Posted on 10/28/2016 5:39:33 AM PDT by wbill
Cara Stadler says she just wants to do the right thing.
On Tuesday, the owner of Portland’s Bao Bao Dumpling House and Tao Yuan in Brunswick announced her plan to jettison tips, pay all servers $15 an hour and tack on an 18 percent surcharge on checks. “Tips is such an arcane system. It just doesn’t make sense,” she said.
Her motive, she says, is to “create stability in the workplace, because there is a disparity in pay.”
Though servers make a paltry $3.75 an hour, with gratuity a waiter/waitress at Tao Yuan can easily pull down “$30 to 40 an hour,” she said. “In some cases a server is making more than the cooks, the bartenders and even me.”
The hate mail came in fast, and a few servers have left, she said. “Many people write in saying ‘we will never come to your establishment again.’ I’ve been slandered online, saying we will take this money and put into our pockets,” she said. “It’s frustrating and hurtful.”
But Stadler is committed to the overhaul, which kicks in Dec. 1. She is looking at successful models by NYC restaurateur Danny Meyer and joins the soon-to-open Old Port takeout spot Baristas and Bites.
Why now? With a federal law on overtime pay kicking in soon she wants to create a fair and equal workplace. And with more revenue to train staff, she hopes to stem the serious chef drought plaguing the nation.
“This gives me the ability to invest in full-time employees and grow the company,” said Stadler, who wants to offer paid vacation, training and health insurance to all servers and full-time employees and eliminate anxiety on slow nights.
The move comes amid a statewide vote next month to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020. Stadler is getting a head start.
As one of the first full-service restaurant owners in Portland to nix tips, she is crossing her fingers her dream of a better workplace sticks. When her third establishment, wine restaurant Lio opens in Portland next summer, she will have a total of 70 employees to look after.
“There is a lot to figure out. This is not the be all end all. I’m trying to put in better systems,” she said. “This is the first step into that foray.”
There is a Waffle House waitress here who is fat and not the prettiest face who makes a lot of money on tips. She has a keen awareness of what each customer responds to and provides that. With some she is coldly efficient. She flirts with others and can change the mode between adjacent tables. She makes a lot of money and is putting herself through school with it. She says she might just continue to wait tables after graduation. She says there is more money in it.
Why can’t a wait staff be hired as independent contractors?
Ruining a successful business with improvements
Then none of you have sat at Dennys on Saturday morning with tables packed and dollars piling up on each table..If the customer has 5.00 breakfast ,but likes the waitress he /she will toss in a couple of extra bucks..Maybe the upscale restaurants count everyone’s money,but not all restaurants do it....
We have a couple of Dennys and the only waitresses working are the older women..Weekends at Dennys is cash central....
$30 to 40 an hour! The money is in dumplings!
Bao Bao Dumpling House
You are right. And they will run your ass off with their TNB. They would seat the black folks in a black servers tables and the waitress would even complain.
#24 on a good night she can pull in $800+ in tips
Hooters?..... : )
Sure, but countless other jobs are fixed salary and yet people still do a good job. Maybe it's simply a old custom to have tips at restaurants, etc. But, any other job your pay is based on your performance.
When it comes to tips you’re typically talking about jobs that perform a “personal” service, Trim YOUR hair, shining YOUR shoes, bringing YOUR meal. These are things you don’t purchase ‘off the shelf”.
“Sure, but countless other jobs are fixed salary and yet people still do a good job.”
Sure, but don’t you think immediate rewards go a long way toward promoting morale & job satisfaction (e.g. “spot bonuses”) - especially for those with good attitudes who do above and beyond what is expected?
If she's right...good for her.
If the cafe next to her takes the other path...and they are right...good for them.
Personally....I think what she wants it like the Russian system of old..."Here is what you make, period" No incentive...No reason to be the best server you can be...etc..etc....
Take for example, chickfila, employees there don't work on tips, yet their service rivals any restaurant in the business.
“good environment of employees”
Agreed. Good leadership is essential.
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