Upvote:5
In the US, it is generally advised you do not tip for takeout; however, this does not prohibit you from tipping the cashier anyways (which I do).
There's no concrete answer for this. Remember, tipping is a way to show that you appreciate the service wrought upon you; people don't tip if the service is bad or horrible, or tip less.
For myself, if I have to pick up food from the curbside takeout like you mentioned, I always tip 15%, because I consider it a service (I sit in my car and relax, and the staff needs to get the meals to my car and the payment processed). Of course, this can change if the experience is worse or better.
If you search online there's plenty of debate as to whether or not curbside takeout warrants a tip. I'd say at the end of the day, it's really up to you. Do you feel the service done for you is enough to warrant a tip?
Also note, some restaurants have employees only getting paid federal wage ($2.13 an hour) as a server, so getting a tip can be crucial in keeping their minimal wage up. As far as I know, there are only 7 states in the US that have a mandatory minimum wage for servers (~$7.25 USD).
Some additional debates: