We don't go out nearly as often for food/beverage now as compared to pre-COVID times. Pre-COVID it was about 3 times a week. Not to sit down restaurants, etc., but usually one of the local breweries (there are over 40+ within 10 miles of my house), some that have food in house, but most typical were food trucks (the brewery scene has created a lot of excellent food trucks).
I typically was a cash person, no tab, no forgetting to close it, leave my card, etc. (also didn't want an audit trail of how much I actually spent on beer) but I always tipped in cash (pitcher on the bar). You go to the bar, order your beer, pay and go back to your table. Beer tender typically got a 10 - 15% for pulling two beers and setting them in front of me.
At times, I would put it on a card, as I failed to stop at the ATM, or had family/friends I was treating, so they just put it on my tab. When closing my tab, it comes up with tip option. Usually 15%, 20%, or and amount. For bar service only, not table service, 15% is fine. (They need to make a decent living also). For sit down service, and good service, 20 - 25% minimum (I'm not a piker or an asshole)
Now some places "prefer" plastic I guess because of COVID, etc. so that's fine. I have noticed that the tip choices at some now start at 20%, perhaps a sign of some places are struggling to hire staff.
A couple of weeks ago we went to a brewery we had never been to in a different city, on a Friday evening. The place was crazy busy, 5 food trucks in the lot, tents for local artisans to sell their stuff (this was a week before Christmas), and I ran a tab. Every time I went back to the bar for more beer, the guy behind the bar remember my name for the tab. He also remembered my daughter was on my tab. (remember, we are all wearing masks). Yea, he got 25% when I settled the tab.
I typically was a cash person, no tab, no forgetting to close it, leave my card, etc. (also didn't want an audit trail of how much I actually spent on beer) but I always tipped in cash (pitcher on the bar). You go to the bar, order your beer, pay and go back to your table. Beer tender typically got a 10 - 15% for pulling two beers and setting them in front of me.
At times, I would put it on a card, as I failed to stop at the ATM, or had family/friends I was treating, so they just put it on my tab. When closing my tab, it comes up with tip option. Usually 15%, 20%, or and amount. For bar service only, not table service, 15% is fine. (They need to make a decent living also). For sit down service, and good service, 20 - 25% minimum (I'm not a piker or an asshole)
Now some places "prefer" plastic I guess because of COVID, etc. so that's fine. I have noticed that the tip choices at some now start at 20%, perhaps a sign of some places are struggling to hire staff.
A couple of weeks ago we went to a brewery we had never been to in a different city, on a Friday evening. The place was crazy busy, 5 food trucks in the lot, tents for local artisans to sell their stuff (this was a week before Christmas), and I ran a tab. Every time I went back to the bar for more beer, the guy behind the bar remember my name for the tab. He also remembered my daughter was on my tab. (remember, we are all wearing masks). Yea, he got 25% when I settled the tab.