Starbucks has updated its mobile app to allow US customers to add tips for baristas to their bill, raising the question of whether tipping in coffee shops could become standard in the UK. In the US, tipping at coffee shops has grown over the past two decades, with tip jars first appearing in small sandwich shops before spreading to chains like Starbucks.
John McCarty, a business professor at The College of New Jersey, notes that the distinction between tipping for table service and not for counter service has largely disappeared. Many US coffee customers now tip automatically, though McCarty questions how much a barista can influence service quality compared to a waiter. Despite this, he tips 20% at his local Dunkin' Donuts.
Martin O'Neill of Auburn University says tipping for coffee is now more common than not, and believes baristas earn tips through hard work and exceptional service. Unlike waiters, Starbucks baristas earn above the federal minimum wage; one barista in Wisconsin reported tips adding $1.50-$2 to her hourly pay of $9.05.
In the UK, some Starbucks counters have tip jars, but a spokeswoman said there are no plans to introduce digital tipping due to fewer customers leaving tips. British etiquette expert Simon Fanshawe doubts it will catch on, calling it 'a bit too American' for the British public.
