I don’t have a lot of money but I generally tip when I order something that takes work to make–i.e. a latte or a mocha or some such drink where the barista has to do some work. Or if I order something that they have to heat up and bring out to me then I tip.

If I just order coffee that they already have made and they just pour it in a cup and hand it to me, I generally don’t tip. If they give me coin change back, I’ll put the change if its significant (50-75 cents) in the jar. If you use the same rules you would at a restaurant, 15-20% tip, 50 to 75 cents on a $2.50 drink is more than fair. If I order something that takes more work, then I tip $1.

I doubt that these seminary students are trying to be cheap they probably just don’t see Coffee shops as a necessary place to tip. If I am honest part of the reason I often tip at the coffee shop I go to is because they know I am a pastor there and I want to build relationships with them for the sake of the gospel.

Anyway, just thought I would ask what proper coffee shop tipping is?

I certainly do not want to take pride in being “Odd for God” but it certainly is my aspiration to “winsomely different” what I wish the barista, waiter, or the convenience store clerk to say “I wish more people were like him” who knows if we ever might get an opportunity to share why we are eternally grateful that Christ has redeemed our wrecked and ruined life.

Again, the Great Apostle Paul:

For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”

And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”

And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:8-13

I believe we are all in agreement that we must all represent the Lord Jesus well. What we are trying to determine at this point is whether that necessarily means coffee baristas who don’t rely on tips for their wage (that is … they get paid at least minimum wage, but most frequently far above minimum wage, and their wage is thus never ‘dependent’ on tips), whether such coffee baristas have the right to expect tips from everyone in the same way that waiters and waitresses do. If it is unreasonable for them to expect such tips, then the Christian shouldn’t necessarily be shamed for not giving them. If such tips are reasonable to “expect” (not just hope for) then Christians, it seems to me, should be ashamed for being so abnormal in the tipping culture by not tipping when everyone else does.

Bradley

Bradley

There is only one point in this discussion. Christian People must represent the Lord Jesus well.

Seminarians in particular (I attended MBTS in KC as well) must not provide an easy excuse for others to blaspheme God. “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Consider what Paul wrote:

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:9-21

Bradley

A caveat or two: I tip, fairly well and somtimes very well at coffee shops. I probably do it motivated by guilt or some unspoken/unseen sense of pressure.

The last time I heard this argument play out I thought about it a lot because I hadn’t ever really tipped at coffee shops before and I certainly didn’t want to be a bad witness, come off like an ungrateful jerk, or whatever else not tipping a barista implies. End result, I now tip at coffee shops.

As I processed the issue though, I couldn’t help but think of my ice cream “barista” at Dairy Queen. Why didn’t I tip him/her? They do such a good job of carefully blending my ice cream and heath crunch. Their skill at using that cool blender that reminds me of a boat prop is always impressive. They are so skillful in their work they even deliver it to me upside down with great flare and elan. I am confident that these workers are paid very little, probably minimum wage or there abouts. So, why don’t I tip them? Is what they do that different from my faithful coffee server? (Certainly not at SB’s where it’s simply about pushing a button or two). BTW, if a get a latte at McD’s, I probably won’t tip either. I guess I don’t tip in these places, because it’s not expected. There is not some unwritten, moral imperative that indicates that a lack of tip means a callous, uncaring heart. It is a part of the chic coffee culture, so apparently we will have to deal with it. Better coffee (or ice cream?) + cool environment + indie music = you better tip. So, I guess, if I want a really good coffee (local not national) then I’ll bow to the pressure, show the love and drop my tip. If I can afford the cup, I can afford the change.

BTW, unrelated to that above, if you go to a restaurant, cafe, or shop and take up space for an extended period of time which might result in other customers not coming in or not spending as much, then you should tip to help compensate. In that scenario it is the only classy thing to do.

Below are some possible times when a tip may deem appropriate in a coffee shop:

1)If I’m ordering a personally specialized coffee then a tip may be appropriate in this case. This actually could make for a good relationship between you and the barista if you order enough he/she could already start making it for you before you ask. A tip…oh yes appropriate. Gospel opportunities here…

2)If you are in a big enough group and want to show your thanks.

3)If you are waiting in line and you see that they are busy and/or if you can tell whether or not the barista is frustated, which I have seen on occasion.

4)If you are ordering a number of drinks at once.

5)If it’s Christmas… My wife and I tip at least 20% most times more when we eat out. During holiday seasons we try to tip even more. For coffee shops I would tip more than usual and if you don’t normally tip then I would go ahead and tip anyways.

Students are definitely some of the subgroups in America, which include Christians. Should Christians tip more…maybe…if they have enough to tip and they should in proportion to the type of dinner ($) they are getting. If you can’t afford to tip at Ruth’s Chris then settle for Outback.

Now on Christian’s attitudes (restaurants and coffee shops) it is one of the most disturbing and frustrating things to see especially working on a Sunday when Christians come with horrible and demanding attitudes. It totally ruins a Christians testimony not necessarily to me but to my unsaved co-workers. There have been times I’ve wanted to publicly rebuke people but of course never have at least in the context of work.

Although it is debatable whether Christians should be held at a higher standard for tipping at coffee shops there certainly should be a higher standard for a Christians attitude toward those who are serving themin both the context of coffee shops and restaurants. It is representative of Christ’s love.

Whoops…sorry I didn’t mean to make this so long.