Do you give a tip for a to go order that you go in and pick up?

Yes. I like my food without spit.

Usually. If there’s a tip jar on the counter, I might leave a token buck, but never the 20% routinely given to a delivery person. But there are many variables to that rule. For example, if you arrive at the restaurant to pick up your food and the counter person pulls a waitress from her rounds to fetch your stuff, I figure the waitress has “earned” a tip. And I make a point of giving it to her personally.

I usually put $5 in the tip jar if there’s one available.

Sometimes I also leave the following meta tip: transfer your tips from the jar, just in case a tip thief runs in.

10%

I tip generously for table service. but not at all for takeout.

Maybe I should start throwing a buck in there.

Last week in fact, I was craving the pasta from a particular pizza shop in the neighborhood. Ordinarily, I would order the food then pick it up, since i want my fettucini steaming hot. But this time, I thought I might risk delivery and then a dose from the microwave. So when prompted on “pickup or delivery?”, I inquired if there was a fee, and if so, was it given to the driver. I was surprised at “yes there’s a fee and no it does not go to the driver.” I hopped in the van, drove the 6 blocks and risked double parking on Mission. I stood before the counter, staring at the tip jar, actually unable to decide what to do.

And… what did you do?

80% of the time I do. I don’t do it if I know the money goes to the management rather than the staff. I ask sometimes to find out. You would be surprised how often the staff doesn’t get to keep the tip. Really pisses me off.

2 bucks in the jar. I mean whose fault is it? What would I be protesting?

As someone who has worked as a waiter/server/busser/host, yes. Even a little bit can make the difference between a shitty day in a tip reliant job and an okay day.

Sometimes to be nice I do, especially if it’s a place I frequent or that knows me well, but I don’t feel obligated to for a to go order. However almost anywhere has a tip jar these days. Like all those drive thru coffee places even.

No, because it seems illogical and never occurred to me, though apparently it makes sense to some people. I thought tips were for service that I’d be doing myself if I picked it up. After all, if I get it delivered, the tip goes to the driver; and if I eat in, it goes to the waiter, and in neither case do I also give a tip at the register, so it seems weirdly imbalanced to give a tip when I pick up. Also much less reason then to go pick something up myself or take out rather than expecting service.

I don’t.. And if I go to something like IHOP I generally tip around 50%.

I think my reasoning is that tossing it in a jar is for the most part anonymous. And to be honest I tip well to be noticed.

No. That’s one of the few times that I don’t tip. Where’s the server? Where’s the service? Cooks always made good wages when I was a server. They didn’t live on tips like we did. And they didn’t have to give impeccable service to get them, either.

Well, we give chef the night off & send Carstairs out with chauffeur to pick up.
Only tip, if the food comes back in any condition but piping hot then one of them is fired.

What is the rational for tipping on a takeout order?

Tipping is to reward the server for their service. On a takeout, you didn’t have a server and you received no service.

Aw, what the hell. I’m already spending north of $20.00 for a pizza with toppings, what’s another buck or two in the old tip jar ?

Besides, as @RedDeerGuy1 pointed out, it can also be thought of as “no-spit” insurance….

I don’t for pick up.

I tip if I order it and go pick it up and they bring it out to the car. If I have to go in and get it, no.
I also don’t tip if I order it to go inside at the time of purchase usually.

No.

Meh, not usually. If I have some leftover cash after paying, I might drop it in the tip jar, though, especially if I really like the place. I tend to see tips as something for service, and you don’t really get service when you order to-go. I mean, my friend who works at a burrito place doesn’t expect tips for to-go orders. The tip jar is there if you’re feeling generous, though.