TipLookupAbout TipLookup
TipLookup helps people understand restaurant tipping practices before they dine, from no-tip establishments to standard tipping and enforced service fees.
The goal is practical transparency for diners, and pressure toward restaurants that pay staff fairly and reduce tip pressure.
Information is curated and may be incomplete or outdated. Always treat what you see here as a starting point, not a guarantee.
App Store and privacy details: Privacy Policy · Support.
How it works
What appears on the map
Only restaurants with published tipping information are shown. Coverage currently includes Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Washington DC, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Pin colors
Each pin is colored by restaurant type so you can scan the map quickly:
No-tip establishment
The restaurant does not accept tips. Guests should not leave a tip, and there is usually no tip line or tip prompt.
Standard tip
A tip or service charge is not required for every guest. There may still be a conditional fee for larger parties, but otherwise guests choose whether to add gratuity.
Enforced service fee / tip
Everyone is charged a required fee amount, such as a service charge, auto-gratuity, or enforced tip that applies to the check.
How data gets here
Entries are curated. Anyone can suggest a new restaurant or an update using the same details form; TipLookup reviews submissions before anything is published.
Suggest a restaurant or update
Use Suggest restaurant from search, or Suggest an update on a place page. Your submission goes to a review queue and is not published automatically.
Common fees
These are recurring named add-ons TipLookup has seen on restaurant checks. They are patterns from curated listings, not a legal catalog. Even when a city has an underlying mandate (such as health-care spending), restaurants usually choose whether to show a customer line item.
SF health / mandate / Healthy SF
4-6% (also 3-9%) · San Francisco, CA
SF requires eligible employers to make health-care expenditures for workers. It does not require restaurants to put that cost on the customer's bill; the line item is optional and restaurant-chosen. Menus use many names: SF Mandate, SF Employer Mandate, health surcharge, employee-benefits surcharge, Healthy SF, etc.
Operations fee / charge
3% · Houston, TX
A general house surcharge for running the restaurant. Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion.
Operations fee / charge
1% · Miami Beach, FL
A general house surcharge for running the restaurant. Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion.
Operations fee / charge
4% · Denver, CO
A general house surcharge for running the restaurant (e.g. Denver Beer Co locations). Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion.
Credit card / card-processing fee
~2.5-3% · Seattle, WA
Pass-through of payment-processing costs when guests pay by card. Restaurant-chosen (subject to card-network / local rules); not a government-required bill line.
Credit card / card-processing fee
~3-3.5% · Hoboken, NJ
Pass-through of payment-processing costs when guests pay by card. Restaurant-chosen (subject to card-network / local rules); not a government-required bill line.
Culinary / BOH service charge
2% · Miami Beach, FL
Extra % on food meant to support kitchen / back-of-house. Restaurant policy, separate from any FOH service charge or tip.
Denver Employee Benefits surcharge
4-6% · Denver, CO
Surcharge framed as funding employee benefits. Benefits costs are real for the employer, but putting them on the check is the restaurant's choice, not a required government fee.
CHP Fee
Often 22% · Denver, CO
A mandatory full-check service charge branded "CHP Fee." Functions like an automatic hospitality/service charge, not a small city tax that must appear on the bill.
Restaurant Impact Service Charge
3% · Denver, CO
Brand-specific ops / "restaurant impact" surcharge (Syrup locations). Restaurant-imposed, not a municipal mandate.
