"How Much I Make As A Steakhouse Server"

A hundred dollars from each table?

Sounds like a ritzy place.

Nice work if you can get it

You can make decent money waiting tables at upscale popular restaurants. However it is very tough work. On your feet the whole time, dealing with assholes, fast paced. And terrible on your social life. You are always working at nights when everybody else is having fun, good luck with friends and dating.

Being a cute Twink helps.

This video is exceptional tippery. Thousand-dollar checks at a steak place? We don't know where this is. But it's not the usual. A friend is a food runner at a fancier-than-average and very busy breakfast/lunch place in Scottsdale AZ. He makes an average of $60 per 6-hour shift. The waiters average $120-$150 per shift.

OTOH, when I give a waiter $5 at Denny's, they think it's the most generous thing ever. One time I only had a $20, and asked the waitress if she could make change for her tip. She was near the end of her shift, and she didn't have change for a $20. She had only $16 and change in her apron. That is bullshit.

If you watched the video you would learn that he did NOT make 100 per table. The tips varied in size and generosity compared to the diners' check totals.

How much does he have to tip out though? I take my parents to a place like this once a year, and the servers have like ... "assistants" (who do water, etc.).

That waiter is giving something to busboys, bartenders, etc.

Plus the meals are such "productions" (actual courses, etc.) that the server only has time for 3-5 tables, which is actually not great. All it takes is 1-2 cheapskates per night (and there are plenty of them out there) that leave 15% or order light (or both).

[quote] And terrible on your social life.

I actually had a very active social life during my restaurant days. My coworkers and I would party after our shifts. There were still places that were open (serving alcohol), so we'd go there.

This is why if you talk to any (decent) waiter you will find that they don't want to lose the tipping system for a higher wage amd are annoyed by the do gooder outsiders that keep pushing for it. Even at places far less fancy than this you can make really good bread. Way more than what the restaurants would pay if tips didn't exist.

OP "Yeah cuz it's all bout them overpaid servers !' ...Shit For Brains

I can believe it - on Fri, Sat nights. Being a waiter at an expensive restaurant always pays well in the US.

But it's a shitty system - these people get overpaid while mid to budget friendly restaurant waiters scrape by.

Any type of tipping or commission based system on high-priced items is a scam. If you buy a $500 bottle of wine, I'm supposed to tip you $100 for bringing it and opening it? I feel the same way about real-estate agents with the prices of homes now. You're going to get a $30k commission on selling a $1M house in SoCal, which is a very average house?

Anyone can see that's a fucked up system. I understand - if you can't afford to tip appropriately, then don't go out.

But Americans are getting to a breaking point with tipping and real estate agent commissions.

At one (very expensive) restaurant that I know of, all tips are pooled and split. There are more employees than customers even on a good night, about 40 seats, and just short of 50 employees. They average 1 turnover per cover per evening. A waiter can make +$100k per year there, and it's a career. Good luck on getting hired.

Waiting on a table whose bill is over $1000 is probably excruciating.

R12 - yes, a lot of the steakhouses have employees who have worked there for 15-30 years. There seems to be a lot of immigrants who know they can't make the same money anywhere else.

They're going to razzle-dazzle the customers and will NEVER leave. But something about that dynamic feels exploitative.

The steakhouses tend to stick around - the more expensive high-end restaurants tend to have a shelf-life of about 8-12 years at most before closing or changing.

One of my friends works in a restaurant, they feed their employees free. So that's a perk

I waited tables in college then worked at Jeremiah Tower's Stars in San Francisco for almost a year. A hype restaurant. I was handsome and the least talented and youngest waiter and it was exhausting and high pressure work. I burnt out and quit to work at The Stud and DNA, gritty nightclubs of the day. They were more my speed. Then I decided I hated SF in the 80s and left. The end. Hats off to anyone who can make a career waiting at a trendy expensive restaurant. Talent and grit, and serving the correct vibe to every table.

It's a scam, then what they actually claim of those tips is up for grabs, they all cheat, the restaurant too. What's happened with the MN ban on tipping, or Wisconsin or somewhere, I wonder how that's going. We vote our displeasure by limiting sit down places and thus the tip, no goddamn tip for counter service bitches

R16 - that's well said 'serving the correct vibe to every table' - the good waiters can read a table and adjust. The more outgoing and joking ones really put on a show and make it worthwhile.

For some it's service AND entertainment - those are the ones that really rack it up.

