Hellobee Boards Topic: Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?

Hellobee Boards Topic: Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:21:07 +0000 Mrs. Pickles on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521400 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 12:38:42 +0000 Mrs. Pickles 2521400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was a waitress and bartender for 6 years.. for half we didn't pool tips and for half we did (we all served drinks and food), I preferred not pooling tips because if another server wasn't working as hard I didn't' feel like they should earn the same. totally agree with @Rocker2014 We earned $2.16 an hour plus tips, the kitchen staff earned more than minimum wage so we didn't' tip them out and we didn't' have bussers Rocker2014 on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521385 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 12:20:45 +0000 Rocker2014 2521385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have been a waitress and hostess, both for locally owned restaurants (no chains) in a tourist town and the setup was the same at both locations. Waitstaff only tipped out the bussers, and it was a very small percentage of sales that usually ended up being less than $7 or $8 per server on shift. Bussers received minimum wage. The bartenders always did well because they served drinks and meals at the bar, which led to good tips that they kept. The hostesses were paid above minimum wage and kept any tips from carry out/delivery orders. Kitchen staff were paid hourly and generously and weren't a part of the tipping structure. I purposely never worked in a place where tips were pooled. I am a very hard working, social person who made an effort to make sure diners had a good experience, and found that I often received good tips. I honestly didn't want to share with some coworkers who couldn't give a crap about the job/diners and as a result got tipped poorly. Obviously this wouldn't apply in a high end setting where the employees are better managed/monitored for performance. avivoca on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521372 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 12:04:46 +0000 avivoca 2521372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was a hostess at a steakhouse and the servers never had to tip out. Hostesses and kitchen staff made minimum wage ($5.15/hr at the time) while servers made $2.13/hr. I only ever got tipped on large carry out orders, like when pharmaceutical reps were buying lunch for an entire office, but that didn't happen weekly. Tanjowen on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521347 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 11:43:23 +0000 Tanjowen 2521347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I waited tables at longhorns and only tipped out to bar staff. There used to be a restaurant in Atlanta that had an interesting setup: everyone served all the tables and kitchen brought out the dishes once cooked. You never had one set waiter, but anyone walking by could help you or anyone refill glasses. They split tips evenly among everyone at the end of the night. It was a very high end restaurant and people who worked there seemed happy with the setup. Bao on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521165 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 09:18:52 +0000 Bao 2521165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DH currently works as a server part time to supplement income and he has to rip out 1% of sales to the bartender, and half that to a 'tip out jar' but he's not even sure that goes to where it should. Nothing goes to back of the house because they are making $20/hour where DH makes $2 and some change. He really counts on his tips so it stinks when people don't get that and then he still has to tip out. BKCaribBaby on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521155 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 09:11:31 +0000 BKCaribBaby 2521155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ This comment has been deleted by the original poster. rattles on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521137 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 09:04:59 +0000 rattles 2521137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was required to tip out 10% each to the hostesses, bussers and bartenders. We didn't share tips with the back of house. Mrs. Marshmallow on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521076 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 08:18:48 +0000 Mrs. Marshmallow 2521076@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I personally have never understood the tipping the kitchen part. The tips are for your service. Servers typically make less an hour than other staff because they're supplemented by their tips. I totally agree with tipping your hostess/busser but, that's because they're helping you with your guests. My mom owns a restaurant and the kitchen isn't tipped. The kitchen staff make several dollars an hour more than the servers, and when there are bonuses given out (my mom gives them out quite frequently) kitchen staff get a larger bonus typically. Anagram on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521073 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 08:15:13 +0000 Anagram 2521073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I worked at all chain restaurants and there was always a set policy--it wasn't up to the individual waiter/waitress to decide. I waited tables at Olive Garden and Jeckyll and Hyde Club and we had to tip the bar a certain amount. We didn't tip out the kitchen in any restaurant. At Jeckyll and Hyde, you also tipped the hostesses, BUT the restaurant didn't let you personally tip out--at the end of the night, they checked your overall sales and made you tip out a percentage (like 1%) of your sales, so that waiters wouldn't short their tip outs. They assume you are average 15% tips on sales (some less and some more, but that's the average) and they took from that amount. I hostessed at OUtback Steakhouse in HS and we got tip outs and they tried to make sure it evened at least $8 an hour (at a time when minimum wage was $5 an hour). Mrs. Champagne on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521071 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 08:13:58 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2521071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ When my friend was bussing, she got 1% of the food sold for her tables. Regardless of how much the wait staff made in tips. She also made more per hour of course. bushelandapeck on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521065 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 08:09:12 +0000 bushelandapeck 2521065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was a waitress for many years as a second/summer job. I had to share tips with the bussers and bartenders, and at my most recent job with the kitchen staff as well. It ended up being something like 35% of my tips. yellowbird on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521053 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 07:54:12 +0000 yellowbird 2521053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was never required to share my tips at any restaurant where I worked. The kitchen and bussers got a higher hourly wage. mrsjyw on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521038 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 07:22:59 +0000 mrsjyw 2521038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was a waiter in college. A corporate Italian/Am chain and they didn't have us our tips with bar/bus boys/kitchen as they got paid a higher hourly wage. But, we of course tipped them on our own as we felt necessary! Alba4 on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521034 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 07:14:31 +0000 Alba4 2521034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Most higher end restaurants in NYC have the front of the house pool their tips and split them. Danny Meyer recently tried a new method where he eliminated tipping and raised the food prices. He then raised the wages of front of the house and back of the house. I think that is more fair, as the front of the house always makes great money and the chefs always made significantly less. It should be more of a team effort. I'd also like the idea of splitting tips with all people working a particular night (front and back of the house). honeybear on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521028 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 07:10:41 +0000 honeybear 2521028@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We didn't tip out the kitchen. They were paid a higher base wage (it was at least double mine because it was assumed I'd be tipped and that would make up the difference...). I did, however, have to tip out the bar and bus staff, and it was 10% total to them. I'm not sure how they split it up. babypugs on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521026 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 07:10:13 +0000 babypugs 2521026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was required to tip out 10% to the bar and 10% to the kitchen. I didn't mind tipping out to the kitchen because they really weren't making much, but my base was only $2.13/hour while the bar staff had a higher base AND got enormous tips on their own, so that seemed pretty unfair to me. ETA The servers did all of our own busing/cleaning, so no bus staff to tip out to. lamariniere on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521023 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 07:06:03 +0000 lamariniere 2521023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was a waitress in high school. I only tipped the bus boy 10% (standard practice where I worked) and kept the rest. ETA: considering I was making like $2.75 an hour or whatever it was in the late 90s, I thought it was more than fair that I kept most of my tips since kitchen staff was making minimum wage. mrbee on "Have you worked as a waiter or in a kitchen?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-worked-as-a-waiter-or-in-a-kitchen#post-2521015 Mon, 11 Apr 2016 06:47:11 +0000 mrbee 2521015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I'm curious how the tips were split between the front and the back of the restaurant! I've heard that sometimes waiters can get upset if too much of their tips are shared, while kitchen staff can get upset if the front of the restaurant keeps all of the tips. I'm facing a similar situation at work, and I'm trying to come up with a fair solution. Wondering what others have experienced, and what feels fair/not fair...