Seattle Restaurant Worker: I’m a Progressive, but the Minimum Wage Law Killed Jobs Including Mine

Townhall ^ | 12/26/2019 | Matt Vespa

[Twink]

I didn’t either until about 6 years ago. We (party of 10) at Brio for NYE dinner. Chaos all during our wait and eventual dinner. At the end, handed our waitress a 30% tip because she was wonderful in all the chaos. She thanked me and shared they shared tips (not just with busboys/girls). I was surprised. Then, talked to other wait staff and learned a lot had changed since I was a waitress decades ago. They pool their tips (and at Chickie and Pete’s they don’t even get them most of the time!).

My husband and I try to tip in cash (esp at Chickie and Pete’s) and also give bartenders a separate tip in cash as well as our waitress. Bartenders at Bonefish, Outback, Redstone, other chain and various non chain places we go, don’t have to share their tips with wait staff. But, wait staff has to share their tips.

Also, many places now require wait staff to make a certain percentage in tips and it’s automatically taxed. Another reason we tip in cash and to the each position.

Things have changed in the service industry (tip jars for counter service/fast food, etc.). I usually tip if I regularly go to dunkin donuts for coffee since they know my order and have it ready, etc. or I have a dollar in cash and it’s not a big deal, or frutta bowls because hell that’s an awful job, etc. But, yeah restaurants and waitresses share tips now (other than bus boys) so I just usually tip in cash hoping they don’t have to claim it or share it.

When I was a waitress, barmaid, etc., we didn’t share our tips and I made a ton of money. Not sure if it’s the same now but, when I was a waitress, I never charged the 18% automatic tip for parties of 6 or more. I made more money not charging it. Like you, we always tip at least 20%, most of the time more. Now, it’s the 18% automatic charged tip and I’m good with that.And if wait staff want a minimum of $15 an hour, their tips are gonna suffer. If chefs or kitchen staff want a percentage of tips, they suffer the decrease also. When I waitressed, bartenders didn’t share their tips, waitresses only shared with busboys, and I made a ton of money in tips. It’s different now. Chefs and kitchen help made way more than waitresses who didn’t even make minimum wage (because we made a ton more in tips!). Now they want tips, too.

I’m at the point where I’m good with it all being streamlined and no more tips.Saves me money.

[Gritty]

I’ll bet she is still in Bernie’s corner in November.