Tip sharing?

Question

I am a Chef at a restraunt that just changed owners,i have been there going on 3 years.I'm aware that along w/new owners comes new policies,the question I want to ask is this"Should the waitstaff share tips with the Chef? That was the way it was w/the old owner.The new owners have NO restraunt exp. or knowledge and depend on me for more than cooking(ordering,inventory,menu planning etc)None of the waitstaff have ever waited before and they rely heavily on me to teach proper serving techniques and manners when dealing with a less than joyful patron(Thank God there are very few !)I get to work two hours earlier than anyone else,bust my behind setting up the kitchen,I do my lunch-rush thing,then I do the clean-up at which time i watch the servers sit down and talk(on the clock) The owner is my co-worker and see's it all but doesn't give a hoot,(i would sit too but i have a life outside of my job)I really like my job but i feel that the servers should share their tips w/me what do U think?

Answer 1

If the chef is paid a salary then no. Usually tip outs go to bartenders and busser and those who are paid low wages not the chef who should be one of the highest paid workers there, the chef may be paid hourly or by salary but generally the wait staff does not tip out to them. I think it is illegal for managers to share in the tips. In my experience i have shared tips with the hostess and bussers and bartenders, usually a small percentage. Sometimes on busy nights we also share with food runners. The kitchen staff is usually paid more by the owners, where as those in the front of the house depend more on tips.

Answer 2

No the waitstaff should not be forced to share their tips with the chef or cook. The tip I give goes for the service given by the waitress. Traditionally waiters and waitresses are paid less money and live on their tips. The cook and chef traditionally are paid more because they don't get tips. I pay for the food. That's where their paycheck comes from. The restaurant pays for wages and the patron tips according to how good the service is. I'm a heavy handed tipper because I'm aware of this fact. It irritates me that some places force tip sharing because I believe a waitress is a better waitress when people tip properly. It also irritates me ( I apparently get irritated easily LOL) when a patron doesn't tip properly. If you get good service....tip well. It motivates them to go that extra mile with patrons and makes their lives easier. Waitresses and waiters are some of the hardest working folks in the world. If I have good service...I am a very loyal customer.

Answer 3

No, the servers should not share their gratuities with the chef...or anyone.

The only reason servers are 'required' (and not by law) to give money is because the owners love to avoid their responsibility of paying chefs appropriately out of their own pocket. As a matter-of-fact, owners have the servers pay a bit of EVERYONES salary: the bussers, the kitchen, the host, the bartender and sometimes even the 'house' (aka-the owners). It's ridiculous. Lets admit the very obvious; most restaurant owners are shoddy characters. Owners are relieved of many financial responsibilities because they cleverly get 'staff to pay staff'. No mystery there.

Your salary should come from your boss...not your co-workers.

Answer 4

I think the owner needs to share some $$$ with you, not the waiters. The waiters might have more time to sit around and talk, but they only make a couple of bucks an hour. Chances are they'd probably rather be waiting tables and making some money.

Since you're not a tipped employee, you should be making more in the way of a higher hourly wage, not leaching off the waiters. And I sure as heck wouldn't be cleaning anybody's kitchen for $2.00 an hour!

Answer 5

In good restaurants chefs make much more money than the waitstaff, and the bussers so, no I don't think that they should have to share the tips. If it is a small place like a tavern or cafe those are not high-priced chefs and they make little above what the waitstaff does, so in that setting, yes, they should. I used to when I waited tables in small cafes.

Answer 6

I don't think they should if the chef is paid a salary. When I waited tables in Texas, I only made $2.15/hr + tips. I don't know if they do that everywhere (cut hourly wage in half because of tips), but I could barely survive on that. The chefs I worked with made a lot more and got a lot more hours. It just depends on a lot of things, I suppose.

Answer 7

I think your salary should be raised since you are helping out so much. Bring it up to your boss that you have taken on a lot of new responsibilities under their new ownership and you feel like you need an adequate pay raise to match all the additonal responsibilites you have taken on.