Before I move forward with this post about Vice President Mike Pence possibly leaving a less than generous tip to his server, I need to make two things clear:
- We do not know for certain that this receipt is actual. I’ve done some digging and it seems very likely, but I have not been able to confirm. More on that later.
- This is not a post meant to slam Vice President Mike Pence simply because of who he is. This post has all to do with the fact that a very famous man who has plenty of money apparently left a bad tip to his server and I slam anyone who leaves shitty tips.
Moving on…there is a photo of a receipt going viral on Twitter that alleges Mike Pence went to eat in a restaurant and left a $5.00 tip on a $44.25 check. The Tweet is from a “friend of a friend” so it’s ripe for hoaxes, but a lot of it checks out.
Here’s the character of these people.
A friend’s friend works at a restaurant that served @Mike_Pence at lunch today.
He tipped $5 on $45 bill.
This is who these people are. Remember that, always. pic.twitter.com/T1dILFzF2N
— Sachin Chheda (@skchheda) December 30, 2020
The receipt is from a restaurant called Coyote Cafe and dated 12/29/20. There is a Coyote Cafe in Beaver Creek, Colorado and their online menu shows the exact same sandwich on the receipt, a chipotle chicken sandwich. Mike Pence was in Vail, Colorado this week and Beaver Creek happens to be a quick 18 minute drive from Vail. The signature on the receipt looks very similar to Mike Pence’s real signature with the same swoopy-loopy “M” and the open “P.” 
Finally, doesn’t Mike Pence and his wife seem like they would be the kind of people who order two hot chocolates and a ginger ale for lunch? I did reach out to the Coyote Cafe for a confirmation, but have not heard back from them yet.
Now, let’s move on to the amount that Pence ALLEGEDLY left his server. The bill was $44.25 and he left $5.00. That is an 11.29% tip. So, maybe he doesn’t tip on the tax, right? Okay, that would make the bill $42.38 and the tip balloons to 11.79%. Giving Pence the benefit of the doubt, let’s say he also ignored the B.C. Assessment (B.C. Assessment is “Beaver Creek Assessment.” Every business in Beaver Creek Resort pays this % for upkeep of the resort) and tipped only on the food and beverage itself which was a total of $40.23. That means he left a 12.42% tip. Any way you look at it, it’s a crap tip. Servers in Colorado make $8.98 an hour while minimum wage in that state is $11.10. Granted, while servers in Beaver Creek aren’t making the pittance of $2.13 an hour, they probably still expect at least a 15% tip, especially from someone who has enough money to spend their Christmas vacation skiing in Vail. The annual salary for vice president is $235,000 so I’m pretty sure he could have reached deep down into his Dockers and found another few bucks.
Alright, so maybe Pence and Mother received awful service and that’s why he left such a grinchy ass tip. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t matter! When you’re as famous and wealthy as someone like Mike Pence, you have to know that leaving a bad tip is going to leak out all over social media just like Rudy Giuliani’s hair dye. It would just make more sense to squeeze out an additional $3.85 to leave an even 20% tip. That way, the server might be disappointed for not getting more from a rich person, but couldn’t really complain either because 20% is what we all strive for.
Again, I have not been able to clarify that this is an actual receipt. All signs point to yes, but if the restaurant reaches out to me with more info, I will let you know. However, I don’t expect that to happen. They probably want the story to go away. Mike Pence probably wants the story to go away. And the server who got the bad tip is probably looking for a new job since posting a photo of a tip is probably against the rules of working in a restaurant that caters to the rich and famous. (If you’re the server this happened to, PLEASE reach out to me!)
 a Lousy Tipper){kind=link}
keepinitreal
I was a bartender for 6 years during school.
Dont work at a job that depends on the generosity of other people.
If it was required to add additional gratuity, it would have been placed on the bill. Just because someone earns more, doesnt mean youre automatically entitled to their money. You make more than the majority of people in Africa or Asia or Eastern Europe. How about you start donating your money over there if you feel that your earned money needs to be given as charity. Dont be a hypocrite, there are plenty of places to donate your money to.
Alex
Yes, Mike Pence was there in BC on that date and so was I skiing and picking up my son. Coyote Cafe is small to begin with and has very limited seating under the current COVID-19 restrictions.
This was most likely a TAKE OUT ORDER, which would make the TIP just OK for a take out order in my opinion. In my personal opinion he should have done a little a little better, just given the spotlight on the current administration.
Amy
I Iive here Had he gone from Vail to BC, there would have been security and police escort to get there. In our small town, that inconvenience is wide known. It did not happen.
MT
B C Assessment appears to be the Beaver Creek resort assessment so that makes this receipt at least geographically speaking a bit more authentic.
Vicki
I sometimes tip on the card less and leave some cash on the table.
jennifer andrews
Pence isn’t even IN colorado! Remove this lame post.
Kari
Yes he is…
https://www.outtherecolorado.com/news/vice-president-pence-visits-colorado-resort-town-for-holiday-vacation/article_54b4518a-493a-11eb-b670-c3c4e53b4c02.amp.html
Patricia
Yes he is.. been here over a week.. however I totally agree with you, this post is stupid.. like Pence has a Discover Card? ??
Michelle
I’m from Sanibel FL and Mike Pence has been to the restaurant I work at. I’ve waited on him and he has been in on several occasions. He is not a bad tipper. Not great but not bad. He also has only paid in cash the 4 times he has been in. I even got a picture with him and his wife!
RealToughChick
So. We gonna talk about how he used his DISCOVER card or nah?
Mark W
Granted, servers in Colorado have a higher minimum wage than many others in the country, but it’s important to remember that the cost of living in those ski resort areas is much higher than places like Topeka.
I think Pence just doesn’t give a shit. I would bet he tips $5 every time he eats out, no matter the amount of the check.