As vaccinations rise, restaurant tips are going in the opposite direction, according to a new report.
Credit card data captured by two payment system companies shows that the generous gratuities New Yorkers lavished on restaurant workers throughout the pandemic are starting to wane.
Food delivery workers who had been pocketing tips averaging 16 percent at the height of the pandemic in April 2020 are now seeing tips of closer to 14 percent of each order, according to a New York Times report, which culled data from two payment service providers, Square and Toast.
Andrew Rigie, executive director of NYC Hospitality Alliance, said he’s not surprised that tipping is on the decline. Restaurant workers were hailed as heroes at a time when most workers in the state were ordered to stay home because they were deemed non-essential.
Restaurant workers who prepare takeout orders are getting about 13 percent tips, down from 15 percentGetty Images
But with the economy reopening, they are more likely to be viewed as just another person with a job to do.
“Some people continue to leave extra big tips, but I’m not surprised that as COVID rates go down, more people get
