Minimum wage sucks. We all know that. What about the subminimum wage?

[Glassunion]

In 1991, the national subminimum wage was set at $2.13 an hour. 20 years later it still sits at $2.13 an hour. WTF?

For those who do not know, subminimum is what tipped workers are paid. Namely I am talking about wait staff in the food service industry. Right now the wage is the lowest inflation-adjusted level ever.

Now some argue that with inflation comes higher menu prices, with higher menu prices comes higher tips. But in the past 20 years, personally I have not seen menu prices rise that much. I will give an example, I worked in a restaurant in 1990-1991, making that very same $2.13 an hour. My average table for two would come in around $65 before tip. I just ate at that same place, under the same ownership, with the same cuisine being served. My wife and I spent $69 before tip. So if you add that up, this would work out to a whopping .80 increase in tip. In an average night, I would clear about 12 tables in an 8 hour shift. Busy nights(Friday/Saturday) I would clear about 20 tables. So 3 nights a week, today's wait staff is only making an extra $9.60 a day and on the two busy nights, an extra $16.00 a day. Or overall, they are making an extra $60.80 a week or an extra $1.52 an hour over what I was getting paid 20 years ago.

But here is the bigger problem as I see it. We are in a recession, so, people are eating out less. Restaurants across the country a lowering their menu prices to attract customers back. People are being more frugal when they do go out. So they may order less, or heaven forbid... tip the "minimum" when they go out. Not to mention they are at the mercy of the kitchen at times. Not every customer knows that the wait staff is not 100% responsible for their food. Sure, we can make sure the soup is hot, that the food "looks" good. That it gets to your table in a timely manner, that we do it with courtesy and a smile. Remember, they have to wait for the kitchen, they have to wait for the bar tender, and if your stake is cooked wrong, it may not be your server's fault. Sure they could have ordered it wrong for you, but 9 times out of 10 an over-cooked steak is usually a problem in the kitchen. So cut some slack...

I know times are hard, and we are all trying to save where we can. But if you do go out, tip the shit out of your wait staff. Unless they try picking up on your date, or dump soup in your lap of course. Remember before you go out, that 6.3 percent of all workers live below the poverty line, but 16.7 percent of tipped wait staff are officially poor.

[steve2470]

1. k&r, trying to tip 20% more often nt

[backscatter712]

2. K&R

This is why I tip well when I eat out or go to bars - wait-staff don't make much money.

[MrsBrady]

3. a girl friend of mine works at a famous established steak house in Dallas

they changed up their menu after more than 30 years of high end, 5 star dining to include pizza.

and she's pissed, because the high end people stopped coming somewhat after changing the vibe to include cheaper items which brings in a different crowd.
...
and the middle income people are not coming out much.

as she says "if I wanted to work in a pizza joint, I wouldn't be working in a world famous steak house."

they probably would be doing better if they had stuck to their high end and tailored to their wealthiest customers.
so...

She's made an ok living there, but has not health insurance, of course.
She lives in a bad neighborhood. she doesn't have any bills except for rent and electricity. She lives on cash only.
never married, no kids, no car payment.

She was looking for another high end wait job, but no one is really hiring...or at least she hasn't had any movement.

The money is not as good, and she's told me so.

[Glassunion]

4. Sorry to hear that. It is a tough industry right now.

[w8liftinglady]

9. and you are describing all the great new jobs Texas offers.

My son just left a waiter position...
In the areas South of dallas... it isn't better.
People just don't tip.
And if they do,it isn't enough to compensate for subminimum.
It's cheaper for him to stay home and help me while he goes to college.
there isn't shit for college students here,because adults with families are working the jobs that wer once college-student mecca.
that's why when I eat out,I tip well.
I've trained my partner to do the same.

[eridani]

5. 20%, people, please

Unless your waitperson is truly a jerk. I've found this to be pretty rare.

[Starry Messenger]

6. We don't go out much but are tipping more when we do.

One of my first roommates in college was a server who early on explained the facts of server pay. We usually just go for lunch, etc. about once a month, but usually I will triple the tax and use that as my tip amt.

[bengalherder]

7. In WA, no sub-minimum.

Waitstaff get 8 plus buck per hr. Plus their tips (Although many places here do a certain amount of sharing because of it)

One of the reasons I became a cook half a lifetime ago was because of the sub minimum payment of waitstaff. After years of quarter tips and sixty buck a week I was happy to have a decent and reliable wage.

[BzaDem]

8. K&R.

[joshcryer]

10. My best friend loved waitressing, her most profitable job.

Per hours worked, I mean. Very very hard on her though, especially her feet. She stopped doing it once she went to college to get her degree.

My brother would pull $300 nights because he always was the best waiter and served the biggest tables at the buffet here (edit found it: http://www.oldcountrybuffet.com/ goes by different names but it's a national chain). Also skipped on paying taxes, even though it's of course illegal, he mostly blew his cash on nothing traceable. His teeth are all fucked up now or he'd still do it. No teethy smiles = no tips.

[Heidi]

11. Recommended.

:kick: