Advise on a waitress job please :)?

Question

Ok so currently i work at subway sandwiches and i really hate the job. It just doesnt pay enough and i hate it.lol. But ya i have been wanting to apply somewhere else. I have had more experience with serving and catering so i figured the job i am most likely to get is as a waitress. right?? I mean they might start me off at minimum wage, but atleast i will get a lot of tips right??Anyone know what restaurant would be good in tips??and would i even qualify for a sit down restaurant??I would appreciate as much information as i can get. PLEASE!! thank you!!!!

By the way i live in La California.

Answer 1

The more the average check size, the higher your tip amounts will be. However, if you are young and inexperienced, the most expensive restaurants won't hire you. But busy mid-range ones might, and you may also consider working in a bar where experience may not matter as much.

Answer 2

LA is a pain to get hired in, believe me. So many out-of-work actors. Waiting tables and tending bar are their jobs of choice.

If you've never worked at a full service restaurant start at the chains like Chili's or Applebees. It's not great but it's a good foot in the door. Places like that are actually geared to hiring first time restaurant employees. Even higher-end chains like PF Changs are going to want some serious experience on your resume and Subway won't cut it.

If you're having difficulty with the chains try a Denny's or the like. The money isn't gonna be great but it'll be better than Subway any day. Plus, it's a foot in the door. After a year or so you can start applying to better places and have a much better chance at getting hired.

The great thing about waiting tables in CA is that there is no tipped minimum and the minimum wage is much higher than in other states. When I moved to CA I was thrilled just to get a paycheck. It was like free money. At $2.50 an hour your hourly wage doesn't even cover the tax on your tips if you make good tips. At $6.75 an hour I got actual paychecks. Add that into your tips and that's just plain cool.

Answer 3

From the info you've given, I'd say you qualify for waitressing. Try places like Denny's, Outback or Village Inn. these are good starter places because they have good training programs. They will help you learn how to maximize your time on the floor and not have wasted effort.

If you are motivated to work in high-end restaurants, pay attention to the details. Stick it out for a year or 2, then move on to more upscale places. The money is decent, but you don't want to be there forever.

Answer 4

You could try a mom and pop restuarant. Or maybe Lonestar Steakhouse, RedLobster, Red Robin. It won't hurt to ask if they require serving experience. It's not called waitressing anymore. You will make 2.13 an hour and make the difference in tips. I would shop some of the places around you to see how busy they are to see what shift you want to work in order to make the most money.

Answer 5

You may qualify for a sit down restaurant. You never know until you apply. They will definetely start you off at minimum wage, for servers it is usually less than minimum wage and they will expect you to earn the difference back with tips.

Answer 6

Confused here , you said you had serving experience but are asking questions like you have none ? ?

Apply at a place like Denny's to get some experience ,
Then move up after you get at least 6 months in .

Good Luck

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Answer 7

Smile and have a good attitude.Don't worry so much about remembering what exactly is on the menu right now,focus on dealing with the customers in a very upbeat way so that you will get good tips.Always ask them how they are doing and try and chit chat and listen to them with their responses.

Answer 8

I don't have any answer for where you can get a job, but my friend works at Subway, and he said that he doesn't get paid past 11pm (closing time), but still has to stay until like MN to finish up the work. Hope that's never happened to you!