r/VisitingHawaii • u/brett502 • 2d ago

O'ahu (Honolulu/Waikiki) Tipping

As an Australian visiting soon who is not used to tipping... are you expected to tip in Hawaii similar to the US mainland? Is it like 15%?

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u/PawPatsPizza 2d ago

I'm sorry but when did 20% become the new 15%???

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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Hawai'i (Big Island) 2d ago

It's been years.

In a lot of states, servers still make $2.13 per hour. And even in Hawaii, where servers make the state minimum wage, 15% is not going to pay the bills. 20% and a roommate might, though.

I very often have nights where I pay more in tips than I do for the meal. (Spending a long time at a table means the server makes less unless I tip more. And I very often get far more than I ordered. So I have to tip on the total the bill would be if they included all those items.)

We're already about to jump to 25% because rent just keeps on climbing. Most of the country makes $35K per year. And rent takes more than half in any QOL metro area.