A few things you might not know about restaurants...

[settiai]

I've had a couple of questions in some of my recent work-related posts, so I thought that I'd throw together another quick post for those of you who've never been lucky enough to work in the restaurant business. Hopefully this will be of interest to at least some of you.

Comments

[solar_cat]

I am pleased that many of these things were taught to me by my mother. <3 But I didn't know that one about where the item is on the check! Good to know!

(People seriously make their own lemonade? Really? o___0?? I've heard of bringing your own tea before, but lemonade?)

[effervescent]

I didn't know this either! Mostly the part about them having to tip out anyway, admittedly. Ugh. I don't know how people make a living in this job.

I still think that the idea of paying at less than minimum wage is criminal.

[waterfarie88]

I didn't know either. :( I should probably stop yelling at my boyfriend for leaving behind at least 15% tips every time then.

[wiliqueen]

15% used to be standard. These days, at least in major cities and their suburbs, it's a minimum, and pretty much says your service was barely adequate.

I made $2/hr plus tips in NINETEEN EIGHTY-SIX, when the regular minimum wage was $3.10. It really is criminal that it's been mostly exempt from the increases in the regular federal minimum wage.

[viciouswishes]

Ah, I knew most all those things except the item at the bottom. Now I will check if that happens to me.

I still can't believe the ridiculousness of paying servers that little. Especially since I know lots of assholes who don't tip or tip extremely low. And to think it's government supported!

[geminia905]

Certain factions within the government (or at least attempting to get within the government) are trying to repeal minimum wage altogether.

[viciouswishes]

Yeah, I've heard about that. And I wonder when they're going to realize that we working people outnumber them...

[geminia905]

Very interesting. I knew some but not all.

Still wrapping my mind around the lemonade thing...

[stunt_muppet]

I had no idea that tips were divided up like that! I assumed that the server got all of it, and it seems really unfair to make servers do that when getting any kind of proper wage depends on tips. :( But I guess I don't know the way busboys or bartenders get paid, either.

Thank you for the advice on coupon use, though, as well as the note on the placement of the item on the receipt. So many things I didn't know!

[settiai]

As for busboys, bartenders, etc. it usually depends on the restaurant. In some places, they get paid minimum wage and get tips on top of that. In others, they get paid less than minimum wage (but still typically more than servers) and the tips make up the rest.