Shoutout to the regular who tipped me $20 on a $4 coffee last Tuesday in Portland

Been working this coffee cart for 6 years and used to get tips like that all the time back in 2019. Now most people just grab their latte and walk away without even looking at the tip jar. Anyone else notice the regulars getting stingier or is it just my spot?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_park628h ago

$4 coffee in Portland? That's already cheap as hell. People are broke now. 2019 was a different world. Everyone had extra cash back then. Now rent eats everything. I'd be grateful for any tip at all honestly.

shane_martinez448h ago

My buddy runs a coffee cart in southeast and he told me someone handed him a crumpled up dollar bill and asked for change back on a $4 coffee last week. He just stared at them for a second and gave them the coffee for free because he felt bad. But like, two years ago that same guy was getting $5 tips just for handing someone a black drip coffee. It's wild how fast things flipped. I don't even know what normal looks like anymore for the service industry out here.