Tipping

Living Wage Certified

We want our guests to know, that as a living wage certified business, all of our staff are being compensated at a living wage. Meaning, they do not depend on tips to bring them up to a reasonable hourly wage. Living Wage is based on the cost of living in an area and varies based on many factors. You can read more about the Living Wage Movement by visiting the Just Economics website.

That being said, some guests still like to tip the servers who have helped make their event a success. So we are offering the guidelines below.

Covid Update

Tipping has become trickier due to Covid-19. Cash is not as attractive as it used to be. We encourage clients to tip via Honeybook so that your tip can be added directly to their paycheck. There will be a line item to let them know that you appreciated their service.

Other options include Venmo and Paypal. To utilize these methods the host would need to download these apps to their mobile devices and make sure you have your servers’ usernames. All in all, unless you are a digital native, or are only hiring one bartender, we think the Honeybook option is probably the easiest method. If you find you want to tip and you have already paid via Honeybook, we encourage you to either send a check to the office, or utilize Venmo or Paypal. Office Staff is happy to help you connect to your server’s accounts if needed.

Tipping Bar & Wait Staff

Our Bar & Wait Staff work hard, and often go above and beyond to make your event special. Our recommendation for Wait Staff is to tip as you would at a restaurant: 15-20% of your bill. Since our invoices are itemized it is easy to determine the amount paid for the captain and waiters, divide by the number of waiters and determine the appropriate percentage.

When to Tip

Many clients will tip at the end of an event. Simply give the tip to the Captain and they can split it between the waiters. We recommend tipping the bar separately. You may also send a tip to the office for distribution to the staff if the evening gets away from you. Maybe you forget the envelope in your hotel room (nerves!). We give 100% of the tip to the staff from your event and can split it as directed. You may also decide to tip preemptively through our booking site, Honeybook. When you make your final payment there will be an option to add gratuity then.