Wages still $2.13 for restaurant workers

[Foxfyre]

We need FDR Wage laws so that the restaurant business collapses and can only survive with government handouts. $30/hour minimum wage!

Since Applebees was already brought into this conversation by another, and I have quite a bit of knowledge about how it operates I will use this as an example.

In California there is no tip minimum wage, the business must pay you the federal minimum wage of 7.50/hour. Does Applebees struggle in California, or do they have higher prices.

The answer to both questions, is no. Care to explain?

The wait staff in New Mexico do considerably better than $7.50/hour. Does Applebees struggle here? No. Do they have higher prices? No. So what is your point?

 

[Gremlin-USA]

Minimum Wage For Restaurant Servers Remains Stagnant For 20 Years Under Industry Lobbying

And, the right fought to keep it that way.

The restaurant industry, led by the National Restaurant Association -- and its board chairman Herman Cain, who would later become the group's president -- successfully pressured lawmakers to have the minimum wage for tipped employees separated from the increase and kept at $2.13.

Really, there's no excuse for this. And no excuse for it to be a political issue. But it is.

Wahhhhhhhhhh.....

They could always find another job if the pay is too low....... oh wait, most people I know average over 15.00 per hour as a waitress/waiter

So Nutty, what is your point?

I don't see one

 

[Immanuel]

He's warring against waiters and probably stiffs them on a frequent basis.

Interestingly enough, billionaire boy wonder Mark Zuckerberg is getting a reputation for being a cheap son of a bitch when it comes to tipping.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg skips tip on Italy honeymoon, reports say - latimes.com

I thought "liberals" cared about the working man.

Just scrolling through and kind of reading the thread so maybe someone has posted a list like this after your posts.

Full List - The 10 Best and 10 Worst Celebrity Tippers - Zimbio

I have to say, I would be embarrassed to be on the worst list. Wait staff work doggone hard to provide their services and unless they are just plain down right rude, they deserve to be tipped for their services.

Immie

 

[Middleoftheroad]

I haven't seen it yet, so let me apologize if anyone has posted this. But has anyone brought up the fact that most resteraunts also force tip sharing.

Lets go back to applebees. The hosts or hostess makes 3.50 an hour. The server is then forced to pay 3% of sales to the bartender and host(ess). This is not 3% of tips, this is 3% of sales. So if someone doesn't tip, or tips less then 3% it actually costs the server money.

Forced tip sharing, particularly to people that don't earn tips such as hosts, so that the business can pay them less then minimum wage, should be illegal.

 

[Middleoftheroad]

We need FDR Wage laws so that the restaurant business collapses and can only survive with government handouts. $30/hour minimum wage!

Since Applebees was already brought into this conversation by another, and I have quite a bit of knowledge about how it operates I will use this as an example.

In California there is no tip minimum wage, the business must pay you the federal minimum wage of 7.50/hour. Does Applebees struggle in California, or do they have higher prices.

The answer to both questions, is no. Care to explain?

The wait staff in New Mexico do considerably better than $7.50/hour. Does Applebees struggle here? No. Do they have higher prices? No. So what is your point?

My point was that frank was implying that if the resteraunt was forced to pay more then tip wage they would go out of business. I proved this is not true with real life examples.

 

[Too Tall]

So your prescription is what? More Government meddling?

You're in favor of government meddling when it comes to marriage and abortion but not when we're talking about fair pay. Typical rw.

Gee, no mention of the 14.00 per hour in tips?

Proof please that EVERY waitperson makes $14 per hour in tips. Or is it only Republicans who ALL made $14 an hour in tips. Betcha, one of you lame ass rw's will say you made twice that, every single day. Liars.

Why is it that we can always count on the rw's to pile on any issue of equality?

And, the best many can do is attack the messenger? That FACT says it all.

My daughter worked at Steak and Shake, not exactly a high end restaurant, when she was 16 and frequently came home with $120 in tips after an 8 hour shift. She was paid $7.50 an hour as well, not $2.13 as you say. And that was 8 years ago in a suburb of Atlanta.

Since tips are at least 10% and frequently 20% of the bill, she would have made a lot more at Ruth Crisps Steakhouse or any other pricey restaurants. She went to Medix night school and is now a Nurse a large medical office.

 

[zeke]

....... oh wait, most people I know average over 15.00 per hour

15 dollars an hour. 40x15x52=$31,200 yrly.

IS 31k a year what you consider "success". Like in "you've got it made now"

You need more income. Especially if you want to take care of a family.

