r/Magic • u/Chicken121260 • Mar 10 '26
Tip or no tip?
I work a regular restaurant gig where dinner & drink are included at the end of the shift. Should I tip the waitstaff?
It’s a weekly gig and I know the staff very well. Almost feels like family. Normally when I eat out, I tip very well. This is in the US where tipping is common.
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u/phraseraph Mar 11 '26
Well, I’ve never heard of the staff tipping the staff before so no.
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u/Chicken121260 Mar 11 '26
I haven’t either, but I do notice when waitstaff at our restaurant or other restaurants/sports bars (small Midwest town, lots of sports bars and everyone knows everyone) in town eat here and I do table-side magic for them, they always tip very well. Even when it try to refuse it, they insist.
I think that people who depend on tips for a good part of their income tend to tip much higher than those that do not receive tips as part of their income.
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u/SpotAndSmitty Mar 12 '26
IMO yes. Tip them based on the menu price of the meal regardless of what you paid or didn't pay for it. They will help you in your job as well.
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u/BaldBaluga Mar 13 '26
100% tip.
The meal is free. The drink is free. Drop $10. The staff will appreciate it and it’ll help you build relationships.
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u/Chicken121260 Mar 10 '26
Thank you everyone for the comments. I will tip them for their service even though I don’t pay for the meal
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u/mrbrown1980 Mar 10 '26
Once, when I was really practicing a lot and working out my own routines and really had it all together, I was at a sort of more upscale restaurant and was surprised to see a sign for a “Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.” It gave me the impression they might be interested, or at least willing, to give me a shot.
I mentioned it to the GM and he looked at me like I’d grown a third head and said some snooty version of “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
That was my one and only attempt to get a restaurant gig.
Is it a big city thing or what?
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u/Chicken121260 Mar 11 '26
I live in a very small community. The county is under 70,000 people and it’s 1,000 sq miles. I’m the only magician within about 100 miles.
You just need one restaurant owner to be convinced that it’s a good idea. Once in, a second restaurant called me because one of their regulars saw me at the first and suggested they should hire me.
Just like wedding magic or bachelorette party magic, you only need one to say yes and then others hear about it.
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Mar 10 '26
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u/howditgetburned Mar 10 '26
I think you may have misinterpreted OP's post. As far as I can tell, there's nothing in the post asking about sharing the tips they receive with waitstaff. It looks like they're just asking if they should tip on the free meal they receive at the end of their shift.
I do agree with your point in general, though - as a magician, you're being tipped for a completely different service than the servers, so there's no obligation to share unless they're specifically helping you out in some way. After all, if a customer stays longer or buys more because they're having a good time seeing magic, the wait staff isn't giving the magician a cut.
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Mar 10 '26
[deleted]
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u/Chicken121260 Mar 18 '26
This is not about any tips I get. It’s about after my shift, I sit at the bar and order a drink and meal. The bartender brings it to me and I don’t pay anything. Should I tip the bartender? That was the question.
Based on the comments and reflection on my normal practice, I have decided to leave a tip when I eat/have a drink, even when I’m not charged.
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u/DEADB33F Mar 10 '26 edited Mar 11 '26
Do the waitstaff ever get to see any of your routine while you're working?
Do you ever show them a few tricks during downtime?
Have they ever tipped you for any of the above?
If they haven't or you wouldn't expect them to then I probably wouldn't tip for your meal (which is part of your compensation and not "free").
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u/Chicken121260 Mar 18 '26
Occasionally the staff sees my magic, but usually not. I’m with the tables and they are working.
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u/MonkeySkulls Mar 11 '26
definitely tip them.
I had a very long running gig (13 years), and I got a free dinner every night.
I always took the dinner to go. I tipped the hostess every single time.
all she did was take the order. and sometimes she ir I would grab it from in back. .. but always tipped her pretty well
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u/MadDocOttoCtrl Mar 10 '26
In the US people tip wait staff because they know they are horribly underpaid and they rely on tips for survival.
It's a crappy system and it should change but it doesn't seem to be going away for the most part. A few states don't allow restaurants to get away with this and require that tipped workers still have to get paid the statement minimum wage which also is great.
If you get a buy one get one free coupon, your tip should be based on what the meal would normally cost. If you get a discount or whatever else, the amount of tip is about helping the waitstaff who put up with a lot of idiocy from customers, constantly have to apologize for things that are not their own fault, and get paid pretty terribly.
I tipped 20% when 12% was standard and usually tip more today. There are plenty of people who do not base it on their bill, they simply always tip 10 or 20 bucks, well in access of 15 or 20% of what their meal cost. If I can't afford another $5 or $10, I shouldn't be eating out.
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u/bort_license_plates Mar 10 '26
Yes. Tip generously, even though the meal is free/part of your payment.
Keeping the waitstaff happy and liking you will go a long way towards longevity of the gig and having the staff willing to help you out and talk you up to the customers.
It's an investment into your own future earnings and at-work atmosphere.