Splitting checks at a restaurant (Chicago: how much, calculation, to live)

[Redline]

Do restaurants do this for you? Say you have 6 people at dinner, will the restaurant give each person a bill for the food that they ordered so that everyone can pay separately? When we used to live there we would usually just divide the bill evenly amongst everyone despite how much someone ate or drank (we didn't really have any "over-eaters" in the group though) so we would usually just toss our cards/cash in after someone made the calculation.

[skipcromer]

Originally Posted by Redline

Do restaurants do this for you? Say you have 6 people at dinner, will the restaurant give each person a bill for the food that they ordered so that everyone can pay separately? When we used to live there we would usually just divide the bill evenly amongst everyone despite how much someone ate or drank (we didn't really have any "over-eaters" in the group though) so we would usually just toss our cards/cash in after someone made the calculation.

Depends on the restaurant, but most will divide it for you.

[Drover]

If you've got 6 people, I'd highly advise letting the server know ahead of time.

[MannheimMadman]

Don't many places automatically lump it all into one bill and automatically add 18%? That's a pretty large group.

[Feeling Brackish]

Most places will split the check for you, but there can be limitations. I worked in a restaurant that specifically wouldn't split checks for tables with more than six people.　As for the gratuity added, as Manheim mentioned: Most restaurants use computers to compute the check, and so the gratuity will automatically be split appropriately among all the checks.

I definitely recommend letting your server know in advance if there are going to be more than two separate checks or if it may be really complicated to figure out later. (sometimes no one remembers how many drinks they've had when everyone's been drinking)　

[j33]

A lot of places will only split the check two or three ways, and usually a group of six will have an 18% gratuity added to the check.

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by Drover

If you've got 6 people, I'd highly advise letting the server know ahead of time.

Some places, it doesn't matter, if you tell them you have 6 people and want it split they won't do it. Or, even better, they won't split one person out because that person is leaving early. Those are the places I won't patronize anymore.

It seems to be a Chicago thing... everywhere else I've ever lived they will ask you if you want separate checks to begin with. Here they just assume that everybody wants to spend 15 minutes figuring out how to split their bill.

[Feeling Brackish]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

Some places, it doesn't matter, if you tell them you have 6 people and want it split they won't do it. Or, even better, they won't split one person out because that person is leaving early. Those are the places I won't patronize anymore.

It seems to be a Chicago thing... everywhere else I've ever lived they will ask you if you want separate checks to begin with. Here they just assume that everybody wants to spend 15 minutes figuring out how to split their bill.

Just thought I'd mention that the restaurant I worked in that didn't allow split checks for tables of more than six wasn't in Chicago, it was in Florida.

I've been to restaurants in many states, and rarely have I ever been asked if I wanted the check split. You really should let the server know if you plan to split up the check.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

Some places, it doesn't matter, if you tell them you have 6 people and want it split they won't do it.

Which is exactly why I advise asking ahead of time, because it sucks to learn this only after you've all been served your meals.

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by Drover

Which is exactly why I advise asking ahead of time, because it sucks to learn this only after you've all been served your meals.

Absolutely! My problem comes when I try to ask them and they have a fit about it. That's when I either don't order anything or leave.