Counting tips
Louisiana diners tipped an average of 18.9% at full-service restaurants, just below the national average of 19.1%, according to 2026 data from Toast released yesterday.
By the numbers: Delaware diners tip the most, at 21.4%, while Californians tip the least, at 17.1%.
Why it matters: Tipping offers a small window into consumers’ economic confidence—and generosity.
- Nationwide tips at full-service restaurants peaked at 19.9% in the first quarter of 2021.
- Many quick-service restaurants, including sandwich shops, now pay well above minimum wage. Workers can earn up to $20 an hour, making restaurants a decent starting point for younger workers.
How we know: Toast provides payment services to restaurants, giving the company access to a massive trove of restaurant sales and tipping data.
Zoom out: Tipping prompts have spread far beyond traditional sit-down restaurants, as JR Ball noted in his take earlier this year. Read more below.
What’s the deal with tipping?
It began as a way to cheat Black workers out of money after the Civil War. It’s everywhere now.
JR Ball