Now maybe two people at 15 could work.

 

[Darkwind]

Most people can wait on 20 tables inside 4 or 5 hours, if not inside of two. At 5 dollars a table, you've hit 100 dollars.

This isn't rocket surgery.

At Olive Garden, you are only allowed 3 table sections. So yes, if the resteraunt is on a wait for the entire 5 hours, you could possibly cover 15 tables. Considering they are never on a wait for 5 hours, the average server there covers around 10 tables a night.

Your right, its not rocket science.

On a wait means that the place is so full, every table is full and lets check this out, shall we?

Lets say that each table has a 45 minute turn around. That averages out to 10.5 table per 8 hour shift. Using your numbers of three per server, you have 32 tables per shift. Lets low ball this, shall we?

Assume each table turnover is one person per table and has a standard dinner fair with 1 glass of wine which comes to about 18 dollars...That is 3 dollars 60 cents per tip. Multiply that by 32 tables and you have 115 dollars and 20 cents. Divide that by 8 hours and you have 14 dollars and 40 cents per hour.

Remember, this is low-balling it. the Olive garden will probably average about 3 people per table, so you can take that 115 dollars and multiply it by 3 to get 345 dollars a night. Just in tips...Oh, but lets add that 2.13 per hour for 8 hours and we get and additional 17.04 for a grand total of 362.04 for that night were we had a 5 hour wait.

Now, lets see those same 8 hours in action at minimum wage. 7.5 per hour for 8 hours comes to a healthy 60 dollars day! Wow! Go minimum wage!

Pretty simple napkin math, and should not be beyond even you.

 

[Middleoftheroad]

....... oh wait, most people I know average over 15.00 per hour

15 dollars an hour. 40x15x52=$31,200 yrly.

IS 31k a year what you consider "success". Like in "you've got it made now"

You need more income. Especially if you want to take care of a family.

Now maybe two people at 15 could work.

Doesn't matter, he is lying anyways. My wife is a GM at applebess and has been a GM at Olive Garden, no one makes $15/hour.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

We need FDR Wage laws so that the restaurant business collapses and can only survive with government handouts. $30/hour minimum wage!

Since Applebees was already brought into this conversation by another, and I have quite a bit of knowledge about how it operates I will use this as an example.

In California there is no tip minimum wage, the business must pay you the federal minimum wage of 7.50/hour. Does Applebees struggle in California, or do they have higher prices.

The answer to both questions, is no. Care to explain?

Applebees is stealing from the proletariat! I said $30/hour! How much does the CEO of Applebee make?

Short answer, I was exaggerating to make apoint

 

[Darkwind]

Since Applebees was already brought into this conversation by another, and I have quite a bit of knowledge about how it operates I will use this as an example.

In California there is no tip minimum wage, the business must pay you the federal minimum wage of 7.50/hour. Does Applebees struggle in California, or do they have higher prices.

The answer to both questions, is no. Care to explain?

The wait staff in New Mexico do considerably better than $7.50/hour. Does Applebees struggle here? No. Do they have higher prices? No. So what is your point?

My point was that frank was implying that if the resteraunt was forced to pay more then tip wage they would go out of business. I proved this is not true with real life examples.

But you didn't. You chose to highlight a national restaurant chain that can absorb the losses in a few locations. Try that with a local chain that does not have the financial ability to lose some money and I can guarantee you that they'd go broke inside of no time. The margins for profit in restaurants are to razor thin to support even minimum wage for servers.

 

[PredFan]

The agreement between the customer and the wait person, is that you give good service, you'll get a tip because we know that you get paid a minimum wage that's low enough to force you to work for tips. If a waiter made a $15.00 an hour salary, then he wouldn't be so inclined to provide good service. As soon as the progressives (and I always use that name with tongue firmly planted in cheek) force businesses to pay wait staff the same as any other occupation, that is when i stop tipping.

 

[PredFan]

....... oh wait, most people I know average over 15.00 per hour

15 dollars an hour. 40x15x52=$31,200 yrly.

IS 31k a year what you consider "success". Like in "you've got it made now"

You need more income. Especially if you want to take care of a family.

Now maybe two people at 15 could work.

Doesn't matter, he is lying anyways. My wife is a GM at applebess and has been a GM at Olive Garden, no one makes $15/hour.

Not $15 an hour salary, but often times much more than $15 an hour when you include tips. My daughter currently IS a GM at an Olive Garden here in Orlando.