| Fee family | Typical % | Metro | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF health / mandate / Healthy SF | 4-6% (also 3-9%) | San Francisco, CA | SF requires eligible employers to make health-care expenditures for workers. It does not require restaurants to put that cost on the customer's bill; the line item is optional and restaurant-chosen. Menus use many names: SF Mandate, SF Employer Mandate, health surcharge, employee-benefits surcharge, Healthy SF, etc. |
| Operations fee / charge | 3% | Houston, TX | A general house surcharge for running the restaurant. Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion. |
| Operations fee / charge | 1% | Miami Beach, FL | A general house surcharge for running the restaurant. Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion. |
| Operations fee / charge | 4% | Denver, CO | A general house surcharge for running the restaurant (e.g. Denver Beer Co locations). Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion. |
| Credit card / card-processing fee | ~2.5-3% | Seattle, WA | Pass-through of payment-processing costs when guests pay by card. Restaurant-chosen (subject to card-network / local rules); not a government-required bill line. |
| Credit card / card-processing fee | ~3-3.5% | Hoboken, NJ | Pass-through of payment-processing costs when guests pay by card. Restaurant-chosen (subject to card-network / local rules); not a government-required bill line. |
| Culinary / BOH service charge | 2% | Miami Beach, FL | Extra % on food meant to support kitchen / back-of-house. Restaurant policy, separate from any FOH service charge or tip. |
| Denver Employee Benefits surcharge | 4-6% | Denver, CO | Surcharge framed as funding employee benefits. Benefits costs are real for the employer, but putting them on the check is the restaurant's choice, not a required government fee. |
| CHP Fee | Often 22% | Denver, CO | A mandatory full-check service charge branded "CHP Fee." Functions like an automatic hospitality/service charge, not a small city tax that must appear on the bill. |
| Restaurant Impact Service Charge | 3% | Denver, CO | Brand-specific ops / "restaurant impact" surcharge (Syrup locations). Restaurant-imposed, not a municipal mandate. |
Resources
Other platforms and communities that track restaurant fees, tipping practices, and tip-free dining:
- SeeFees.ca
- California
Searchable database of California restaurants and their mandatory fees or service charges. Crowdsourced plus restaurant outreach, with fee percentage, address, notes, and how recently each report was updated.
- What The Tips?!?
- Washington
- Bay Area
Tracks service charges, auto-gratuity, tip prompts, default tip percentages, and tip-free restaurants. Covers Washington and the SF Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.
- Tipless in Seattle
- Seattle
Community map of tip-free and tip-optional spots around Seattle. A quick local companion when you want to find restaurants that do not expect a tip.
- San Francisco Chronicle surcharge database
- San Francisco
Manually verified fees at 100+ San Francisco restaurants, including the percentage and what each restaurant says the charge is for. Published in 2024 - worth double-checking individual spots before relying on it today.
- r/EndTipping
- Community
Reddit community discussing tipping culture, tip-free restaurants, service charges, and wage practices. Useful for broader conversation beyond any single city's database.
How it works
What appears on the map
Only restaurants with published tipping information are shown. Coverage currently includes Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Washington DC, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Pin colors
Each pin is colored by restaurant type so you can scan the map quickly:
No-tip establishment
The restaurant does not accept tips. Guests should not leave a tip, and there is usually no tip line or tip prompt.
Standard tip
A tip or service charge is not required for every guest. There may still be a conditional fee for larger parties, but otherwise guests choose whether to add gratuity.
Enforced service fee / tip
Everyone is charged a required fee amount, such as a service charge, auto-gratuity, or enforced tip that applies to the check.
How data gets here
Entries are curated. Anyone can suggest a new restaurant or an update using the same details form; TipLookup reviews submissions before anything is published.
Suggest a restaurant or update
Use Suggest restaurant from search, or Suggest an update on a place page. Your submission goes to a review queue and is not published automatically.
Common fees
These are recurring named add-ons TipLookup has seen on restaurant checks. They are patterns from curated listings, not a legal catalog. Even when a city has an underlying mandate (such as health-care spending), restaurants usually choose whether to show a customer line item.
SF health / mandate / Healthy SF
4-6% (also 3-9%) · San Francisco, CA
SF requires eligible employers to make health-care expenditures for workers. It does not require restaurants to put that cost on the customer's bill; the line item is optional and restaurant-chosen. Menus use many names: SF Mandate, SF Employer Mandate, health surcharge, employee-benefits surcharge, Healthy SF, etc.
Operations fee / charge
3% · Houston, TX
A general house surcharge for running the restaurant. Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion.
Operations fee / charge
1% · Miami Beach, FL
A general house surcharge for running the restaurant. Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion.
