Man Doesn't Tip on a Date Night Coffee Order, TikTok’s Divided

The general rule of thumb is if you can't afford to tip a waiter or waitress, then you probably shouldn't go out to eat in a restaurant where servers' livelihoods depend on tips, like at a lot of bars, lounges, and sit-down eateries.

However, there's a food service "grey area" like coffee shops and restaurants where you're picking up deliveries.

Many places of business almost always feature an option to leave a tip, but how much of a tip should one leave for a cup of coffee? An argument could be made that if a barista went through a lot of trouble to make your beverage, then they should be compensated for doing so.

The hourly wage of coffee shop employees ranges anywhere from $12 to $25 an hour, and their take-home pay isn't entirely decided by tipping, unlike a bartender or a waitress, so should you tip someone who is pouring you a hot cup of joe? Many would say that it's up to the individual and that there really isn't an expectation of gratuity.

However, TikToker @arjunloll didn't seem to think so.

"When he takes you for coffee but doesn't tip," Arjun wrote alongside a video of a man pressing "No Tip" on a coffee order, followed by a red flag emoji

What's probably the most interesting part of the video clip is that the machine seems to be set up to not even allow a "No Tip" option as the individual repeatedly taps it without any response on the Square pay machine terminal.

There were tons of commenters who thought that tipping for a cup of coffee wasn't expected of java-loving customers.

"Tip? The coffee is already $5," @iliterallydontcar3 wrote.

“Normalize hitting ‘No Tip,'” @ddeming8 quipped.

Baristas themselves came to the non-tipper's defense as well. @stfujoseph commented, "As a coffee barista, there’s no need to tip."

But there were some baristas, like @mirandarrados who said, "Being a barista, I feel we deserve tips." And then there were folks who couldn't understand why "Americans are so obsessed with tipping," as @zahraasena penned.

"The tipping culture in the U.S. is ridiculous. Pay your workers to do their job. It shouldn’t be on us to pay for our meals and their employees," @leoloverrr wrote.

But there were others who thought that due to the especially hard year service workers experienced due to a slew of mandates that adversely affected restaurants, cafes, and other dining establishments, tipping should have to happen. "Guys tip...been an extremely hard year for service workers," @iamshweta96 commented.

@Nancytoledo94 said, "Nah, y'all gotta tip if you can afford it."

Food Network also shared its thoughts on tipping baristas and coffee shop employees. Is it a requirement?

"Some people argue you should always tip. Many etiquette experts insist that tipping baristas, who in many states make at least minimum wage, unlike, say, bartenders, who are paid a 'server's wage' on the understanding that they will make up for it in tips, is not required."

The network continued, adding that etiquette experts, "also point out that it's a nice thing to do, especially when someone carefully traces a picture in your cappuccino foam and hands it to you with a smile, gracefully fulfills your complicated order, or adds a little extra whipped or other frothy accessory to make your day a little brighter."

What do you think? Was @arjunloll in the wrong for blasting their date for not tipping? Or is it just the kind thing to do, to at least leave a dollar or two to whoever is getting you your coffee?

And for real, why wasn't the "No Tip" button working?