Yesterday, for my anniversary, I took my wife to dinner to the same nice Italian restaurant we had our first date. I wanted to do something to make her dinner extra extra special so I called and asked the manager if it would be possible to have a doz roses brought to our table. He said he would arrange it. When we sat down there were the flowers and a personally written anniv. card. At dinner, the manager brought us appetizers he picked out and at the end of our meal, a desert. When we finished our meal and got the check, I found that the appetizers and desert were on the house. When I went to the manager to ask about paying for the doz roses, he said that there was no charge and that he just wanted to make our aniversary special. I tipped the waiter very well & am wondering though, about tipping the manager. I shook his hand and thanked him for accomodating my request for flowers and the complimentary food but is it appropriate (or expected) to give a restaurant MANAGER a tip
2007-01-15 12:27:18 · 19 answers · asked by BR 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Wow!Good questions! You had a wonderful experience.
I have some ideas/suggestions:
Send a thank you note to the manager of the restaurant. Does the manager have a boss? If so, let the boss know, too. I suppose you could include a check for a nice amount and let the manager know how much you appreciated his help.
You could also write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Mention the restaurant, the manager's name and what a nice time you had at the restaurant. You don't have to mention the roses and the extras you got (the restaurant would be inundated with requests - real and fictitious). The paper will reach a lot of readers and give the restaurant more business. :)
Send a glowing report to the Better Business Bureau as well.
If the restaurant has a website and place for comments, by all means, write away!
Spread the good word! ;)
Happy Anniversary, too! :)
2007-01-15 12:39:34 · answer #1 · answered by Malika 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If it was the manager that you made the request too, yes, it would have been an appropriate gesture to tip the manager. The appetizers and desserts being on the house was their own descretion, but paying for the roses you requested was above and beyond the call..... thats a very nice restaurant. One that is obviously a notch above the common. An acknowledgement of their generosity, either in a note to them personally, or a public announcement of their courtesy would be a bonus for them.
2007-01-15 12:36:08 · answer #2 · answered by bakfanlin 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The tip you leave for the manager is divided between several people; the bartenders and bussers to name a few. If you were to tip the restaurant manager you should also tip the cook and those in the kitchen, which would be difficult.
The best you could do is go to the restaurant as much as you can in the future and tell others about the great experience you had there. The manager would appreciate the business more.
2007-01-15 12:32:09 · answer #3 · answered by GG Alan Alda 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Every place is different. When I managed an Italian Restaurant, managers were not allowed to except tips. I would just tell the patron to take care of the server. In a diplomatic way of course. Maybe you could write a thank you note to the owner about the wonderful experience you had and the name of the manager who took care of you that night. That is a better tip than money in my books.
2007-01-15 12:35:25 · answer #4 · answered by Chicago Girl 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, its not too late. Go back down this week, thank him again for the personal attention he gave you and the wonderful extras. Then give him the cost of the flowers/food - round down, I would think 50 should cover it, but a lot depends on where you live.
Then ... tell friends and family what a wonderful experience you had at the restaurant, and have them go there, using your name.
You may also think about contacting the owner and informing them of the wonderful person they have working. I wouldn't mention the 'free' stuff, but that it was everything you wanted and more. They will be happy!
Happy anniversary!
2007-01-15 13:03:43 · answer #5 · answered by I_Love_Life! 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
GREAT ANSWER, Marie! Wow! She thought of a lot of things that wouldn't even have crossed my mind.
I can see how you didn't know what to do at the time and it's great that you're rethinking it. I think a 'kudo' is definitely called for,at the very least. Definitely let his boss know how special he made your night. In the end, the praise and appreciation is worth more than money. Also, the newspaper idea is a great one. Any restaurant that did something so wonderful for your special night really deserves public recognition. It would even make a great little fluff 'snippet' on your local news. People love stuff like that.
Cave
2007-01-15 13:00:40 · answer #6 · answered by caveman 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would say no need to tip the manager, a good tip for the server is enough. Sounds like he just really wanted to make your anniversary special, tell everyone you know about the restaurant, the great treatment you received, too many people forget to spread the good things. If he gets 10 reservations from your recommendation?THAT is something he will appreciate.
2007-01-15 12:37:39 · answer #7 · answered by msuzyq 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some GREAT answers! I agree with Marie. You should make sure that the manager's boss or restaurant owner knows what a great job the guy is doing. He sounds like a one-in-a-million employee.
Glad you had a good anniversary!
2007-01-16 06:43:34 · answer #8 · answered by 5gr8k9s 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you should have tipped the manager, for nothing less than to show your appreciation. He went above and beyond his job responsibilities and sounds like a very decent guy. Even if he wasn't hands on with all the tasks, he deserves a gesture (not necessisarilly money) to show your gratitude. Word of mouth about the resturaunt on top of a tip would be a great way to show your appreciation.
2007-01-15 12:36:22 · answer #9 · answered by James G 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No you shouldn't tip the manager. I've worked in restaurants all my life. As a server and a manager. It would be nice if you sent him a short note telling him how much you appreciated his generosity and will recommend his establishment to everyone looking for a wonderful place to dine. Those kind of things are always appreciated.
2007-01-15 14:39:14 · answer #10 · answered by mjm52 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