I just can't suck up to people I hate - it's a trait that has never served me well. I already actively dislike half the population - I'd imagine it would be like 90% hating in a steakhouse.

R18, same! I am not fake. Some people I know lay it on thick...I just can't

It’s not really that much. First there are taxes, roughly 30% so $400 becomes $280. You can cheat on tips, not claiming the whole amount, but that’s much harder to get away with these days now that everyone pays with a card and the amounts are easily found in an audit. After taxes, you’ve got to tip out the bartender, busboys, hostess, and expediters. This is typically atleast 10% so $280 becomes $252.

That might sound like a lot but restaurants in which servers make this much are generally only in upscale and urban areas which costs more to live in, or you have a long commute in and have to pay to park your car.

He’s not rolling in it.

[quote] One of my friends works in a restaurant, they feed their employees free. So that's a perk

He mentioned making baked potatoes for their "family meal," which I assume is what the employees eat.

They not only get good tips, but they get to eat well too. For free!

Shirtless.

[quote]Waiting on a table whose bill is over $1000 is probably excruciating.

R13 I wish I could remember the exact episode in The Sopranos where the waiter asked Christopher why he only tipped $50 on a $1000+ bill and was shot (killed) for asking!

The comments at the bottom of his video are pretty critical of not necessarily him, but of the system in general.

[quote] @kekef3620

[quote] Everyone, please keep in mind this is a high end steak house. The average server at IHOP or Applebees isnt making anywhere close to this. And they work a lot of tables.

[quote] @KodyLemire

[quote] So shitty for the cooks in the back that been there all day making 15 an hour 😂

[quote] @thesam9833

[quote] This is it. The reason I left the restaurant industry.

[quote] I put 10 years into cooking. Worked my way up from a dishwasher to a kitchen manager/sous chef. I was at the point where I had mastered most positions, made my own menus, worked as a Sous Chef under some really great Chefs.

[quote] Despite having a decade of experience and skills that took years to develop, time and time again I watched pretty face servers waltz in and make in 4 hours double what I made in 12.

[quote] For all of the people here saying servers have it rough, you're nuts. Cooks put up with more stress, more labor, possess more skill, and may not put up with customer's crap but still put up with the servers. Its a terrible dynamic. The harder job pays half the wage.

[quote] @kananeesh7900

[quote] Americas tipping culture is outta control

[quote] @brokechef1606

[quote] Servers bringing home the cooks bi weekly check in a weekend 😂 god I don’t miss the industry

[quote] @fidd1442

[quote] Tipping based on your order is fucking crazy. If I get a $20 burger as opposed to the $100 steak. For just carrying the food, I have to pay more for the $100 steak? Bullshit. My parents have always paid according to percentage value and to this day I still don’t understand why. How did this shit even happen?

[quote] @nathanwinning8331

[quote] I remember working 13 hour doubles as a cook on a busy Saturday to not even make $200 before taxes. And servers (who worked less than 3 hours that night) complaining about only making $200. Back of the house always gets the short end of the stick

[quote] @snowblo1

[quote] And this is why I always say, do not let waiters & waitresses fool you. They don't want the tipping culture to end. They don't want to go to an hourly wage. And honestly I don’t blame them. That's some pretty good money. And steakhouses in New York & Chicago and the like make way more thn that. Some of the waitstaff that worked at the old Carnegie Deli used to make a few hundred thousand per year. Don’t be fooled, people.

[quote] @garolstipock

[quote] "TipZilla" is why my dining out has plummeted to rarely ever these days.

Former restaurant worker here.

By the time you get to be a server at a high-end place like this, you've probably paid your dues in other restaurants.

Yes, the restaurant business is looks-based, to some extent, and I know that some people get opportunities largely based on looks.

However, you normally don't just walk into these high-end jobs.

Also, the diners who eat / drink at these kinds of places should be able to afford the tip.

Nice money

Former restaurant worker here, again.

"Family" or "free" meal: Varies widely. The worst family meals I had were from the fanciest places I worked. The best family meals I had were from mid-priced restaurants. They would let you order off of an abbreviated version of the regular menu.

The women working the breakfast shift at my local NJ diner make a lot of money in tips. And people mostly leave their tips in cash. They have a lot of regular customers, a lot of men, the place is very busy and turn over is fast. They make a killing.

But those breakfast shift waitresses really work their asses off during their shift, R28.

Probably running around like crazy, taking hundreds of orders, and on their feet the entire time.

