43 restaurant tip jar ideas & restaurant chalkboard ideas

No matter the season, enticing customers into your restaurant and sharing a positive experience with them is a must. Sometimes customers come for the aesthetic and Instagram-worthy food pics, but other times they need a little nudge to get in the door.  Cue the chalkboard sidewalk signs that can lead to a giggle or spontaneous dining moment. We know these phrases can be tricky to come up with, so we’ve compiled a list below.

And now that you have your customers in the door, getting them to tip becomes a next priority. Sometimes in the restaurant world, an empty jar silently implying “tip me” just won't cut it.  For restaurant employees whose income heavily depends on tips, it can quite literally pay off to spend a little extra time getting creative with your tip jar and chalkboard sayings/drawings. This is especially true for food trucks, coffee shops, and most grab-and-go type places where takeout shines above dining in.

Tipping restaurant employees is a way for customers to show their appreciation for the hard work and service provided by the people we rely on to fulfill  our daily cravings - aka you and your incredible team. Unfortunately, the hard work put into making these favorite meals is often overlooked. While customers gush over their slice of pizza, the tip jar just a few feet away from them stays empty. And we know you deserve better.

In support of all the baristas, cashiers, bartenders, back of house cooks, and counter attendants, we’ve compiled a list of tip and chalkboard ideas to inspire you and your team to get creative. Have some fun with it and tag us on social media if you use any!

Clever tip jar ideas

1. "Afraid of change, leave it here :)"
2. "On a scale of $1-$10 how attractive are you?"
3. "There is a party in this jar and your tips are invited"
4. "Drink Responsibly, Tip Recklessly"
5. "Tip me baby one more time"
6. "Let's get tip$y / Help us get tip$y"
7. "Get out of my dreams and into my tip jar"
8. "Roses are tips, violets are tips, please leave us tips (we need poetry lessons)"
9. "He knows if you've been tipping santa"
10. "Please tip to help our drip (these uniforms are not it)"
11. "If you tip well think your hip"
12. "When you tip it makes our heart skip"
13. "Tipping isn't just for cows"
14. "Hey I just met you, and this is crazy! I just made your food/drink! So tip me maybe? :)"
15. "Drop it like its hot"

"This or that" tip jar ideas

People love to share their opinion, so why not entice them to vote between two tip jars with these ideas:

1. "Coffee or tea"
2. "Beach or mountains"
3. "Edward or Jacob"
4. "Never ending coffee or never ending beer"
5. "Pancakes or Waffles"
6. "Dog Person or Cat Person"
7. "Mayonaise Love it or Hate it"
8. "Kanye & Kim or Pete & Kim"
9. "Marvel or DC"
10. "Morning or Night person"
11. "Pineapple on pizza? Love it or Hate it"
12. "Talk to animals or be able to fly"
13. "No Music or No TV"

Ideas for what to share as your restaurant's "chalkboard saying"

Get new customers in the door with these clever phrases and sayings.

1. "Life needs more sweetness"
2. "If loving carbs is wrong i don't want to be right"
3. "Stressed is desserts spelled backwards"
4. "Hungry? We'll feed you! Thirsty? We will get you drunk! Lonely? We will get you drunk!
5. "Best memories are made around the table"
6. "Bacon is red, Steak can be blue, Poems are hard, eat here."
7. "Incoming call .. Food Accept, Decline"
8. "This kitchen is seasoned with love"
9. "Sweet dreams are made of cheese"
10. "You can't buy happiness but you can buy beer"
11. "Alcohol may be the enemy but the bible says love your enemies - Frank Sinatra"
12. "The country is understaffed, be kind to those who show up"
13. "Come get baked! (goods)"
14. "<- Booze, Food and fun, -> Real life"
15. "Back to reality this week? Let's drink about it."

We hope you enjoy these fun ideas and make them your own! Switch them up monthly or even weekly to give your regulars something to look forward to and share a laugh together.