Restaurant work

[midnight armadillo]

I may repost this Monday morning when there are more people on DU...

I'll be looking for a part time job in Feb or so. I'm thinking of waiting tables since it'll be evenings and weekends and won't conflict with my real job. The rent's gotta get paid though!

Since I've never done this before, how much can one earn? I imagine there's a sweet spot for earnings since high-end restaurants will have low turnover and the el-cheapo places won't generate much in the way of tips. There's a local 99 restaurant that's packed to the gills 7 days a week I might look into. Any thoughts?

[Don_G]

1. Off-Hand

Salary isn't squat but you make your money in tips anyway.

How much you earn is strictly up to you and how much you put into the job.

[scarlet_owl]

2. I've waitressed many years and have worked in a variety of

places. All I can tell you is waiting tables is not a great part time job, as it is horribly exhausting. Of course, that's dependent on how hard you work. The worst tips I recieved were at a family-type locally owned restaurant. The best were at a national seafood chain that rhymes with "Dead Mobster". It is a job where, if you want to make any money, you have to multitask. Don't forget to always be "on" for your customers. That's the hardest part. I hope this helps.

[cliss]

3. I believe waiting on tables is

minimum wage; here in Oregon it's $6.75 (?). It's low because you are expected to make up the difference in tips. I understand it can be quite a bit sometimes. The IRS does require you to declare your tips as income.

I understand that delivery work can sometimes pay more. Are there any more profitable ways to moonlight?

[Lisa0825]

4. wow! Here in Texas, waiters make $2.10 an hour plus tips.

I hated working at Red Lobster, but then, that was in Waco. I have done catering, private clubs, and delivery. I think I liked catering best, but it wasn't as consistent, other than holiday season. Here in the houston area, I worked at a Papa's (It was in the Greenspoint area, but before the "rejuvenation" of the area). There's little more disappointing than waiting on a table of sweet ladies who looooove you, and giving them GREAT service, just to have one of them stick a dollar in your hand and smile and say thank you..... man that was rough. I varied from 25 to 60 in tips on weeknights there. It wasn't worth it. I worked cocktail at a nightclub, and that was much better... 35 to 150 weeknights, 80-250 weekends. But the nights are later, and harder if you have a day job.

My advice would be find a moderately priced high volume place. Upscale places typically want someone with experience already

[Skittles]

11. Wacko Texas gives me the creeps

when I drive to Austin I try to get through Waco as fast as possible!

[Robb]

5. As an ex-waiter

...for only a few months... :)

It's all about tips; many states (including Colorado) have laws that say the restaurant doesn't even have to give you minimum wage as a salary; I was making $2.15 when I left.

Tips are directly related to the cost of the meal, and the business of the restaurant. Having done both, a busy restaurant with $8 meals will make you more than a slow one with $18 meals, but only if the traffic is there. Over time I came to prefer slower traffic, maybe a dozen tables on a busy night, but higher price point -- partly because my work to income ratio was a little better (for a lazybones like me). For another thing, the employee meal is better.

I think every should have a period of time where they live off waiting tables. Knowing you can do that if you have to makes other work a little easier -- "Well, I know I can survive waiting tables." :)

[LanternWaste]

6. Grow a thick skin and grow it FAST...

In 1986 (in Texas) I worked a summer waiting tables at a local Bennigan's and since I was new to the job, I got shafted with the lunch crowd. At the times, I was earning $2.01/hr plus tips. Tips varied from crowd to crowd but genreally averaged about 7% of the bill (either I was a crappy waiter or the they were crappy customers...probably a little of both).

Only advice I can give is if you decide to take the job, grow a thick skin and grow it fast. Any complaint the customer's have re: the food, the ambience, the smoke, the noise (i.e., all those things outside of your control) become your fault to them and in many cases, they'll let you know both in tipping and in words....

[RebelOne]

7. I helped out an ex-boyfriend at one time when one of his waitresses quit

I had never waited tables in my life and I would never do it again. I wish you luck.

[bluedeminredstate]

8. It's not bad

I've always thought if you can wait tables you can do just about anything. It takes some organization and a "game face" because you've got a lot to juggle and customers to be nice to without seeming to kiss their asses. It's tough sometimes, but then you have those nights when you're "in the zone" and having 8 tables of 4's and 6's is no big deal.
I worked at tourist factories (anyone know Yoken's - "Thar She Blows" - in Portsmouth, NH?), high-end places, and places in between. The best money was at the medium-priced places that did high volume and turned over the tables fast. In the very expensive places you can spend hours with a table and if they don't tip well it can screw up your earnings for the night.
It can be good money, and it is very good experience that I highly recommend. Of course years later I still have those nightmares where I've forgotten to wait on all my tables and they've been waiting for me for hours!
Good Luck! If you need extra cash I think you're on the right track since you'll have the potential to make way over minimum wage.

[put out]

9. Server's Nightmares!

I still have them, too. Walking out to start my shift, finding myself the only one working the floor, no dishwasher/bus person (quit but neglected to mention it), cook showed up late and hungover and hadn't done any prep work, faucet in the wait station busted, hostess (owner's girlyfriend, usless but better paid) off doing who knows what, and people just coming in off the street and seating themselves. Oh, wait, that was no nightmare, that really happened.

One time, my hungover cook gave me a meal to serve that was completely unacceptable, and I'm no picky eater. After hissing at each other for a while, and him refusing to correct it, I tried to fix it myself, while the diner's companion's meal got cold. I didn't do too well, and the meal was refused. When I brought it back to the kitchen and told the cook why, he yelled real loud "If she doesn't like it, she can suck my dick!" The whole restaurant heard him.

Yes, waiting tables is a fun and easy way to make big bucks. Plus, around here they make about $2.30 an hour, and are taxed as though they are getting 10% tips. After your shift is over (at least for me in some places I worked) we had to tip the hostess, the bartenders, the busboys, pay parking. Yes, you can make some money, but you can't predict how much and when. Good servers are valuable beyond measure. Tip generously, please.

[cyclezealot]

10. Not related directly to topic.

Once I was sitting at a bar/resaurant in Toulouse,France.The owner was Scottish. Had a talk about the worth of working in minimum wage jobs with the owner and one server.
I mentioned Restaurant work in the U.S. is looked down upon and many refuse to do it..I believe all work is honest(I think?) and all work should be respected.
I explained in the US tips can be minimal if you are unlucky and you get no benefits. Europeans take pride in serving you their epicurian delights..While not up to par with an engineer status, it is respected. A way to get through school and not live in the streets.
There- the resaturant workers are guaranteed a decent minimum wage and a minimum benefit package being required for all workers.
At first the restaurant worker did not understand, but upon my describing the nature of minimum wage work in the U.S.; she did very much understand..Said if she tolerated similiar work conditions in Toulouse, she would then not accept such a job.
In France, the minimum wage is about $7.50 an hour. Medical coverage for all.Why would one refuse restaurant work?
Never work at all, ever; you get no medical coverage. Accept any type of job,you have medical coverage for life.
The oddity.. No tipping in Europe. Restaurant meals were not much different from US prices. Tips are built into the bill at like 10%.Poor service you can demand a reduction of the bill.At least they say you can?
I found apartment rent cheaper in Southern France than urban America. Like $350-$550 for the average flat. Toulouse is a city of like 500.000.It is where they make the European 'Airbus.'
I believe the European work model encourages workers to accept work that Americans would snicker at.! I base this upon conditions I saw two years ago..Don't think inflation has been any worse there, than California.