Operations fee / charge
4% · Denver, CO
A general house surcharge for running the restaurant (e.g. Denver Beer Co locations). Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion.
Credit card / card-processing fee
~2.5-3% · Seattle, WA
Pass-through of payment-processing costs when guests pay by card. Restaurant-chosen (subject to card-network / local rules); not a government-required bill line.
Credit card / card-processing fee
~3-3.5% · Hoboken, NJ
Pass-through of payment-processing costs when guests pay by card. Restaurant-chosen (subject to card-network / local rules); not a government-required bill line.
Culinary / BOH service charge
2% · Miami Beach, FL
Extra % on food meant to support kitchen / back-of-house. Restaurant policy, separate from any FOH service charge or tip.
Denver Employee Benefits surcharge
4-6% · Denver, CO
Surcharge framed as funding employee benefits. Benefits costs are real for the employer, but putting them on the check is the restaurant's choice, not a required government fee.
CHP Fee
Often 22% · Denver, CO
A mandatory full-check service charge branded "CHP Fee." Functions like an automatic hospitality/service charge, not a small city tax that must appear on the bill.
Restaurant Impact Service Charge
3% · Denver, CO
Brand-specific ops / "restaurant impact" surcharge (Syrup locations). Restaurant-imposed, not a municipal mandate.
| Fee family | Typical % | Metro | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF health / mandate / Healthy SF | 4-6% (also 3-9%) | San Francisco, CA | SF requires eligible employers to make health-care expenditures for workers. It does not require restaurants to put that cost on the customer's bill; the line item is optional and restaurant-chosen. Menus use many names: SF Mandate, SF Employer Mandate, health surcharge, employee-benefits surcharge, Healthy SF, etc. |
| Operations fee / charge | 3% | Houston, TX | A general house surcharge for running the restaurant. Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion. |
| Operations fee / charge | 1% | Miami Beach, FL | A general house surcharge for running the restaurant. Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion. |
| Operations fee / charge | 4% | Denver, CO | A general house surcharge for running the restaurant (e.g. Denver Beer Co locations). Not a city tax or mandate; added at the restaurant's discretion. |
| Credit card / card-processing fee | ~2.5-3% | Seattle, WA | Pass-through of payment-processing costs when guests pay by card. Restaurant-chosen (subject to card-network / local rules); not a government-required bill line. |
| Credit card / card-processing fee | ~3-3.5% | Hoboken, NJ | Pass-through of payment-processing costs when guests pay by card. Restaurant-chosen (subject to card-network / local rules); not a government-required bill line. |
| Culinary / BOH service charge | 2% | Miami Beach, FL | Extra % on food meant to support kitchen / back-of-house. Restaurant policy, separate from any FOH service charge or tip. |
| Denver Employee Benefits surcharge | 4-6% | Denver, CO | Surcharge framed as funding employee benefits. Benefits costs are real for the employer, but putting them on the check is the restaurant's choice, not a required government fee. |
| CHP Fee | Often 22% | Denver, CO | A mandatory full-check service charge branded "CHP Fee." Functions like an automatic hospitality/service charge, not a small city tax that must appear on the bill. |
| Restaurant Impact Service Charge | 3% | Denver, CO | Brand-specific ops / "restaurant impact" surcharge (Syrup locations). Restaurant-imposed, not a municipal mandate. |
Resources
Other platforms and communities that track restaurant fees, tipping practices, and tip-free dining:
- SeeFees.ca
- California
Searchable database of California restaurants and their mandatory fees or service charges. Crowdsourced plus restaurant outreach, with fee percentage, address, notes, and how recently each report was updated.
- What The Tips?!?
- Washington
- Bay Area
Tracks service charges, auto-gratuity, tip prompts, default tip percentages, and tip-free restaurants. Covers Washington and the SF Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.
- Tipless in Seattle
- Seattle
Community map of tip-free and tip-optional spots around Seattle. A quick local companion when you want to find restaurants that do not expect a tip.
