How Much Should You Tip at a Coffee Shop?

$1 per drink is the appropriate baseline tip for a standard coffee order. For complicated custom orders, $1.50 to $2. For a pour over or a multi-step drink at a specialty shop, 15 to 20% of the order total is reasonable.

The tablet tipping prompt at the counter showing 20%, 25%, 30% for a drip coffee makes people uncomfortable. A $1 tip on a $4 coffee is 25% and is perfectly generous.

Baristas at specialty shops often earn $16 to $22 per hour before tips. Tips make a real difference.

In cities like San Francisco and Seattle, barista wages are above the national average, but the cost of living is also extreme. Tips represent a meaningful percentage of take-home pay at most independent shops. At specialty shops across the 73,350 in Pulled Coffee's database, the barista making your latte often has hundreds of hours of training and is working with equipment that cost tens of thousands of dollars.

"A $1 tip on a $4 coffee is 25%. That is more than the restaurant industry standard. You do not need to feel guilty about not tipping 30% on drip coffee."

When to tip more

You had a long custom order. The barista went out of their way to explain the menu or help you choose a drink. The shop was extremely busy and the service was still good. You are a regular and want to maintain a good relationship with the staff. You stayed for two hours and only bought one drink.

When the standard $1 is fine

Standard order, normal interaction, decent service. A drip coffee or a straightforward espresso drink. $1 on a $4 or $5 drink is appropriate and appreciated. At shops in Chicago, Denver, or Portland, this is the norm. Visit Intelligentsia or Stumptown and you will see the counter tip jar well-used by regulars. Read about the costs involved in why specialty coffee is expensive.

Related: Coffee shop etiquette, Why specialty coffee is expensive, Best shops to work from.