Montrealers tip more at restaurants than most Canadians but they expect better service

Montreal's restaurant scene might be world-class, but so are its diners — at least when it comes to tipping. New data indicates that locals are among the most generous tippers in the country, but they expect service to match.

A recent poll from Lightspeed Commerce, which surveyed over 7,000 restaurant-goers across North America and Europe, found that Montrealers are more likely to tip 15–20% than the average Canadian. While just 29% of Canadians reported tipping in that range, 35% of Montrealers said they do.

But that generosity comes with expectations. Rude service was the number one dealbreaker for Montrealers, with 48% saying they'd never return to a restaurant after a bad experience with staff. Other pet peeves included cold food (29%), long waits (27%), and sticky tables or menus (22%).

"For Montreal diners, the experience is paramount. They're not just looking for a meal; they're expecting professional, fast service in a clean environment," said JD Saint-Martin, President of Lightspeed Commerce. "Restaurants that fail to deliver on these fundamental aspects risk losing a significant portion of their clientele."

The report, which surveyed 1,000 Canadians who dined out in the past few months, also showed that tipping isn't always expected in every situation. While 55% of Montrealers are fine tipping for food delivery, just 17% felt it was necessary at counter service spots, and only 37% said the same about coffee shops.

However, as debates about tipping culture rage on, 33% of Montreal respondents said they'd rather pay more for their meals if it meant eliminating tipping altogether.

And while the practice of leaving a little extra doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon, Quebec recently implemented a new law stating that restaurants, bars, and cafes have to calculate suggested tip percentages based on the pre-tax total — not after GST and QST are added.

Love this? Check out our MTL Blog noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!

AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.