- San Francisco Chronicle surcharge database
- San Francisco
Manually verified fees at 100+ San Francisco restaurants, including the percentage and what each restaurant says the charge is for. Published in 2024 - worth double-checking individual spots before relying on it today.
- r/EndTipping
- Community
Reddit community discussing tipping culture, tip-free restaurants, service charges, and wage practices. Useful for broader conversation beyond any single city's database.
Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 26, 2026
Overview
TipLookup helps people understand restaurant tipping practices. This policy explains what information the TipLookup website (tiplookup.com) and TipLookup iOS and Android apps collect and how it is used.
No accounts
TipLookup does not offer end-user accounts or sign-in for browsing published restaurant tip information.
Information we collect
- Restaurant suggestions: when you suggest a new place or an update, we store the submitted restaurant and tip details, plus any optional note or contact email. We also record the submitting IP address for basic rate limiting and abuse prevention.
- Server logs: our hosting infrastructure may retain standard request logs (timestamps, IP address, user agent, requested URL) for reliability and security.
- Published restaurant data: tip practices, addresses, and map coordinates shown in TipLookup are curated public information about businesses, not personal data about diners.
iOS app
The TipLookup iOS app loads published restaurant data from tiplookup.com and can submit suggest-an-update notes through the same API. The app uses Apple Maps to display restaurant locations. It does not require an account and does not request access to your device location for the current version.
Android app
The TipLookup Android app loads published restaurant data from tiplookup.com and can submit suggest-an-update notes through the same API. It does not require an account and does not request access to your device location for the current version.
How we use information
- Operate and improve the TipLookup website and mobile apps
- Review suggested restaurant updates before any manual publish
- Prevent spam and abuse
- Respond when you include contact information
Sharing
Restaurant suggestions are stored for TipLookup review and may also notify the team via Slack when configured. We use hosting providers to run the service. We do not sell personal information.
Retention
Suggestion submissions and operational logs are kept only as long as needed for review, security, and running the service.
Children
TipLookup is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Contact
TipLookup is provided by Multiworld LLC. Privacy questions can be sent through Support, by emailing admin@multiworldlabs.com, or by using Suggest an update on any restaurant page and including your email.
Support
TipLookup help
TipLookup shows curated restaurant tipping practices across US and Canadian metro areas. Use the map or list to browse, then open a restaurant for fees, tip category, and sources.
Suggest a correction
On the website, use Suggest restaurant from search or Suggest an update on a place page to submit the full details form for review. On iOS, Suggest an update still sends a note to the TipLookup team. Nothing is published automatically.
iOS and Android apps
For TipLookup iOS or Android app issues, email admin@multiworldlabs.com or describe the problem through Suggest an update on any restaurant page and mention that it is an app support request. The iOS app is on the App Store, and the Android app is on Google Play.
Contact
TipLookup is provided by Multiworld LLC. Reach us at admin@multiworldlabs.com.
Privacy
See our Privacy Policy for what TipLookup collects and how suggest-an-update data is handled.
Learn more
Read About TipLookup, how it works, common fees, or other platforms.
Stats
774 published places. Browse them on the map.
Restaurants by metro
Published places across covered metro areas, stacked by tip category
Higher counts mean more places we've catalogued so far, not that mandatory tipping or service fees are more common in those metros.
- No-tip establishment
- Standard tip
- Enforced service fee / tip
- San Francisco Bay Area151
- Seattle107
- New York83
- Denver56
- Los Angeles39
- Miami38
- Austin32
- Portland27
- Boston26
- Sacramento24
- Houston23
- Vancouver19
- Dallas-Fort Worth18
- Las Vegas18
- Chicago17
- Toronto16
- San Diego15
- Washington DC15
- Philadelphia13
- New Orleans11
- Phoenix11
- Montreal9
- Nashville6
Required fees
Count of places in San Francisco Bay Area at each percent. These are mandatory tip or service fees on every check.
151 places in this metro. Values round to the nearest percent. Places without required fees are omitted.
- No-tip establishment
- Standard tip
- Enforced service fee / tip
151 results
151 results