This guy was complaining about boredom, having to fold napkins, making food for the employee family meal, and then only waiting on four tables. All during a four hour shift.

And for that, he probably made the same amount of money that those breakfast waitresses make, if not more.

It's really not fair.

R29 You're right that those waitresses work like crazy but they really kind of run the place and don't take shit from anyone. It's a NJ diner, not a professional high-end setting, so expectations are not as high.

"Everyone, please keep in mind this is a high end steak house. The average server at IHOP or Applebees isnt making anywhere close to this. And they work a lot of tables."

While this is true, a waiter at a low end restaurant can still make really good money all things considered. Yes, if it's a chain, that's going to be more difficult because the people with money that are looking for pancakes are probably going to pick the mom and pop breakfast cafe or even a diner over a chain restaurant like IHOP. So, you work at a chain at your own risk. But even then, if that chain restaurant is in a good location, if you do your job well, you're going to make far more than the cooks and more than what you'd get if tips didn't exist.

Hot women and men get the best tips, especially if they're a bit flirty. But if you're not hot, have a good personality and do your job well. Part of that job is acting. Serve people well and play your character (whatever that may be based on the type of restaurant and your own age/looks) well and you're going to do well.

[quote] Hot women and men get the best tips, especially if they're a bit flirty.

Yeah, and a lot of "back of the house" people seem to resent the fuck out of that, because they get paid much less than the attractive people up front.

My friend dates a polish girl and she took us to a polish restaurant in brooklyn. She's friends with one of the waitress, the waitress would tell us that their own people, the polish are super cheap, if the meal is 200 bucks, they only tip 1 dollar. cheap cunts.

R33 - if they're from Poland, maybe they're not used to tipping culture?

From what I've seen online, I feel bad for the Sunday morning breakfast servers. Apparently, the older church crowd is THE WORST - demanding, rude and don't tip.

I couldn't imagine being slightly hung-over from a Sat night, going to Sunday morning shift and have to deal with these church assholes.

And pretty young women servers rack up well with male-only tables. The girlfriend or spouse can be jealous and make sure those tips aren't that big. I don't think good-looking male servers get better tips necessarily.

I've found most steakhouse servers are guys between mid 40s and 60s and average looks but tons of personality.

You’re crazy as a steakhouse server!

"I don't think good-looking male servers get better tips necessarily."

They absolutely do from the gays. And they can smell a gay from a mile away.

And sometimes from a group of women.

But gay men tip attractive men VERY well.

Thanks probably to this thread and TikTok's spy algorithm, I encountered a tiktok video on restaurant servers today. In the comments, somebody asserted that the acceptable minimum tip these days is 20%, to be applied to all purchases, fees and taxes. Many people disagreed, but several defended this.

Why should the percentage go up when the cost of the goods is going up, and many places are charging bogus fees too? The people who mentioned that 15% has been customary forever got shouted down.

It's 20%.

I have a friend who is a career waiter. 700-1100 nights were not rare. Big steak and seafood place in Chicago that was packed every night with corporate expense types. A table of 8 people all drinking cocktails, appetizers, entrees, wine, dessert, after dinner drinks can easily be 2K. My husband worked in the liquor distribution business and Vegas was once party of his territory. He would share stories about the insane money some cocktail waitresses in Vegas. The super rich or super stupid can spend 30K on a night of bottle service and might slide the server 5K. And that's without sucking the first dick.

Yeah, plus corporate types have expense accounts

I'm not American so these kind of threads confuse me sometimes. Is it true waiters/waitresses aren't paid any kind of hourly or shift pay and rely only on tips? So someone could go home with $20 or $2000 depending on the customers they get?

What is the justification for this? I don't even see how that's legal. It's like a form of prostitution.

They are paid a lower hourly wage plus tips, it is an old outdated system that every scams out on, servers and restaurant owners and managers are all complicite. They should all be paid hourly and do the job they were hired to do, like I did and most honest people do.

Most servers are fine with it.

[quote] Being a cute Twink helps.

He's a punk in this video but he probably really turns on the charm when he's serving -- all smiles, giggles and longing gazes from those beautiful brown eyes.

[quote] This video is exceptional tippery. Thousand-dollar checks at a steak place? We don't know where this is. But it's not the usual. A friend is a food runner at a fancier-than-average and very busy breakfast/lunch place in Scottsdale AZ. He makes an average of $60 per 6-hour shift. The waiters average $120-$150 per shift.

