Which day of the week will you tip restaurant staff the most?

It's not as obvious as you might think

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Tipping is second-nature to most diners, but the amount we leave behind after dining out is surprisingly varied.

A study conducted by Cake, a restaurant management technology company, has revealed that there's a specific day that tippers hit their peak generosity.

And while you'd assume it would be booze-soaked diners on a Friday evening, thanks to an increasing fixation with brunch - Sunday’s reign King when it comes to tipping.

The statistics, which come from the credit card transactions of around 2,000 independent restaurants in America, found that Sunday mornings yield the highest tip percentages compared to any other day of the week.

Gratuities reach an average of 20 per cent between 10am. and noon compared to an average of 16 per cent on any other given day.

That being said, they aren’t necessarily the most fruitful day for servers as a whole.

It might be the best time to find generous tippers but lower revenue compared to weekend evenings means the overall number of tips servers receive is reduced. Alas, for waiters and waitresses, Fridays are really still the best bet for bagging the most cash.

While Sunday morning is the time you’ll tip most liberally, late evenings on any day except Monday make a close second with people tipping an average 18 per cent during the evenings after 6pm. and at 19 per cent at 10pm, when tipping peaks.

But when are we at our most stingy? On every other morning besides Sunday, the data shows that breakfast time yields an average of 13 per cent tips, while on Monday nights it can fall to as little as 12 per cent by 10pm.

Clearly, early mornings and the Monday blues make for peeved patrons which results in a tipping tragedy.

Of course, there are lots of variables that influence the amount we tip. Visiting on a Sunday, with a serious case of hangover belly could make for a larger order and thus, the need for a higher tip.

Similarly, it seems that the time of year has an affect on how generous we’re feeling as Cake revealed that on holidays like Christmas and New Year’s day the amount we tip actually rises by three per cent compared to normal days throughout the year.