Restaurant Coupon Etiquette

A gentleman does not assume that he will be given inferior service simply because he has offered a discount coupon to pay for part of his meal.

When a gentleman is dining at a restaurant and has a coupon for a discounted meal or a free drink, dessert, or other item, he offers the coupon to his server before he and his fellow diners have begun to order their meal. The server may say, “I'll take the coupon at the end of the meal,” but at least he will know to ask for it before totaling the bill. A gentleman does not assume that he will be given inferior service simply because he has offered a discount coupon to pay for part of his meal.

If a gentleman makes use of a discount coupon, or if he has been offered a complimentary item, such as a drink, an appetizer, or a dessert, he leaves his server the same tip he would have provided if he were paying full price He knows that his bill will usually indicate the pre-discount price of the meal. If he must consult a menu to determine the price of the complimentary item, he does so. — From “A Gentleman at the Table,” John Bridges and Bryan Curtis, 2004

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