???? At any upscale chain steakhouse (Eddie V., Del Frisco, STK, etc.) $1,000 is five adults who drink alcohol with dinner. I don't know where this slavic Latinx twink dish works but if it is any one of those, those tips are just a typical weekday

The boy is cute and this was not his first serving job. On his channel, he has a vid from three years about being a server at Cracker Barrel. I skipped through it, so I may not have all the details. But it seems he was making 150 to 200 bucks a shift back then, which means he was good at his job. One guy invited him back to his hotel room. (He did not accept. I did watch that part. LOL.)

[quote] I don't know where this slavic Latinx twink dish works but if it is any one of those, those tips are just a typical weekday

He's actually mixed Filipino and White from Somewhere in Indiana.

His name on his YouTube Channel is "Kyle Zajac," and here's his Instagram.

This photo says he went to Whiteland (lol) Community High School, which is in a suburb of Indianapolis.

So are there any high end steakhouses in Indianapolis? That's probably where he works.

Do you have to dox him like that? I know it's all easily findable info, but, really...

What are you talking about, R48??

"Dox" him?

Get a fucking grip.

He puts his name on his YouTube Channel, do a simple search on Google and his Instagram comes up, and he's putting his fucking INCOME receipts from his job ONLINE for the world to see. Including the IRS.

There's nothing this guy is hiding from ANYONE.

Moreover, he's doing this because he's writing a "Server's Guide" to teach people how to become a server at an upscale restaurant, and he's selling it online and wants you to sign up for it. It's the first comment on the video at op's link. SIGN UP NOW!

Nobody is fucking DOXING him, you moron.

Yes, I saw his youtube channel, r49.

Dox is a bit of exaggeration, sure.

Prolly Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is the most expensive one in Indy.....but I don't get out much.

Twink.

"Ruth's Chris Steakhouse" Yuck, I can't imagine what is the attraction is to white straight people about that place, other than it's one of the names that they are familiar with.

I ate at Ruth's Chris once and was disappointed. I ordered creamed spinach, which is a steak house classic and should be good. Meh.

You can have it all-enjoy.

This kid needs a good ass fucking!

R56 don't forget to tip him!

He already declined a proposition from a guy, R56.

Why in the hell would this thread be grayed out?

That is so fucking weird.

R48 must be pissed because he got told off, and decided to spam FF this thread.

he'll be making lots of money during the holidays!

I went to a steakhouse a few days ago with some friends...it was packed! And menu is not cheap!

Working for tips is fine if you're good at serving. A lot of it isn't just the quality of service, it's the up-selling: a good server sells alcoholic drinks, wine, appetizers and desserts. There's a method to it. It enlarges the check and therefore the tip.

A good server can also easily carry extra tables and customers if they are well-organized and know how to think ahead on their feet. And also well-trained, as in knowing how to defuse angry customer interactions, how to promote good service, etc.

He definitely looks like a hustler, R62.

He doesn't seem particularly smart, but I'll bet he's really good at everything you mentioned.

None of this is any reason for the employer not to pay the legal minimum wage.

[quote] None of this is any reason for the employer not to pay the legal minimum wage.

What are you talking about?

Of course the employer is paying the legal minimum wage.

The tips are on top of that.

R65 Oh ok, I thought that some places were allowed to hire people just to work for tips and that this was one of these.

He's semi-cute but has a weirdly monotonous voice. That impacts on his charm and so I suspect it might depress my tip were I there.

“How Much I Make As A Private Dancer”

[quote]None of this is any reason for the employer not to pay the legal minimum wage.

This has been put as a ballot referendum in several states in the US. It just failed in Massachusetts last month. Tipped workers like being able to keep their tips, most of them make more money that way. They don't generally want to pool their tips, that decreases motivation to upsell and deliver individual good service.

Tipped workers and their corrupt bosses work the system, it needs to stop, or vote with your wallet like we have, mostly counter order and no tip for anyone, tips here and tips there on a screen and with hands out all the time, just say no.

r59, I had nothing to do with this thread being greyed out. I'm not one who spams FF on anyone. I just found it creepy at first, but others pointed out why I was wrong. This guy makes his life very public.

The counter requests for tipping are obnoxious r69, I'll grant that. Most of those staff are already paid full hourly wage, at least where I live they are. Tips are meant to be a bonus, not mandatory.

Tipping is for bartenders, wait staff at eat-in restaurants and others who make their income primarily from tips, and are paid the "tipping wage" of less than minimum.