Service Charge vs. Tip: What’s the Difference at Cafe Brunch Budapest?
- Cafe Brunch Budapest
- Sep 14
- 3 min read
At Cafe Brunch Budapest, we always aim to be transparent with our guests. Whether you’re joining us for a hearty breakfast, a lazy brunch with friends, or a quick coffee and pastry, we want you to feel comfortable not only with your meal but also with how our pricing works.
One of the most common questions we receive is:
“What is the difference between the service charge and the tip?”
It’s a great question, and we’d love to clarify this for you.
Why We Introduced a Service Charge
Like many other restaurants in Budapest—and in fact, across many European cities—we have introduced a mandatory 13% service charge in all our restaurants. This isn’t an extra “hidden cost,” but rather part of the overall price of dining with us.
Here’s why this system is so important:
When restaurants like ours pay out the service charge to our staff, we don’t need to deduct the standard 15% income tax. Instead, we only deduct the 18.5% social insurance tax. This means that a larger portion of that service charge actually goes directly to our employees. In simple terms: it allows us to pay our team a better wage for their hard work.
Our goal has always been to build a workplace where our team feels valued and fairly rewarded. By having a transparent service charge in place, we can achieve this in a sustainable way.
So, What About the Tip?
The tip is different. Unlike the service charge, it is completely optional.
A tip is a way for guests to express their appreciation if they feel especially satisfied with the food, the service, and their overall Cafe Brunch experience. In Hungary, the usual tip is around 10%, but of course, it’s always up to you whether you’d like to leave a tip—or not.
When paying by credit card, our payment terminals make this very easy. You’ll see buttons offering 5%, 10%, or 15%, but there’s also always a 0% option. So, if you’d prefer not to add a tip, that’s absolutely fine. We never want our guests to feel pressured.
Why This Distinction Matters
We completely understand why some guests may feel confused. After all, “service charge” and “tip” can sound like the same thing. But in reality, they serve different purposes:
Service charge (13%): Mandatory, included in your bill, and helps us pay our staff better thanks to tax benefits. It’s part of the price of your meal.
Tip: Optional, a personal choice to show appreciation, usually around 10% in Hungary.
By keeping these two separate, we can both ensure fair wages for our team and give guests the freedom to decide if they’d like to add an extra thank-you.
Our Promise to You
At Cafe Brunch Budapest, transparency and hospitality go hand in hand. We want you to know exactly what you’re paying for and why. We believe this clarity helps build trust—not just between us and our guests, but also between us and our wonderful staff.
So next time you visit us—whether at our Opera location, our cozy Szentendre garden, or any of our brunch spots in the city—you can relax, enjoy your meal, and know that the service charge is already taking care of our team. Any extra tip you choose to leave is simply an added gesture of kindness and appreciation.
We are deeply grateful for your support and for choosing Cafe Brunch Budapest. Thanks to you, we can continue to serve not just delicious food, but also smiles from a team that feels valued and motivated.
In short:
Service charge = already included, supports fair staff wages.
Tip = optional thank-you, entirely your choice.
We hope this clears things up and makes your dining experience with us even more enjoyable.
We look forward to welcoming you soon—brunch is waiting! 🥞☕🍳