The Curious Case Of Filipe Toledo's Lowers Celebration Bill

You’ve just won the Hurley Lowers Pro. Padded your pockets with $100k in what we'd like to believe are Franklins, but in reality is just an oversized check followed by a direct deposit. You go out to dinner; you drink; you celebrate—more apps! More entrees! More drinks! By evening's end, the bill's approaching, it's a cool near-thousand bucks. Chump change: your name is Filipe Toledo, and you are on a tear!

This morning, Stab was sent a snapshot of Filipe Toledo’s celebration bill, which didn't hold a flame to the 142 shots of vodka and $4K bar tab Wilko’s racked up after ringing it real hard at Bells. Filly’s came in at a respectable $847.99, with a whopping tip of $10, totaling a meager $857.99 and a message overlaying the pic: “He must be bad at math.” 

*Update* The photo had spread across social media, first posted to Facebook by a disgruntled server (who is, as we speak, probably enduring some serious HR lashings) from the restaurant Filipe closed down after his win. According to people within Filipe's party, he was under the impression gratuity was included in the 20-head tab the party had racked up. And according to the restaurant, that seems to be the case. 

So why the attempt at a take down from the waitress? What offenses could Filipe's victory party be guilty of? 

Now, depending on where you’re from, the customs on tipping vary. In Oz, you don’t tip, and if you do, up to ten percent is about the best you'll get. In Europe, tips can be confusing, even offensive. In Brazil, no tip is required, however, a ten percent gratuity for “servicio” is added to the bill. Regardless, at the very least, this bill deserved an $80 addition.* In the US, ten percent gratuity is scoffed at in the kitchen. In the land of the free and home of the Trump, tipping is not only expected, it’s embarrassing for all parties if you leave anything less than ten percent. Why? Because restaurant employees make minimum wage ($10.50/hr); their livelihood is sustained on their tips. 

As an ex-waiter/bartender who smiled through a bloody tongue every time someone asked, “Does the baked potato contain gluten?”, and responded with “No ma'am, it’s a potato,” I can level with this server. 

*If the tip was included or if it was left in cash, rained down on the bar's closing crowd by Filipe himself, and for some reason they left an additional ten dollars on the bill, we welcome the correction. 

*Update: we've confirmed the restaurant's gratuity policy, clearing Filipe's name of the whole embarrassing ordeal, while the waitress in question will surely be hearing about her little social media stunt for some time.