Tipping 20% on meals has become standard. But are restaurants being honest about what 20% really means?
Ask a dozen people, and you’ll get a dozen different answers about proper tipping etiquette. Some say that a 15% tip on the pre-tax total is more than enough. Others insist that one must always tip at least 20 or 25% on the post-tax total, while further diners say it’s occasionally justified not to leave a tip.
Sometimes, restaurants will try to ease the tip-calculation process by providing suggested tip amounts for customers. However, some people have questions about how accurate these calculations actually are.
What’s Wrong With This Dave & Buster’s Tip Calculation?
In a video with over 1.9 million views, TikTok user Opal (@stargirl3363) shows the payment terminal at a New York Dave & Buster’s location.
“So the bill is $158, and this is 20%,” Opal starts. The screen lists the total at $158.92, with tip options of 18, 20, and 22 percent. The 20 percent tip is given as $44.38.
“But when we do it on our calculations…” Opal continues. She then shows her phone, upon which she’s done a Google search for “whats 20 percent of 158.” The answer? $31.60—over $12 less than the 20% tip shown on the screen.
Eventually, Opal’s table decides to simply tip $20. The screen claims that this is just 9% of the total bill—even though it’s actually 12.6%.
Is Dave & Buster’s Scamming Customers With Tips?
It’s not exactly clear how Dave & Buster’s calculates its tip percentages. That said, internet users have repeatedly complained about apparent miscalculations.
For example, one Facebook user had a bill of $19.97. Their receipt suggested a “20% gratuity” of $10.25—over half of their bill.
A detailed bill breakdown posted to Reddit provides some insight into how the restaurant calculates tips. This post shows that the customers were recommended a “20% tip” of $15.16 on a $59.83 bill. The true 20% calculation is $11.97.
However, upon looking at the bill, it becomes clear that the restaurant calculated the tip on the taxed total before any discounts. In this case, the restaurant accidentally added an item, then removed it. This was registered in their system as a “discount.”
Despite never ordering the item, it was used to calculate the customers’ default tip options.
Do Other Restaurants Do This?
Dave & Buster’s isn’t alone in factoring discounted or removed items into its tip calculations.
For example, Chili’s diners have complained that the restaurants’ ordering system asks them to tip on free items or items that were purchased with Chili’s rewards.
While Chili’s has previously confirmed this practice in a statement, it does not appear that Dave & Buster’s has officially confirmed how their tips are calculated.
Neither restaurant has offered a justification for why these items should be included in tip calculations. That said, some commenters under Opal’s video had their own explanations.
“If you get a meal for free you still were served the same amount of food and drink you just paid less,” stated a user. “Most ppl would tip more.”
@stargirl3363 @Dave & Buster’s
Commenters Share Their Tipping Thoughts
In the comments section, users offered their own stories about tipping and how they choose what to give their servers.
“Keep it simple like me. I tip according to service and not what the screen dictates,” wrote a user.
“I always check. I’ve noticed lately the % is wrong. I just change it,” suggested another.
“I don’t keep 20% with really pricey food. it’s not more service to bring me one plate of ground beef vs wagyu steak,” stated a third. “above $20 tip, it’s about vibes.”
“I don’t tip on tax,” declared a further TikToker.
BroBible reached out to Dave & Buster’s and Opal via email.