How to navigate the awkwardness of splitting the bill

Grabbing a bite with the gang is all fun and games until the check drops, and then it gets all awkward and uncomfortable. Everyone has an opinionIt's easier to deal with than having to split a check in complicated percentages at the end of the nigh on how to split the bill without being "that'' guy. Cue the bickering. A recent study found that most people have had at least one awkward moment when splitting the dinner bill. 

Kiki Aranita, a food editor at New York Magazine and the former co-chef and owner of Poi Dog, a Hawaiian restaurant in Philadelphia, believes that splitting the bill is a "fine art." She shared some tips on how to deal when it's time to divide the bill.

For latecomers to a group dinner, Aranita tells LAIST to request a separate check for food and drinks. This approach simplifies the process and avoids complicated percentage calculations at the end of the meal. It's important to inform the server about separate checks at the beginning of the meal to ensure accurate order tracking.

In situations where some diners abstain from alcohol while others indulge, Aranita tells the platform it is important to speak up. Addressing the discrepancy in orders can lead to a fairer bill distribution. Those who order more expensive items or multiple rounds of drinks should consider covering a larger portion of the tip to balance out the costs.

For large groups, Aranita recommends limiting the number of credit cards used for payment to two to four. This consideration helps servers manage the bill more efficiently, especially during busy periods. Diners can then use mobile payment apps to settle individual amounts among themselves.

Birthday celebrations at restaurants can lead to confusion about who pays. Aranita clarifies that if you organize your own birthday dinner, you shouldn't expect others to cover your meal. However, if friends invite you out for your birthday, they typically cover the cost.

Lastly, when introducing friends to a favorite restaurant, it's important to seek consent before ordering shared appetizers. Enthusiasm for a particular dish doesn't necessarily translate to everyone's willingness to split the cost. Aranita suggests seeking consent before ordering shared appetizers for the table. If this step is overlooked, the person who ordered should be prepared to cover the cost.

Understanding these various scenarios and solutions can help diners navigate the sometimes tricky waters of check sharing. By following these tips, group dining experiences can remain enjoyable, free from the awkwardness that often accompanies bill-splitting discussions.