Sex and the Single Check

Abstract

An exploratory participant-observation study of check-placement behaviors of waitresses and waiters revealed that norms of egalitarianism do not guide presentation of meal tabs. “Executive women” with male “guests” were only infrequently treated as hosts, in terms of check presentation. Older males dining with female hosts were more often given the tab than were younger males; younger servers tended to consider the man responsible for the check more often than did older servers; and, more expensive restaurants, especially at the dinner meal, tended to offer the check to the male guest rather than to the female host. Some theoretical implications of the observed behaviors are offered.