35% of diners say they are tipping less in 2026
It looks like tipping culture is taking a hit in 2026, with more people saying they are tipping less. Call it tipping fatigue, blame tight budgets, it all comes down to restaurant workers making less money overall.
Limited-service restaurants are taking the biggest hit
It looks like diners aren't cutting out tips across the board. Rather, they are being picky about who gets one, and how much they get.
Places that offer limited services are seeing the biggest decrease in tips. This includes places like coffeehouses and other spots where employees are getting a full hourly wage.
In these cases, diners don't feel as obligated to leave a tip.
Tipping fatigue is a real thing
Tipping fatigue isn't just a buzzword. It's a very real thing that diners are feeling. Statistics from that same Popmenu survey show that 42% of people feel comfortable not leaving any tip, depending on the service.
“[Fatigue] is compounded by customers having less disposable income due to inflated costs for food, energy and other necessities," said Brenden Sweeney, CEO and co-founder of Popmenu, via press release.
"Restaurants and other industries need to work even harder to drive more traffic through their doors and ensure workers earn what they need,” he continued.
Diners are trying to strike a balance
It seems to be about striking a balance. Consumers are still going to restaurants, but by tipping less money or less frequently, it means they can still fit dining out in the budget.
For restaurant workers, it's become much harder to budget since what used to be the usual tipping amount no longer seems to be the case.
No signs of reversing course
As the cost of living continues to rise, it’s unlikely that the trend of decreased tipping will reverse anytime soon. Consider how often and how much you're tipping, and then compare that to a couple of years ago.
Sources: Restaurant Dive, PR Newswire
