Thats sounds so illegal!

Patrick that is not true. I learned that from restaurant staff and if you don't know how much to leave just figure out 4 times the tax.(here in Ma.)

On a $100 check if the tip is $20 (that's 20 per cent for the math-challenged) then the 3% of that is 60 cents.

Why would that be illegal? If the restaurant doesn't take the cc % out of the tip then the restaurant pays it and gives the server 100% of the tip. Would a reataurant absorb all that?

Yes and over the period of the year if the tips are the person's main wages and the server makes even $20,00 (which by the way I could not personally live on) that is a $600 loss. Since I appreciate my servers I don't subject them to that possibility.

here in Fla you can just double the tax to get 15%.
Suzie,
I would think the servers should not pay for the employers cost of doing business.

Nothing worse in a restaurant than a server who whines about the people who pay her wages/tips.

It's also your cost of doing business. You net a 19.4% tip.

I think the post OP is interesting and makes some good points, except for #7.

If you want to quibble over the Visa fee for a 20% tip then we will just take the advice of the OP and double the Fla tax to make it a $15 tip on that $100 check and add in the 3% Visa fee, so that the total tip is $15.45 on the cc slip. The waitperson comes up $3.95 shorter doing it that way, instead of my way, but ok.

alrighty then.

So...back on topic:

Do be nice. Don't be a stinge. I'll assume good intent if you will. And I'll close my ears while you snap at the wife if you'll close your ears while I bark at a cook.

That's pretty much all I wanted back in my waitressing days (that and full pockets at the end of the day).

Cheers, all.

Hi ,

I'm wondering , just wondering what percentage of the gross receipts does the owner ends up with for a net profit. I think that after they pay , salaries , rent , insurance , utilities , licenses , permits , trash removal , advertising and I'm sure many more costs it is much less than what the waitpeople derive. I didn't even mention yield to capitalization.

A world famous restaurant here in Florida recently was sold. The former owner said , "I'll realize more from the interest than I ever did from running the restaurant."

"Nothing worse in a restaurant than a server who whines about the people who pay her wages/tips."

I assume you really mean "who whines TO HIS CUSTOMERS about. . ."

I can't think of a profession in the world where the people involved don't "whine" to others about their job. Can you?

And no name -- not all over Florida -- here in Naples if we double the tax we'll get 12% -- not 15%. Some counties or cities have extra tax on restaurants, but not all.

Good morning!

TGIF, gang!

Hi Starrsville! I totally agree: keep my water glass filled and we all go home happy, lol! I never thought of actually verbalizing that but I think I will from now on! No need to keep the inner workings of our tip-o-meter secret, right?

Its funny b/c my husband and I joke that our tip-o-meter is like the class in high school where “everyone starts out with an A!” With us, everyone starts out with a great tip (over 20%) and its up to them whether the meter gets dinged down, hee hee!

For what its worth, friendly service goes a loooooong way with us and we make it a point to let the server know that they really made our night!! In fact, there have been several times where the tip we leave is much larger than the bill itself. I think its totally worth it for a pleasant and relaxing dining experience! Or course, that seems to be happening less and less these days, at least for us…??

Have a great day!

We also have a bed tax here Neo but I am talking of just the base of 7 1/2. I do know it is different elsewhere.

Bobrad,
When all is said an done, an owner is lucky to walk away with .5 - .10 cents.

And by the way, please don't go from table to table picking up other peoples' germy water glasses and filling them, then grabbing mine. Makes me cringe (and stop drinking the water).

sylvia, i don't understand, how do you want to get a refill of your water glass?

bobrad, the best run restaurants in the world only make about 12 cents on the dollar.

Well I am not sure if I am doing it correctly but one thing I know is that the servers always seem quite happy to see me when I return and always give me wonderful service so I hope what I have done is acceptable.

I take the total of the bill and quickly figure 10%. A $150.00 total bill (including wine and tax) at 10% is $15.00 of course. I double that and leave $30.00. And sometimes more depending on the cirumstances. I add the tip to the CC receipt.

Loveitaly, that's exactly what I do. I think bad tipping creates bad karma, as hokey as that sounds. I also overtip delivery men. In NYC, I think they are the most marginalized of any in the service industry. Plus, I think of it as my "laziness tax" for not wanting to get off the couch.