dining plan tipping question

[jefftm]

I just made reservations and was able to get the free dining plan, never had it before. (I was a little surprised I
was able to get it for August.) What would an average bill for a party of 5 at a sit down meal and what would be a proper gratuity. Thanks

[PixieMagic]

Can't speak for a party of five but our party of two in 2006 on the free dining plan averaged 80-110 dollars per sit down meal...TG the dining plan was free!!! :number1:

[BigRedDad]

Tips are gratuitous. You tip based on how grateful you are for the service. I tip less at buffets than I do at actual table service meals. The reason is I do not feel as taken care of when someone simply fills my drink cup. If I am ordering a beer or cocktail, it will depend on how quickly they bring another when I ask. I find it takes a long while for a second drink to appear.

Tip what you feel is appropriate. If we did it like they did originally and how it was spoofed on Third Rock from the Sun, it would be much better.

[TheRustyScupper]

Customarily:
1) 5%-10% for buffets, based upon service.
2) 15%-18% for sit-downs.

[Tygger7]

Coming up with an "average" meal price for a party of 5 at a table service restaurant is tricky. I'm not sure where you're planning to eat, but for budgeting purposes I'd plan a minimum of $20 per person, which would make your bill(s) around $100. To be on the safe side, plan on roughly $25-30 per meal for tips and then adjust based on the service you receive. Personally, I always leave a standard 20% as long as the service is good....more if a server really goes out of their way.

A tip: there are menus with prices under Info Central here on Intercot. While the prices may have gone up since posted, it will still give you an idea of how to budget for tips.

Happy planning!! :marg:

[jefftm]

Thank you Rusty Scupper and Tygger7. The percentage is what I was basically looking for. The bill for a sit down could really add up and I should start to figure in the tips as a main part of the budget. Thanks again Jeff

[SFD998]

We always get a dining plan and one of the worst things they did was remove the included tip as part of the plan. Now you definitely have to budget for tips. It was much nicer not to have to worry about having the cash on hand to tip. We tip 20% unless the service is really poor and even then we still give 18%. Since we have prepaid for the sit down meal we always make sure to eat somewhere that gets us the most for our money. We are a party of 4. 2 adults and 2 kids. The bill before tip usually runs us between $100 and $120.