Would like to become a busboy...?

Question

i am 20 yo and i need a job to cover some rent. i dont have any restaurant exp. so i was thinking of becoming a busboy at chilis or something. what is the probability ill get hired, what is the job like, and most importantly, how much is the pay on a typical weekend or weekday?

Answer 1

You don't need restaurant experience for MOST restaurant jobs, though like any job, it is helpful.

At a restaurant, there is a "front end" and "back end".  The front end is the service side:  hosts, servers, busers, cashiers, etc.  The back end is everything that happens behind the scenes, that customers don't see:  cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers, etc.

The busboy is the low man on the pole for the front end.  (The dishwasher is the low man for the back end.)  Expect wages to be minimum wage or slightly better, POSSIBLY with a nightly tip-out of about 10%-20% of the wait-staff's tips.  (If a waitress makes $30, she tips you $3 for keeping her tables bused.)  This is generally on the honor system... but some restaurants have the waitstaff give tips to their manager, who then divvies tips to busers.

When I bused for a restaurant (slow, rather unpopular ribs restaurant), minimum wage was $4.75.  With tips from 4-5 waitresses for the shift, I'd get around $15-25 cash.  So for an 8-hour shift, I made anywhere from $50-$65.  With current minimum wage being $6.55/hr (and tips would still average around the same), you could expect anywhere from $65-$80 for 8 hrs.  (GROSS pay = before taxes)

You're actually better off applying for a server (waiter) position, assuming you are somewhat friendly and can remember basic lists of items.  Restaurants (especially chains) recognize servers to be entry-level, and usually offer a 3+ day training program (usually with a mentor) to get you started.  Being a server offers a slightly higher potential for pay for about the same amount of work.

Minimum wage for servers is only $2.13 (which is negligible - just enough to cover taxes, with a little extra), but you could expect around $50+ in CASH every shift.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

If you have any customer service experience or are naturally charismatic, I would apply for a greeter/host/server position before a busboy position.

The job is pretty straightforward - you bus tables (clear them, wipe them, set them) and run the dishwasher. You'll probably have other tasks like putting away the dishes, emptying trash, running errands for the kitchen staff, etc. It's simple.

Pay is typically minimum wage plus tips. The catch is that when the servers tip you out, they aren't necessarily obliged to give you a certain percent or amount (although it depends on the restaurant), but that's where your tips come from. The servers keep a majority, but they tip out bartenders (depending on the rest.), kitchen staff, hosts, and busboys. Sooo you may be getting a small chunk of the pie. Weekends naturally pay better because the busier the place, the more likely you are to get more tips. There is no expected amount because it depends on the quality of the restaurant and staff, the day of the week, and the restaurant's policies as to how many tips you'll get.

Get the job, be courteous and work hard and you'll get promoted to host. Keep at it and you can become a server. After that, bartender. Tips galore! :)

One more important note after reading the other response, which is good except for one pretty significant detail: your wages. Servers' wages vary by state because minimum wage varies by state (though most sit at the federal min. wage, which is $6.55) and some states have laws that allow servers (as workers who rely on tips to supplement their wages) to legally earn below the minimum wage. It depends on your state. I'm from Oregon and servers have to legally earn the state's minimum wage ($7.95) in addition to whatever tips they earn. That is your gross income - including the tips that you claim. I believe in my state servers are automatically taxed around 8% of their sales assuming they'd make at least that much in tips. So what you need to do is check into your particular state's wage laws to know what your specific wages would be.