"The Industry" -- is this normal?

[Five-hole]

My girlfriend has a job as a server in a chain of Calgary pubs (which will remain nameless for now). At the end of the night, she has to tip out 2% of her total sales (not total tip, but the sum of her sales) to the bartenders, which is normal, but also 3% to the "house". This, apparently, is the company itself. Also, no tip out to the kitchen. Is this standard practice? Seems really fishy to me.

This place also doesn't pay overtime to its kitchen staff, many of whom work insane hours (11 hour shifts, 6-7 days a week, kind of thing).

[anyonebutedmonton]

I've never heard of tipping to the "house" per se...

I used to tip out close to 5% when I served and some of it went to the company I am sure. They use it to also tip the hostesses and back of house staff.

It's honestly the biggest racket in the world if you ask me. Getting the servers to subsidize the rest of the staff rather than just paying the kitchen what they deserve out of their own pockets. You essentially put all the tip risk on the server even though they don't have control over the entire level of service.

[Claeren]

That is pretty standard. It is a rough wild west industry.

Normally that second 3% would be the tip out to the kitchen, but a crappy employer/owner would keep it.

It is always in my experience gross sales for the tip out, so that part is normal too.


The restaraunt has a lot of power because they actually own 100% of the tip from what I understand. The only way to gain power is for everyone to quit at once or to at least give service and run them out of business. Since neither are practical for the type of people that work those jobs, it stays as it is.

That all being said, servers usually get the BEST deal not the worst deal. I guarentee guys in the kitchen are working 3 times as hard for 1/3 the money. (I have worked on both sides of the house, servers have it so easy by comparison even if they do have some downsides to the job.)


The real question in my mind is how much is how much are the good servers (maybe your girlfriend, maybe not) making at the end of a typical night? I am guessing they complain about the big tip out but not the quasi-taxfree wad of cash they walk out with....




Claeren.

[Traditional_Ale]

No, she's getting screwed.

[Kybosh]

It's a well known fact that kitchen staff get the shaft.

[DownhillGoat]

Yeah, lots of places have a house tip. Although the kitchen staff & bussers, and middle managers (who usually get screwed on both ends) usually get a cut of that.

[Five-hole]

Thanks.

It's a bit weird considering they don't have hostesses there and the kitchen doesn't get tipped out. Maybe it's going to the managers. It would sure be a racket if it was going straight to the owners though.

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

No, she's getting screwed.

Giggity.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

Giggity.

Frackin' uni music kids...

On a completely unrelated note, seeing as I haven't been in uni music for eight years or so...

Has it been proven that Brahms was banging Schumann's wife yet?

[DownhillGoat]

I would assume management, not owners are getting the house tip cut. They're there just as long (or longer) dealing with the higher level crap at zero tipout, and usually the same rate of base pay.

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Frackin' uni music kids...

???

[Regulator75]

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

???

They get laid. A lot.

[DownhillGoat]

Just never picked up on the correlation music students and a family guy quote. Gotcha.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by anyonebutedmonton

It's honestly the biggest racket in the world if you ask me. Getting the servers to subsidize the rest of the staff rather than just paying the kitchen what they deserve out of their own pockets. You essentially put all the tip risk on the server even though they don't have control over the entire level of service.

Any kitchen staff would gladly share equally in tips and assume the risk. Kitchen staff get a fraction compared to what the servers get.

[ma-skis.com]

The percentage is normal, where it's going seems odd, but really, what are you going to do? I've never heard of a place where servers keep the full tip.

Anyways, the tip out used to be the way servers thanked the bartender or cooks for a good nights work for helping them make money, steaks coming off perfect, and the customer leaves you a nice tip, you by the chef a beer or you slip him a $20 at the and of the night... your drinks come up cold and fast, you throw the bartender $10 when you're done. That was respect, but people got greedy, and now we have tip outs.

If she's smart, she'll tip out the bartender a little extra every night and make sure she hands it over right to them rather than the manager. Shows a little respect and she'll be thankful for the nights she drops a tray of drinks or needs something bumped to the front of the line.