Texas server goes viral for calling out non-tippers: ‘Zero dollars!’

A Texas Roadhouse server is stirring up debate about tipping culture after exposing what happens when diners skip the tip line.

Keven Manochit, a server and TikTok creator, shared a video showing a receipt for a $98 meal—completely unpaid on the tip line. His reaction was blunt: “Zero (...) dollars!”

"Zero (...) dollars!"
— @kevenmanochit

Restaurant recieptCanva

Manochit explained what many diners don’t realize: servers often have to tip out a percentage of their total sales to bartenders and bussers. So when a table doesn’t tip, the server actually pays money out of pocket.

Server talking to customerCanva

Another server, @bossybottom10, agreed in a comment: “Every table we serve, we have to give a percentage of the sales from that check to bartenders/bussers, etc.”

"If you're not going to tip, at least keep the bill low so I don't have to pay extra!"
— @gabbyyyylocaa

Many in the restaurant community chimed in, sharing their own frustration. One user, @serans_, added, “I wish people understood this more!!! If I have 1k of food sales at my restaurant that means I pay $50 even if I didn’t get tipped that much the whole day.”

Tip jarCanva

Not everyone agreed. Some viewers argued tipping shouldn’t be expected at all.

@xoxogellssss wrote, “If tipping is make-or-break for you, maybe find a different job.”

Another, @deekayarr, questioned how often servers really lose money, saying, “Post videos of the tips you do get. I know a lot of people in the server community, and even on bad days, they are still taking home decent tips.”

Unhappy serverCanva

Manochit didn’t stop there. In a follow-up video, he directly called out regulars who never tip yet expect good service every time.

"We know you don't tip, and that's exactly why we serve you the way we serve you." — @kevenmanochit

His response split viewers again. Some praised him for exposing entitled customers, while others criticized him for letting it affect his professionalism.

The viral rant has reignited a familiar question: should tipping remain a standard part of dining in the U.S., or should restaurants simply pay fair wages so servers don’t depend on tips to make a living?

What’s your take—should tipping stay, or should it go?

This article originally appeared earlier this year.