Things about America #1: Bar Tabs
This is the first in an occasional series about things that I feel are different between Australia and the US... just stuff that I have observed and feel is noteworthy, and perhaps more importantly, whether I like it or not!
So today's discussion point is bar tabs. Whenever you go into a pub, bar or brewpub here in Portland, the bar staff will always ask you whether you want to run a tab. It doesn't matter if it's just you or a group of people, one drink or many, they'll still ask you. Tabs in Australia are generally only run for large groups and often only with prior arrangement with management, so this took a little while for me to get my head around.
So you hand over your credit or debit card and it gets kept behind the counter, often in an unused glass. You can then order all your drinks and food throughout the night without having to fish for money, or having to leave behind dollar bills for tips each time you buy a drink. At the end of the night, you simply ask for your tab, add one tip based on the total amount spent, sign your name and head off. Just don't forget to take your card back, or even worse, forget you have a tab running and just leave!
Overall, Chaosboy gives bar tabs American style a big thumbs up, if only because it stops me worrying about how much I should tip for each round of drinks!
Posted in: chaosboy, general musings, portland, united states on June 23, 2007 at at 10:55:00 AM