News

Actions

Is Richmond really one of the best tipping towns in America?

Posted at 11:27 AM, Apr 08, 2014
and last updated 2014-04-08 11:59:27-04

RICHMOND, Va (WTVR) – How much do you tip your server when you go out to eat? Fifteen percent? Twenty percent? More? While Richmond is gaining a reputation as an up and coming foodie town, it seems RVA is also home to some pretty good tippers.

A new survey by GrubHub, an online food ordering website, ranked Richmond as #5 on its list of big cities that tip.

Big Cities: Highest-Tipping

  1. Memphis – 17.4 percent average tip
  2. New Orleans – 16.1 percent average tip
  3. Denver – 15.7 percent average tip
  4. Louisville – 15.7 percent average tip
  5. Richmond – 15.4 percent average tip
  6. Cincinnati – 15.2 percent average tip
  7. Oklahoma City – 15.2 percent average tip
  8. Indianapolis – 15 percent average tip
  9. Dallas – 15 percent average tip
  10. Columbus – 14.9 percent average tip

Now before you go calling your friends around the country bragging about how awesome your city tips its servers, it is important to note that the stats and rankings are based on GrubHub orders processed between March 2013 and March 2014.

So the fact you go out and drop a 30 percent tip at a downtown restaurant does not count.

While GrubHub would not tell me how many orders were placed in Richmond during that time frame, a spokeswoman did say more than 80 local restaurants are available through the online ordering service.

The lowest tipping cities, according to GrubHub, were:

Big Cities: Lowest-Tipping

  1. Riverside, Calif. – 12.9 percent average tip
  2. Sacramento – 13.2 percent average tip
  3. Buffalo – 13.2 percent average tip
  4. Rochester, NY – 13.4 percent average tip
  5. San Jose, Calif. – 13.5 percent average tip
  6. Chicago – 13.6 percent average tip
  7. Las Vegas – 13.6 percent average tip
  8. Miami – 13.6 percent average tip
  9. Milwaukee – 13.7 percent average tip
  10. San Antonio – 13.8 percent average tip

“While we can’t draw conclusions from our data, we did notice some interesting trends when looking at the city and state tip rankings,” a GrubHub spokeswoman said. “Budgets can be really tight for cost-conscious college students, so it makes sense that many of the lowest-tipping cities happen to be college and university towns.”

Richmonder servers can rejoice in the fact that perhaps the city’s Rams, Spiders, and Panthers are bucking that trend.

Tell us what you think about tipping in Richmond. Click here to email us your thoughts or click here to leave a note on the WTVR CBS 6 News Facebook page.

We may use your comments on the news.