Context: If there is a planned outing amongst a group of people/friends (dinner/bars/etc), what are your stances on billing/arrival times/departure times/tips/overall manners etc?

This can be from both a host or attendee perspective.

12 comments
  1. Don’t be more than 15 mins late and don’t be cheap. Also be prepared to split the bill evenly as more and more places are not doing separate tabs. Nobody cares that you only ordered a water and a salad. Stay home.

  2. Arrive on time or let the host/organizer know if you’ll be late. Everyone else should order food without you.

    Bills should be paid separately. Those who can’t afford a high bill shouldn’t pay for the more expensive bills of the better-off. Especially when drinks are involved. Split pitchers evenly (unless of course someone offered to cover one of them).

    Leave when everyone else is done and leaving, unless you had somewhere else to be. If gifts are to be exchanged, give them when people are done eating.

    Respect the waiter who is serving your table. Have fun but don’t be overly obnoxious.

    Tip fairly, taking into consideration the service quality and the behaviours of/difficulties caused by your large group and how well the waiter can accommodate your groups needs (food quality/speed of delivery once order has been taken has nothing to do with your waiter) – and whether you reserved in advance or your group came unexpectedly. Be a bit more mindful of loudness if indoors vs. being seated on a patio.

    Try to focus on choosing your orders before spending a lot of time chatting.

    If anyone in your group is treating the waiter poorly, stick up for the waiter. If it happens again, ask the person to leave.

  3. 1. Arrive at the agreed upon time. If it starts at 6, be there by 6. If it’s at someone’s home, ask when you should arrive and follow that time.
    2. Know the pay structure before you go. Whether that’s for each to pay their own, even split for all, to all chip in for a person being celebrated, to cover everyone yourself, or to be treated by someone else. Discuss it so you know what’s going on and can be prepared.
    3. Leave in an appropriate time frame for the location. Don’t camp a table at a busy restaurant all night without continuing to make purchases. Don’t stay past closing time.
    4. Tip generously. Who tips can be discussed, but don’t make the mistake of assuming someone else is tipping.
    5. Be polite, friendly, and engaged with the people you are joining for the outing.
    6. Gauge your behavior, loudness, and dress based on what’s appropriate for the location and environment.
    7. Treat everyone you interact with respectfully, especially people just doing their job.
    7. Don’t go if you don’t want to go.

  4. arrive on time, split the bill with friends unless it’s a special occasion; however in the case of family, the host pays. for those who don’t drink in our group, we ask for a separate food and beverages bill and divide it accordingly.

  5. Generally speaking if I go out with a group of friends we all split the bill and keep a vague eye on the tone of the table, so if there’s a set menu then we tend to go for something like that so everyone is paying vaguely the same thing, however we always note if someone eg isn’t drinking alcohol but others are then we factor that in to the split. My friends and I are long in the tooth enough that we can trust it evens out over time, if someone is flat broke and wants to just order the minimum then that’s absolutely cool or we might cover them once in a while but it’s always better to just be upfront about being broke.

    Tipping isn’t as fraught of an issue where I am (UK) but my friends would normally all agree to cover 10%. I’ve been out with colleagues where that’s been different.

  6. I’m not to bothered about arriving late. Just get there when you get there. When going to dinner everyone usually pays for themselves, when going out drinking then we do rounds. Everyone tips for themselves in whatever way they want.

  7. I always arrive at least 10 minutes early.

    I park my car where I will be able to make a quick exit if I want to. Being blocked in is the worst.

    I don’t start eating until everyone has their meals.

  8. If you come together, leave together. If you’re drinking, don’t let anyone wander off alone.

  9. I arrive 5 to 10 minutes early I pay for myself and if I invited someone I’ll pay their’s,

  10. 1. Don’t be late.
    2. Pay for myself
    3. Only leave once everyone is done eating and ready to leave
    4. We don’t do tips where I am from.
    5. If you spill something , you clean it or wipe it. It’s easier for everyone not to have spilled foods and drinks on the floor

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