 

[Rozman]

The Liberals hate any kind of job where effort comes into play.
A waiter/waitress earns their money by putting something into
their job.They need to be pleasant hopefully,make sure to get the
orders right so on and so on.Lefties hate this kind of stuff.
They wanna sit back and watch other people work and collect a fine paycheck
with lots of benefits.

 

[Darkwind]

People seem to think that a resterraunt pays only the wait staff, but there are other salaries as well, plus food costs, spoilage, facilities costs (rent, power, water, electicity (a lot of electricity for heating in winter, AC in summer)), and then there are local taxes, county taxes, state taxes (on all of that) plus the burden of federal taxes and regulations. There is the costs of inspections and health regulations (not knocking them, but they ARE costs)...and now, on top of that, you want to add an additional 15 /per hour for wages. Why not throw some health benefits in there too, make it the full package...oh, and don't forget to make sure that the owners are forced to provide birth control!)

Please understand the issue before spouting off.

 

[Middleoftheroad]

Most people can wait on 20 tables inside 4 or 5 hours, if not inside of two. At 5 dollars a table, you've hit 100 dollars.

This isn't rocket surgery.

At Olive Garden, you are only allowed 3 table sections. So yes, if the resteraunt is on a wait for the entire 5 hours, you could possibly cover 15 tables. Considering they are never on a wait for 5 hours, the average server there covers around 10 tables a night.

Your right, its not rocket science.

On a wait means that the place is so full, every table is full and lets check this out, shall we?

Lets say that each table has a 45 minute turn around. That averages out to 10.5 table per 8 hour shift. Using your numbers of three per server, you have 32 tables per shift. Lets low ball this, shall we?

Assume each table turnover is one person per table and has a standard dinner fair with 1 glass of wine which comes to about 18 dollars...That is 3 dollars 60 cents per tip. Multiply that by 32 tables and you have 115 dollars and 20 cents. Divide that by 8 hours and you have 14 dollars and 40 cents per hour.

Remember, this is low-balling it. the Olive garden will probably average about 3 people per table, so you can take that 115 dollars and multiply it by 3 to get 345 dollars a night. Just in tips...Oh, but lets add that 2.13 per hour for 8 hours and we get and additional 17.04 for a grand total of 362.04 for that night were we had a 5 hour wait.

Now, lets see those same 8 hours in action at minimum wage. 7.5 per hour for 8 hours comes to a healthy 60 dollars day! Wow! Go minimum wage!

Pretty simple napkin math, and should not be beyond even you.

Your not lowballing at all. You took a few assumptions.
1) everyone drinks, completely false. At Olive Garden, a decent resteraunt, the average person spends $12, not $18. Kids are cheaper, they bring the average down.
2) you are still assuming they are on a wait for 8 hours. They aren't. 5 nights a week they never get on a wait. The 2 nights they do, it lasts for less then an hour. Your math doesn't matter, in a 5 hour shift they pick up 10 tables. This is real life. Their average sales in a night are almost always <$500.
3) You are assuming that everyone tips 20%.. Not even close. If a server gets 15% total they are doing really really well. 20% is max in almost every circumstance. Everyone gets stiffed from time to time. Even the best ever. There are just cheapskates out there.
So lets assume $500 in sales at 15%. That is $75 in tips. Now they have to share 3% of sales which comes out to 15. 75-15=60.
So if they are a really good server, and its a good night, in 5 hours they make $60.
Slow days? I've seen people work for 2 hours and not even get a table. Then get sent home.

 

[MeBelle]

Minimum Wage For Restaurant Servers Remains Stagnant For 20 Years Under Industry Lobbying

And, the right fought to keep it that way.

The restaurant industry, led by the National Restaurant Association -- and its board chairman Herman Cain, who would later become the group's president -- successfully pressured lawmakers to have the minimum wage for tipped employees separated from the increase and kept at $2.13.

Really, there's no excuse for this. And no excuse for it to be a political issue. But it is.

Restaurants are not required to pay the base wage. They can choose to pay their wait staff more.
One restaurant I worked in while I lived in Mass paid their wait staff $5. (which at that time was higher than min wage). All of the waitstaff pooled their tips and split them at the end of their shift.

Something else not addressed here is the automatic taxing by the IRS, assuming a 10% tip last I remember, from their orders. Hilarious paycheck it can make when you 'owe' at the end of the week.

