip with your bill (usually 18%) once the size of your group reaches around 6 or more people. So make sure you ask about this practice if you are making a reservation for a large party. Those who earn tips on a general basis, such as restaurant servers, generally earn around the minimum wage. In fact liquor servers tend to earn even less than servers who only serve food.

What Happens to Your Tip?

There are no laws around tipping or how tips are divided up by a business’ staff members. It is my understanding that some restaurants pool all tips together, give a portion to the support staff such as the cooks, buser or dishwashers, and then divide the remainder amongst the wait staff. Other restaurants allow a server to keep all of the tips they earn and pay a portion of that amount to the support staff. If you’re curious about where your tip is going, ask your server about how the restaurant’s tipping system works.

Of course it’s ultimately up to you to decide what you want to leave as a tip. Here’s our question to you: Do you always leave a tip no matter how satisfied you are with the services you received? Answer us on today's Facebook Poll!