Should waitresses share tips with the kitchen staff?
By Virgie60
@Virgie60 (556)
United States
October 4, 2009 3:55pm CST
I work as a waitress at a small family owned restaurant and they have started a new policy that the waitresses will now share their tips with the cooks. This doesn't bother me because yes we need the food to serve the customers. So I realize how valuable our cooks are to us. I am just a little annoyed by the way the boss stated this new policy. Here are the reasons - 1 It was because us waitresses got a raise in July (it was really minimum wage going up) & 2 All the other restaurants that she worked at they did this (she worked at very, very busy large restaurants). Many days I only get $20 in tips for the whole day. I am not getting rich here. Also the cooks get to put more time in than I do so I count on the tips to help increase my wage. The cooks also do get a bigger hourly wage than I do (maybe only a couple of dollars an hour more but still more).
As I said I don't mind really but I just felt the boss made me feel like I was really getting rich so I should share the wealth.
Not meaning to start any big arguments here but just wondering what other people working at restaurants do.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
4 Oct 09
I've heard of that going on... even sharing with the bus boys. IF the tables aren't clean... new eaters can't sit for the waitress to serve to get her tip. But good grief.. where does it stop? I am not a waitress, but it just seems there should be a stopping point.. does the owner make you share the tips with him because he is providing you with the job in the first place so that you can make the tip in the second place...
I know it is a group effort and all, but if I had to choose which makes it work the best.. I'd say the waitress. She is the one that does the most "work". Deal with grumpy customers, complaints always go to the waitress no matter who initiated the problem. The cooks, yes they work hard, but the order is brought to them and they cook.. the waitress has to keep track of which meal goes where and to whom and how many go per table and all the extras. Once that meal leaves the cook... he is done with it. THe waitress starts it all, and finishes it all.
So I dont' know. I"d almost just rather a resturant state they will add $3 to your total bill AFTER taxes - $1 to the cooks, $1 to the waitress and $1 to the bus boys. I mean.. if the table service was bad, but the food was good... do I leave a tip for only the cooks and not the watiress? ANd then the cooks have to split their share of the tips from the waitress... by how many cooks? And if both the service and food are bad, why do I care if the table is clean for the next person? A vicious circle goes on and I guess it depends on which side of the triangle you are on. I hope things work out well for you.
1 person likes this
@Virgie60 (556)
• United States
4 Oct 09
I agree that yes it is a team effort but the waitress will often make 8-10 trips per table of customers to keep them fed and happy. We have to greet them, seat them, get drinks, take order, fill order, refill drinks, get extra dressings/ketchup/etc., more refills, drop a fork get them a new one, give them their ticket, take their money, and so on. Also at this restaurant it is the waitresses responsiblities to make the salads so if an entire table had chef salads that would be all my doing and nothing for the cook. It is also my responsiblitie to get desserts ready for the table. Too we don't have bus boys so that is also my job.
Like you mentioned it is a vicious and endless circle.
Thanks for your reply.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
4 Oct 09
Then that's even worse. I didn't know what you do specifically. But if you do all that.. then no, I don't think the tips should be shared... or maybe just 1% of your tip money to all the cooks or something like that. but at the same time, you want the cooks to do good so you get return eaters and hopefully good tips. I hope your employer is at least fair in making you do this. Employers and fair are seldom used in the same sentence out here in CA. At least in my experience anyway! LIke you say.. the waitress does 90% of the job...
@tdemex (3540)
• United States
4 Oct 09
I worked as a bartender at a few different places the waitresses always shot the cooks a couple of bucks! they would usually give me one also! You don't mention Taxes, do you pay any? But they take them out of your check right? The cooks pay taxes out of their checks right? So you get $20 a day tax free? Right, so give them a couple bucks! Play nice! 
tdemex
tdemex
@tdemex (3540)
• United States
4 Oct 09
No I didn't have to tip the cooks, but I had to give my barbacks a healthy tip 25% of mine! but we were all busy it was this way at 3 places I worked! but I made $80 to $120 a night! I didn''t pay any taxes but this was a long time ago! As you see from my pic I'm an old guy! I know times are tough and this wasn't a good way for the family to handle it! I'm sure they thought it out! A good cook is hard to come by. and so are good waitpersons! I still say bite your tongue and go with the flow! Be glad you have a job! Wish I did! It'll be a year in 3 weeks! tdemex
tdemex@Virgie60 (556)
• United States
4 Oct 09
My $20 is not tax free. We have to declare it on our time card or we do not get a paycheck. As I mentioned I do not mind giving the cook some of the tips more I did not like how the new policy was stated.
Question for you - as a bartender did you have to give the cook some of your tips? Because our bartender also has to give the cook a % of her tips. Which in some ways I do not feel is right because a good share of her tips is for serving drinks and not food (although she too does serve food). But if she makes $60 in tips and only got about $20 of it from food served why should the % be taken out of the $60. Just my thinking.
1 person likes this
@ricksardo11 (1)
• United States
24 May 10
I'm a cook at a restaurant and the only one who gets tips are the waitress gets them and my boss has the waitress/waiter split the tips with the cook. In California we don't get taxed on our tips and we don't have to right down how much we got in tips. but to me with out a good cook there wouldn't be as many tips in the first place. what would you do if you walked into a restaurant and got bad food, would you leave a nice tip?
