Chicago man thought a 14% tip on a $320 bill was fair game, then the server made him feel like a criminal for it

A TikTok food reviewer from Chicago is going viral for allegedly receiving a cold reaction from the server after tipping. According to Brobible, he alleged that he gave 14% of the total bill, which included a surcharge. As a result, the amount he decided to tip seemed fair to him, but the server, apparently, wasn’t satisfied.

The TikToker Danny Van (@dannysdayinthelife) posted a video in which he claimed to be called out after tipping a server an amount he thought was enough. Van said that he was charged an extra surcharge and that he paid the tip as a percentage, including that amount. It appears that he also advised customers to tip on the baseline amount of the bill, excluding surcharges, and to pay only what they think is reasonable for the quality of service they receive. 

The overlay of Danny’s TikTok question, “Is tipping 14% a crime now?” In the video, he spoke, “Tipping culture is just out of hand. So I just got called out for tipping 14% on a $320 bill. Mind you, the restaurant charges a surcharge fee, so I’m accounting for that.” He also questioned, “When did it start getting this outta hand?”

The internet seems split on this matter

The viewers seem split on the matter, with some siding with Danny, who claimed that the surcharge is an extra charge for the servers, which changes the calculation of the total tip amount. Some, on the other hand, didn’t seem unenthusiastic towards tipping despite the TikToker’s surcharge claim.

One of the commenters siding with the diner wrote, “I also don’t understand when people say if you can’t tip, don’t go out. So if money is tight, you shouldn’t go out unless you can tip 20+%? How does this make any sense anymore??” Another one added, “I’m tipping ZERO with a surcharge. And I’m not tipping percentages anymore. Nobody deserves a $80-90 tip for putting in my order! Plus servers in my state make $19-21/hr before tips.”

From the other side of the audience, someone said, “Surcharge does not equal gratuity most of the time. Yes, tipping needs to change, but that means legislation, not stiffing service workers.” Another one shared a concern, “If tipping culture ends, that $320 bill will be $450 (with worse customer service) and you will still complain. People’s livelihoods depend on tipping.” 

Opinion: Tipping debates like this tend to resurface whenever surcharges or service fees enter the conversation, and they reveal how unclear the rules around gratuity have become for both diners and servers.