 

[Gremlin-USA]

15 dollars an hour. 40x15x52=$31,200 yrly.

IS 31k a year what you consider "success". Like in "you've got it made now"

You need more income. Especially if you want to take care of a family.

Now maybe two people at 15 could work.

Doesn't matter, he is lying anyways. My wife is a GM at applebess and has been a GM at Olive Garden, no one makes $15/hour.

Not $15 an hour salary, but often times much more than $15 an hour when you include tips. My daughter currently IS a GM at an Olive Garden here in Orlando.

Thanks for backing up my point, I am sure my friends were not lying to me, but some people will always skirt the facts... maybe they are lousy at their job and wanting to justify their low pay

 

[Middleoftheroad]

The wait staff in New Mexico do considerably better than $7.50/hour. Does Applebees struggle here? No. Do they have higher prices? No. So what is your point?

My point was that frank was implying that if the resteraunt was forced to pay more then tip wage they would go out of business. I proved this is not true with real life examples.

But you didn't. You chose to highlight a national restaurant chain that can absorb the losses in a few locations. Try that with a local chain that does not have the financial ability to lose some money and I can guarantee you that they'd go broke inside of no time. The margins for profit in restaurants are to razor thin to support even minimum wage for servers.

Applebees is a franchise. They are a local chain. Except they have to pay royalties. They cannot accept a loss at a local store. Nor would any company choose to operate in such a manner.

 

[Darkwind]

At Olive Garden, you are only allowed 3 table sections. So yes, if the resteraunt is on a wait for the entire 5 hours, you could possibly cover 15 tables. Considering they are never on a wait for 5 hours, the average server there covers around 10 tables a night.

Your right, its not rocket science.

On a wait means that the place is so full, every table is full and lets check this out, shall we?

Lets say that each table has a 45 minute turn around. That averages out to 10.5 table per 8 hour shift. Using your numbers of three per server, you have 32 tables per shift. Lets low ball this, shall we?

Assume each table turnover is one person per table and has a standard dinner fair with 1 glass of wine which comes to about 18 dollars...That is 3 dollars 60 cents per tip. Multiply that by 32 tables and you have 115 dollars and 20 cents. Divide that by 8 hours and you have 14 dollars and 40 cents per hour.

Remember, this is low-balling it. the Olive garden will probably average about 3 people per table, so you can take that 115 dollars and multiply it by 3 to get 345 dollars a night. Just in tips...Oh, but lets add that 2.13 per hour for 8 hours and we get and additional 17.04 for a grand total of 362.04 for that night were we had a 5 hour wait.

Now, lets see those same 8 hours in action at minimum wage. 7.5 per hour for 8 hours comes to a healthy 60 dollars day! Wow! Go minimum wage!

Pretty simple napkin math, and should not be beyond even you.

Your not lowballing at all. You took a few assumptions.
1) everyone drinks, completely false. At Olive Garden, a decent resteraunt, the average person spends $12, not $18. Kids are cheaper, they bring the average down.
2) you are still assuming they are on a wait for 8 hours. They aren't. 5 nights a week they never get on a wait. The 2 nights they do, it lasts for less then an hour. Your math doesn't matter, in a 5 hour shift they pick up 10 tables. This is real life. Their average sales in a night are almost always <$500.
3) You are assuming that everyone tips 20%.. Not even close. If a server gets 15% total they are doing really really well. 20% is max in almost every circumstance. Everyone gets stiffed from time to time. Even the best ever. There are just cheapskates out there.
So lets assume $500 in sales at 15%. That is $75 in tips. Now they have to share 3% of sales which comes out to 15. 75-15=60.
So if they are a really good server, and its a good night, in 5 hours they make $60.
Slow days? I've seen people work for 2 hours and not even get a table. Then get sent home.

You accuse Me of making assumptions and then go out to make more than I do, and I low-balled it.

So, lets begin again...I'm talking per day, not per week. The weekend will always make up for the slack during the week, but every Olive Garden I've driven past has a nearly full parking lot, right up to 11pm, every day of the week. So, business is good for Olive Garden.

You assume 10 tables, but in reality, It is more.

Everyone who works hard to please their customers will average out a 20% tip. Of course, if your a ass, you'll not tip regardless.....The entire conversation is based upon averages...

We are also talking about gross salary here, not what is taken out in taxes and kickbacks to the employer for their shift.

The bottom line is that servers make very good money and there is no reason to raise the minimum wage, unless of course you are looking to put the food industry out of business.