As Americans spend more on dining out than ever before, a new survey finds that over 15% of spending at full-service restaurants goes toward tips.
According to a survey by LendingTree, about $78 billion was spent on tips at restaurants, bars, and other places where food is consumed away from home in 2023. When considering full-service restaurants, such as Applebee's, and limited-service venues, like Chipotle, tips account for 6.75% of total spending while dining out.
LendingTree’s survey shows that in 2023, Americans allocated 55.7% of their food budget to dining out, up from 49.4% in 2000.
New Hampshire, the District of Columbia, and South Carolina were identified as the most generous tippers, according to LendingTree. In contrast, Utah, Mississippi, and Idaho had the lowest tip rates.
D.C. residents spent about 75% of their food budget dining out, topping the list. Meanwhile, residents in Iowa and Idaho spent less than 44% of their food budgets on dining out.
The survey also noted that in states where residents tend to frequent full-service restaurants more often than others, the overall percentage spent on tips is likely to be higher.
You can see the full survey by clicking here.
