Do you always tip? KIRO host says it depends as new study ranks WA near bottom for tipping
Jun 22, 2025, 5:02 AM
Washington was ranked the second-worst state for tipping in a new study by restaurant tech firm Toast, Axios Seattle reported. The average tip was 19.3% nationwide, but Washington diners tipped an average of 17.8%. California came in as the worst tipping state, at 17.3%.
KIRO fill-in host Mike Lewis pointed out Seattle’s minimum wage is higher than in most states. He also explained his tip varies depending on the interaction.
“It is not the same situation as when you’re in a restaurant and you’re actually having a long-term interaction, a two or three-hour interaction with a waiter who has done multiple trips to your table and maybe recommended a bottle of wine. That is a very different thing than getting a muffin and being asked to add a 20% premium on being handed a muffin,” he said on “The Gee and Ursula Show.”
KIRO hosts weigh in as study ranks Washington near bottom for tipping
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KIRO host Ursula Reutin asked if she goes to Starbucks, gets only egg bites, and walks out, would tipping a dollar or two be enough?
“I think absolutely, that’s enough,” Mike responded.
He noted there’s a difference between tipping on table service and tipping a barista who makes Seattle’s relatively high minimum wage.
“I completely understand people who don’t want to if they’re just handed something,” he added.
Mike used Pagliacci Pizza as an example of a takeout place that he tips at.
“I’m close enough to one that I can go pick up the pizza. I still tend to tip on that, but I like that the service is always terrific. The pizza is a chain, but it’s good quality, so I do on that one,” he shared.
He also pointed out that Pagliacci Pizza is a shared tip environment.
“Those people also rotate in a variety of jobs,” he said. “The person who is working at the counter will also be making pizzas at some point or making salads at another point.”
Listen to the full conversation below.
Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.
