Server Says 15-Person Party Left $50 Tip on $700 Bill After Arriving 15 Minutes Before Closing: ‘For Those Who Don’t Tip, Don’t Go Out’

A TikTok video from an employee account for Taverna Opa Orlando shows a staff member describing a $700 bill left by a party of 15 that arrived roughly 15 minutes before closing.

The employee said the group initially did not leave a tip before eventually leaving $50 after an argument over the amount.

She said the group arrived around 9:45 p.m., about 15 minutes before closing, and staff chose to serve them despite the late arrival. The party then ordered its entire meal at once and racked up a bill of roughly $700.

The employee said the diners initially indicated that they did not intend to leave any tip. "I didn't want to tip anything, like, nothing," she said, "mind you, that we tip out on this table."

She recalled that three servers worked the table because of the group's size. She said the restaurant requires servers to contribute to tip-outs for other staff members when serving large parties, regardless of the tip left by the table. "If you sit on a table and it's $700, I'm paying for you to sit down, because I'm paying runners, I'm paying the bar, etcetera, etcetera," she said.

The group eventually agreed to leave $50 on the $700 bill after further discussion. "They were very rude about it, actually," she said. The employee said similar incidents occur regularly, particularly with tables seated near closing time. She closed the video by telling viewers, "For those who don't tip, don't go out."

Commenters debate tipping etiquette after a 15-person party leaves $50

Viewers were divided over how much the group should have tipped on the $700 bill. One commenter challenged the employee's view on tipping and wrote, "Tipping is optional.. I think you forgot that."

Another commenter wrote, "This should be ILLEGAL - the restaurant owners are the real thieves."

The employee also discussed the customers' country of origin, saying they were ‘not in your country’ and suggesting that tipping customs differ elsewhere.

Another commenter questioned whether the restaurant lost money on the transaction. They wrote, "I can't understand her saying they lost money, they paid their bill and it's not mandatory."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the total bill amount, the tip ultimately left, or the identities of the customers described in this video. The details above reflect the account shared by @tavernaopaorl account on TikTok.