Do waiters at fine dining restaurants really get paid/ tipped more than $200 a night

Question

It seems like a great job for someone like me who loves food, knows food and in college. So why dont more college student pursue this ?What are the negatives and positives of being a waiter?

Answer 1

I understand that those jobs are hard to come by for the very reason you mentioned.  Upscale restaurants where you can earn this kind of money require their waitstaff be very experienced.  And you work very hard for those tips.  

But go for it.  Good luck to you.

Answer 2

Front of house staff in the hospitality industry can easily earn this sort of money in posh places or in really busy places, such as trendy nightclubs.

I worked hospitality (bars, waiting tables and clubs) many years ago and this sort of money was routine, and that was in Australia where tipping is not as common as elsewhere.

The upside is:

* Of course, the money.

* The hours are good if you are studying or have another job.

* It's a social type job, you meet a lot of people and can party hard.

* You get to observe a lot of lifestyles of the rich and famous.

* You can learn a lot of stuff on the job if you are prepared to work hard, other staff are usually very generous with their time and skills because every improvement in service is better for the whole staff.

* You can usually eat and drink for free (but not always).

* The bosses of these type places are usually generous when it comes to bonuses, extras for the staff, etc. They know a happy staff is more loyal and will work harder, also it makes for a good atmosphere with plenty of 'snap'.

* You learn the business inside out, if you are smart and observant. Many successful restauarant owners began by waiting tables or tending bar, and have gone on to make a lot more than $200 a night from a good restaurant. there's a LOT of money in hospitality, especially food and wine, if you are interested in that type of future.

The downside is:

* You usually have to share your tips with the kitchen/back of house staff and there are often quite strict 'rules' about this. You can say "I will not share" and that's fine, but expect to wait a loooooong time for your order, and don't be surprised if your table is the one that gets the small portions and the less impressive salads.

* The work can be quite hard and physically demanding, and the hours are long.

* You have to take a lot of cr@p from people who are rude or ignorant, and you have to remain totally neutral while they do it, or you are out on your ear.

* The dress code is strict and you have to supply your own clothing and have it cleaned and pressed, which is necessary after every single shift.

* The required skills can be difficult to acquire and the fine line that separates 'ordinary' from superior isn't something that can be jumped over because you have a nice manner. You have to have the skills, and they are NOT as easy as it looks. It looks easy because the people are skilled, not because it's actually easy.

* Some employers are mean and have nasty attitudes, and chefs can be temperamental and hard to please (Ramsay is a lot more typical than many people realise, and a chef does not have to be a millionaire tv personality to carry on that way!).

*It's not that easy to get a job in a good place. People hang onto those jobs, and you often have to work at lesser places until you can work your way up. But if you have brains and work hard, you can get work once you get known about town (another good reason for socialising with workmates).

In short, like everything, this can be a good job and you can make money at it, but there is no such thing as a free ride. You earn your living, and the posher the venue, the harder the staff work.

Cheers :-)

Answer 3

Waiters are the butt of people's wrath. I never was one, but many of my friends were, and the only way to make $200 in a night was to be a bartender.

I always tip well, because they don't make squat, work long hours, and have people yell at them for stupid things. I wouldn't want their job, and appreciate those that are good at it.

I worked retail, and that was bad enough. Working for the general public (especially a hungry general public that has to wait 10 minutes for food) really can suck.

Answer 4

Its known as "silver service".  Most sliver service staff are male.

You will get very few tables at one time (like one or two per night - maybe 3 if its "hopping") and if a table decides to stiff you  or to be really cheap then you are SOL.  If you have more tables in a restaurant with faster turnover (not silver service) then your chances of getting tips are proportionally increased.