Restaurant Week in Chicago runs February 20-27, and while this offers fantastic deals for diners, I can not stress the importance of not skimping on the tip. This also counts for the coupons that restaurants hand out during the “slow season” or discounts from fun sites like Restaurant.com and others.
As former server in the industry, I can attest to the fact that a pre fixe menu or any type of deal for customers means a lower tip percentage with more work involved. I encourage you to always take advantage of these amazing deals in the city, especially in a down economy, but make sure you recognize what service you are getting. These deals can often include additional food or drinks for you which can keep your server even more on their toes.
In these instances I recommend you base your tip on what the meal should have cost, not what the final bill says. Your server will still put in the full effort for your discounted meal. Obviously bad service is a different scenario, but if service was up to par then there is no reason to short your server on a tip.
If you are leery of presenting a coupon or mentioning a deal let me put you at ease. Most servers are thrilled to see a larger crowd, so they will not think any differently of you if you use a coupon. Make sure to let them know as soon as possible that you are planning to use it. Telling your server at the beginning of the meal that you plan to use a coupon may save quite a bit of hassle later on when it’s time for the bill.
No matter what your personal beliefs on tipping are percentage-wise, understand that even if you are offered a discount that does not mean servers are earning any different wages. I strongly believe tipping is a part of Karma, so make sure you are putting good vibes out there!
