‘Is tipping 14% a crime now?’: Chicago food reviewer says he was called out for his tip on a $320 bill

A food reviewer in Chicago said he was made to feel uncomfortable after he left what he believed was a fair tip, according to a video he posted on TikTok. The reviewer, Danny Van (@dannysdayinthelife), said the situation happened after he dined at a restaurant and allegedly paid a $320 bill.

In the video, which has gathered over 113,000 views, Van wrote in a text overlay, “Is tipping 14% a crime now?”  He questioned current tipping expectations and asked viewers how they calculate the amount they leave.

Per a report by the Harvard Gazette, tipping expectations once sat around 10%, 15%, and 20%, depending on the service, but some restaurants and coffee shops have reportedly raised suggested ranges to 20%, 25%, and 28% in recent years.

A surcharge can change the way diners calculate a tip

Van said in the video, “So I just got called out for tipping 14% on a $320 bill.” He added that the restaurant included a surcharge, which he said affected how he worked out the tip. “Mind you, the restaurant charges a surcharge fee, so I’m accounting for that,” he said. “Tipping culture is just out of hand.”

He asked viewers a question that often comes up in these discussions. “Do you guys tip on the subtotal or post tax?” he said in the video. In the caption, Van added, “When did it start getting this outta hand?” Similar debates have surfaced elsewhere, including a case in which a Texas mom questioned tipping 20% after a server’s reaction.

Van shared his own view as well. He said diners should use the subtotal as a baseline, but that the actual tip percentage should depend on the service they receive. He also said diners may take into account surcharges that the restaurant has already added to the bill.

Commenters appeared to be divided. Some argued that tipping should be based on the full total and pointed to how servers split their earnings. “Tip on total. Please keep in mind tip outs Take on average 7% of the sale out of the servers pocket and give it to the bartender,” one user wrote. “That’s whether you tip or not. So if you have a $300 bill and you don’t tip The server Paid $21 to the bartender for the privilege of working for you.”

Another commenter offered a shorter take on the math. “Don’t include the tax amount in your tip,” they wrote. Others questioned the practice of tipping altogether. “Waiters make a lot of money. I stop tipping,” one person wrote. Other workers have shared what they actually take home, such as a Florida server breaking down her tips after a long shift.

One commenter said they treat an added fee as the tip itself. “I love when restaurants charge an 18% charge/fee. I consider it the tip and it saves me money as I would’ve tipped more than that,” they wrote.

Federal wage rules treat a compulsory service charge differently from a tip, and such a charge is not considered a tip and is instead counted as part of the employer’s gross receipts. If the restaurant passes some of that money to staff, it can reportedly count as wages rather than tips.

These fees are fairly transparent in Chicago. Under the city’s food vendor rules, restaurants must display item prices, service fees, and surcharges clearly at the start of the ordering or sales process. The rules say restaurants must also list the intended purpose of those fees wherever they appear.

That purpose may include whether the fee goes toward staff compensation, operational costs, payment processing, large-party service, delivery, takeout, or something else. Restaurants may also have to tell customers what percentage of a service fee or surcharge is mandatory, and what percentage, if any, will go to employees or waitstaff.