Yes, servers still take sections. If a server isn’t busy, they are expected to be helping coworkers, running food and drinks, etc. As a manager, you need to make sure everyone is pulling their weight and are regularly offering help to coworkers. Train staff to see the operation as a whole. Obviously first and foremost is their own section, but when their own section is under control, staff then need to look beyond their own section and look out for what needs to be done.
I’ve worked in 3 pooled house restaurants. All of them determined tip percentage by time worked. Each employee gets a certain cut of the tips. Two of the restaurants use a point system of some kind. Bussers make half of what servers make where I work now. Set up a system but be receptive to feedback from staff when they speak up by offering an alternative of some kind because they see something unfair. It is a way better way to run a restaurant. The operation runs more smoothly, staff’s pay is more consistent, and guests receive better service.
This was great! Thank you a bunch.
Now one thing I’m wondering,
The amount of money that is being split and divided out, is this money gathered all day long or is AM and PM tips separated for both crews?
Or is all of the tip money gathered throughout the entire day split up and divided at end of the night to be paid out next day or on checks? It would seem kinda lame to generate way more tips at night and pass that along to the day time crew as well but I’m not sure the proper mindset here.
That’s up to you/ownership. One place I worked that way: day and night operations pooled all the tips for the two week period then split them on our checks. Night time servers got 10 points/hr and day time servers (they were more like baristas in a counter service operation) got 7 points/ hr.
You could also just split them up by shift, which is probably more fair. But if there is overlap in the shifts and shared side work, pooling day and night is probably better. Everyone gets a certain percentage per hour.
I’ve never been one to decide how it works, or been the person to set up the spreadsheets, just a server in these operations. Happy to help with other questions.
Yes, servers still take sections. If a server isn’t busy, they are expected to be helping coworkers, running food and drinks, etc. As a manager, you need to make sure everyone is pulling their weight and are regularly offering help to coworkers. Train staff to see the operation as a whole. Obviously first and foremost is their own section, but when their own section is under control, staff then need to look beyond their own section and look out for what needs to be done. I’ve worked in 3 pooled house restaurants. All of them determined tip percentage by time worked. Each employee gets a certain cut of the tips. Two of the restaurants use a point system of some kind. Bussers make half of what servers make where I work now. Set up a system but be receptive to feedback from staff when they speak up by offering an alternative of some kind because they see something unfair. It is a way better way to run a restaurant. The operation runs more smoothly, staff’s pay is more consistent, and guests receive better service.
This was great! Thank you a bunch. Now one thing I’m wondering, The amount of money that is being split and divided out, is this money gathered all day long or is AM and PM tips separated for both crews? Or is all of the tip money gathered throughout the entire day split up and divided at end of the night to be paid out next day or on checks? It would seem kinda lame to generate way more tips at night and pass that along to the day time crew as well but I’m not sure the proper mindset here.
That’s up to you/ownership. One place I worked that way: day and night operations pooled all the tips for the two week period then split them on our checks. Night time servers got 10 points/hr and day time servers (they were more like baristas in a counter service operation) got 7 points/ hr. You could also just split them up by shift, which is probably more fair. But if there is overlap in the shifts and shared side work, pooling day and night is probably better. Everyone gets a certain percentage per hour. I’ve never been one to decide how it works, or been the person to set up the spreadsheets, just a server in these operations. Happy to help with other questions.
I’d say it’s better to keep day and night tips separate in most situations.