Buying roasted coffee at a cafe, how to tip?

#1: Post by **SimonPatrice** » April 5th, 2014, 11:00 pm

This might sound like a silly question but when you go to a cafe and buy a bag of beans along with your cup of coffee, do you tip on the whole amount, on just the drink? How about when just buying beans?

I usually tip around 20-25% for my drink but am always unsure how to tip when buying beans as well.

Your thoughts?

#2: Post by **shawndo** » April 5th, 2014, 11:09 pm

I always err on the side of tipping too much.

#3: Post by **Marshall** » April 5th, 2014, 11:38 pm

Since there is essentially no service involved, I don't typically tip on beans. I way overtip on drinks.

April 6th, 2014, 1:03 am

I don't tip if I am just buying a bag, but will tip for drinks. If you are buying together then just tip what you would as if it was just the drink

#5: Post by **SlowRain** » April 6th, 2014, 2:02 am

Tip for a bag of roasted coffee beans the same amount you would for a loaf of bread.

#6: Post by **Gus** » April 6th, 2014, 5:51 am

I buy my roasted coffee from the shop that roasts it so I tip a dollar for every person standing behind the counter whether I'm just buying coffee or coffee and a drink. I don't much care about percentages or service involved. Every person working at the time I entered the shop helped make my coffee.

April 6th, 2014, 11:40 am

Wow! Very kind and generous of you.

I guess I take a stingier approach. If I'm just buying something to take out like that, I tip minimally if at all. I don't see why it's different from another retail store. Likewise when I do take-out from a restaurant. There was basically no service other than cashier service for which it isn't customary to tip. I do sometimes wonder what's to standard, though.

#8: Post by **TomC** » April 6th, 2014, 7:48 pm

Marshall wrote:Since there is essentially no service involved, I don't typically tip on beans. I way overtip on drinks.

+1

But I would love to see the guy doing all the sweating and lifting and work actually crafting the roast, get a bit of a gratuity from time to time. They don't get cut in on tips, but like you said, they aren't a "service" and they get paid more than the minimum wage that the food service employees do. But I bet in many cases, the small businesses, the roasters make very little money too.

#9: Post by **pShoe** » April 6th, 2014, 9:00 pm

Isn't it common for the owner to be the roaster for small businesses? Miami is hardly the center of specialty coffee, so I don't have many examples to go on.

April 6th, 2014, 9:23 pm

It's common, but far from universal. Even small shops with a roaster out on the floor seem able to hire and train someone to operate it.