Hellobee Boards

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.

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).

I was never required to share my tips at any restaurant where I worked. The kitchen and bussers got a higher hourly wage.

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.

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.

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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.

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.