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Mountain Views News Saturday, February 14, 2026FOOD & DRINK 77 
Mountain Views News Saturday, February 14, 2026FOOD & DRINK 
THE COMING OUT PARTY FOR THE TIRED 

(OF THE TIP SCREEN) 

This morning at Starbucks, I experienced what I’ll call a small 
cultural turning point. Nothing dramatic happened. The Chai 
Tea wasn’t bad. The service wasn’t rude. The barista was perfectly 
pleasant. But after I ordered and tapped my card, the 
screen was turned toward me and there they were — suggested 
tip amounts: $1, $3, $5, or “Other.” 

I hadn’t received my Tea yet. The foam hadn’t been poured. The 
lid wasn’t even on the cup. And yet, I was being asked to decide 
what the service was worth.

Peter A. Dills 

https:// This isn’t an angry column. It’s more of a coming-out party for 
podlink/1116885432 those of us who are simply tired of the screen appearing before 

the fries are hot or the coffee has cream. 

Let me be clear: I am not tired of generosity. I believe in tipping. I’ve made a career celebrating 
great hospitality. When a server goes the extra mile, when a bartender keeps the martini cold 
and the conversation warm, when a manager stops by the table — what I call “table touching,” 
muy importante — I tip well and gladly. Appreciation matters. 

But there is something different about being prompted before the service has even occurred. 
It subtly changes the nature of the transaction. Tipping once felt like a thank-you. Now, in 
many places, it feels like a pre-payment on hope. 

The screen itself has become part of the ritual. It glows politely, waiting for your decision, 
angled just enough that the employee can see your choice. It’s not a quiet jar by the register 
where you drop in a dollar if you feel inclined. It’s a digital suggestion, presented at eye level, 
with preset amounts that feel less optional than they once did. 

At Starbucks, it’s not even percentages. It’s dollar figures — $1, $3, $5 — which, psychologically, 
feel more immediate. On a six-dollar tab, that can represent a meaningful bump. It’s not 
catastrophic, but it’s noticeable. And multiplied over a week of quick stops, it adds up.
What makes people uneasy isn’t the idea of tipping. It’s the timing. We are being asked to 
reward a performance we haven’t yet seen. If the order is wrong, can we get the tip back? Of 
course not. If the fries are cold or the coffee isn’t quite right, that dollar or three dollars has 
already been committed to history. 

This isn’t an indictment of Starbucks. They didn’t invent this culture; they’re simply operating 
within it. Wages are tight. Costs are up. Businesses are trying to help employees earn more 
without pushing menu prices into orbit. I understand the economics. 

But somewhere along the way, customers became part of the payroll strategy. The base price 
looks reasonable, and the rest is gently nudged onto the screen. It’s clever, and it probably 
works. But it’s also exhausting. 

I heard a radio host this morning who sounded like he was complaining about tipping culture. 
Maybe he was. Or maybe he was simply articulating something that many people feel 
but don’t quite say out loud. There’s a difference between being ungenerous and being fatigued. 
Most people are still tipping. They’re just increasingly aware of how often they’re being 
prompted to do so. 

We’ve layered social pressure onto simple transactions. Buying a cup of coffee now comes 
with a micro-decision about identity. Are you generous? Are you stingy? Are you pressing“Other”? It’s a lot to process before caffeine. 

For me, the solution is simple and personal. I tip at the end of the week. That’s what I do. If 
I’ve had consistently good experiences — friendly faces, accurate orders, a little warmth in 
the exchange — I make sure to show appreciation. That feels proportional. It restores tipping 
to its original spirit: gratitude after service, not anticipation before it.
Generosity should feel good. It shouldn’t feel compulsory. 

This isn’t a rebellion. No one is storming the barricades over cappuccino foam. Most of us 
will continue to tip. We’re not anti-worker. We’re not anti-service. We’re simply noticing that 
something subtle has shifted. 

The real tipping point isn’t the $1, $3, or $5 option on a screen. It’s when enough reasonable 
people quietly think, “Let me experience the service first.” 
That thought doesn’t make anyone cheap. It makes them sensible. 

So consider this a small coming-out moment for the politely weary — the ones who still believe 
in rewarding excellence, but would like to taste the coffee before deciding what it was 
worth. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to finish mine. And yes, it was good. Email me at thechefknows@
yahoo.com and log onto my podcast Dining with Dills 


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