Spend $5 and You’ll Get Great Restaurant Service for the Rest of Your Life

The holiday season isn’t the only time you might find it in your heart to give a gift to your favorite restaurant server. If you’re a regular who has built a relationship with the person who brings your food to you a few times a month, it’s nice to let them know they’re appreciated. Surely, the tip is already a sign of gratitude, but you’d probably tip anyone who happened to take care of you when you go out for a meal. 

Maybe you want to do something a little special for the one server who always remembers your name and that you like the salmon entree, but with the sides that normally accompany the roasted chicken. Years ago, my regular Naomi left me and everyone in our small restaurant a Christmas present of $8 apiece. It wasn’t enough money to change my life, or even my night, but it brought me a lot of happiness. A simple token of appreciation will surely bring joy to any server.

Are food and drinks a good present?

Food and drink is always a good gift idea because no one has to find a place for it in their home like they do with candles or knickknacks, but you have to be thoughtful about what to give. Consider allergies, likes and dislikes, and dietary restrictions. Homemade treats are always questionable because we’ve all seen too many TikTok videos where people let their cats freely roam the kitchen counters like a lion surveying the Serengeti. That’s an absolutely fine way to live, but if someone gives me homemade cookies, I can’t help but wonder about the cleanliness of their kitchen. 

If you know what your server likes to drink (and if they drink alcohol), liquor is a good bet. A bottle of wine or tequila is generous and will never go to waste. Another great option is a gift card for a food delivery app. That way, they can order what they want to eat, when they want to eat it. 

How about a restaurant gift card?

Don’t ever give your favorite server a gift card to their own restaurant. For one thing, they probably don’t want to spend their day off at their job to eat food they may already eat far too often. Hopefully, they already get a discount there anyway. If you do give them a gift card to their own restaurant, my guess is they’ll hold onto it until another customer pays for their meal in cash and then exchange the gift card for the money and pocket it. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does become a tedious transaction and most restaurant managers would probably frown upon it. 

Would a lottery ticket be OK?

If food and drink doesn’t seem like the right option, pay attention to what your server uses at their job. A pack of pens would always be appreciated, but only if it’s a restaurant where orders are still written down. Take note as to what kind of pen they use because for most servers it matters — and pens get stolen all the time. If it’s a nice pen, match it. If it’s a cheap pen, grab a few the next time you’re at the bank. Do they use their own pad of paper to write down orders? Look closely to see what kind they use and get them some more.

If they’re using a touch pad to place the orders, a pack of styluses can cost as little as $5. If their wine key looks like it can use an upgrade, do that. Even a few scratch-off lottery tickets would be a welcome gift. Just give those after you’ve eaten because if they scratch their way to millionairedom, they will say thank you as they run out the front door, never to be seen again. 

Final thoughts

Really, any server is going to be grateful that you took the time to think of them no matter what the gift is. Even though you probably never share a meal with your favorite server, you do share the experience, and it’s kind of a personal one. These are people who have seen you with spinach in your teeth and it’s nice to let them know you appreciate them. It’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifts, but when a gift is thoughtful, it means even more.