The federal + provincial sales tax here is 15%. ^^;
In a lot of places in Europe the server tip is included as a line in the final bill, and you don't tip beyond it except for extraordinary service (the included amount tends to be fairly generous anyway). In Brazil the service is attentive to the point of obsequiousness everywhere, and no one tips at all (though in touristy areas it's a line on the bill).
Reading your journal further - it was never the custom in Montreal to tip baristas, and the city has always had a vibrant cafe culture. The creep is rather akin to grade inflation, and a lot of people I know bitch about it (part of it being the fast food / coffee divide really isn't that clear; Tim Horton's is a bona-fide national coffee institution but most definitely a fast food joint. And again, why not tip the person who makes your burger and fries?). I'm only referring to takeout/self-serve though, not sit-down service.
...See, while I believe in tipping fairly, I don't believe servers have the right to give you crap food if they don't like their tip - that's unprofessionalism, not to mention holding the customer hostage. That being said I find the revelation that US servers can be paid less than minimal wage nothing short of horrifying. :/
no subject
In a lot of places in Europe the server tip is included as a line in the final bill, and you don't tip beyond it except for extraordinary service (the included amount tends to be fairly generous anyway). In Brazil the service is attentive to the point of obsequiousness everywhere, and no one tips at all (though in touristy areas it's a line on the bill).
Reading your journal further - it was never the custom in Montreal to tip baristas, and the city has always had a vibrant cafe culture. The creep is rather akin to grade inflation, and a lot of people I know bitch about it (part of it being the fast food / coffee divide really isn't that clear; Tim Horton's is a bona-fide national coffee institution but most definitely a fast food joint. And again, why not tip the person who makes your burger and fries?). I'm only referring to takeout/self-serve though, not sit-down service.
...See, while I believe in tipping fairly, I don't believe servers have the right to give you crap food if they don't like their tip - that's unprofessionalism, not to mention holding the customer hostage. That being said I find the revelation that US servers can be paid less than minimal wage nothing short of horrifying. :/