[screye]

I am surprised that to-go orders are tipped in the first place.

Aren't waiters tipped because the law allows them to be paid below minimum wage? AFAIK, behind the counter service people get paid commensurately, so tipping them doesn't make sense.

[retromagik]

On the west coast waiters make minimum wage and there is still a tipping culture. Because of this, being a server or a waiter can be a very high paying job. To-go orders usually get tipped, but closer to 5-10% as opposed to the standard 15-20 for a sit down restaurant.