Massachusetts diners are above-average restaurant tippers
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
The average extra tip given by Massachusetts restaurant patrons is just below the industry standard of 20%, but higher than the national average.
The intrigue: Bay Staters tipped 19.2% on average across all restaurants that use the Toast payment system for credit or debit transactions in the third quarter of 2023, according to an analysis conducted by the Boston-based company.
- Toast found the average Massachusetts tip is slightly higher, 20.1%, at full-service restaurants.
The big picture: Nationally, Toast tippers averaged 18.9% for both full-service and quick-service restaurants.
Why it matters: That rate held steady throughout the second half of the year, meaning restaurant workers aren't seeing a decline in tips at the same time inflation cools off.
- Another good sign for workers: the portion of people who pay with credit and debit cards and leave a tip has gone up from 64.7% to 66.6% since Q3 2021.
Yes, but we're cheapskates when tipping at quick-service restaurants, giving only 14.9% more on average.
- West Virginia is the quick-serve tipping capital, forking over an average of 19% at casual spots.
- Sit-down places in Indiana have the most generous customers at 21.2%.
At least Mass. beat out Connecticut, where diners give the country's lowest amount to quick-service restaurants: 14.8%
- The cheapest state for full-service restaurants was California, at 18%.
Our thought bubble: Now that Toast and other point-of-sale companies have made credit cards and the touch-screen-tip commonplace at vendors that didn't traditionally ask for gratuity, is the world a better place?
- Do you tip for coffee, baked goods or other quick food runs? We want to know! Reply and tell us your tipping philosophy.