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Old 07-28-2014, 07:10 AM
 
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If you are living in San Marcos and are attending college, do the students tend to get jobs in Austin for better tips or are the tips equal in San Marcos?
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Old 07-28-2014, 07:40 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
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It will all depend on what kind of place you are working. I assume you mean as waitstaff? Anyway, avoid 'student' places, generally speaking, and although the higher dollar restaurants theoretically result in more money, it may take you a long time to work up to the good shifts and/or enough prime hours to equal what you might make at a high-volume (lower dollar) place.

I would only say that Austin might be better due to more options, not because of any real difference on a like-for-like comparison.
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Old 07-28-2014, 08:28 AM
 
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True, students are not known as high tippers. I would look at all the smaller towns around San Marcos first, just to minimize your commute. There are a few nice restaurants around. Commuting for a job of I35 will not be fun, especially if you have to drive at commute times.
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Old 07-28-2014, 08:53 AM
 
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Hmm, google maps indicates a 34 minute commute at this time. Seems reasonable enough for me.

Also which cities are you referring to? I am looking on Google maps and see "Kyle" (which looks more like a suburb), Lockhart (which appears to only have mom and pop joints), and New Braunsfel.
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Old 07-28-2014, 09:45 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by banal View Post
Hmm, google maps indicates a 34 minute commute at this time. Seems reasonable enough for me.

Also which cities are you referring to? I am looking on Google maps and see "Kyle" (which looks more like a suburb), Lockhart (which appears to only have mom and pop joints), and New Braunsfel.
34 minutes from San Marcos to Austin at 9AM? Never going to happen. That said, most service jobs won't have "typical" commute hours, making it possible to do a 45-50 minute door-to-door drive (after parking, etc).
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Old 07-28-2014, 09:51 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
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You might consider the touristy spots in New Braunfels, as well, but not sure how competitive the jobs are. You can eat up a lot of tip money on gas and commute time. I-35 may be pretty quick some of the time - but one wreck, or, if you have to travel any distance within Austin, and it can be ugly in a hurry.

I assume you have been a server before? IF so, also consider the 'rules' of where you are working:
- Do they allow 'fixed' schedules, as opposed to posting your schedule every week or two. This is a HUGE advantage when you are going to school.
- When do they close? Places that close at 10/11 at night will be worlds better than 12/2 type places, since you can potentially be there hours after the official closing. I turned down Trudy's (all those years ago) for Tres Amigos, and it was probably one of the best choices I made during those years of my life (there were plenty of bad ones ).
- The others are more obvious, but just in case - do you HAVE to work day shifts for a while before getting night shifts? When do you get to work the 'good' shifts? Friday/Saturday may not be the good ones due to the number of servers working, btw.
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Old 07-28-2014, 11:42 AM
 
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Austin definitely has more opportunities for better tips, but if you live in San Marcos it would obviously be more convenient to stay there. You could also look into bartending at The Square or something. Everyone thinks "I'll just be a server part time and make $200 a shift"....that can definitely happen, but like others have stated, it takes time to work up to those shifts. Serving at a "high paying (tipping) restaurant" is a career in a lot of ways. Yeah, a lot of people are waiting for something bigger and better, but there are only so many spots available.

Look around and explore. A lot of it is timing and luck, but that's life.

@Trainwreck20 you usually don't have to work day shifts before night shifts, but I know a lot of places you may have to be "pick up only" or only scheduled one day a week.
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Old 07-28-2014, 11:58 AM
 
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When talking about small towns, I was thinking of Martindale, which is very close to San Marcos, and has a really nice restaurant called the Cottonseed Cafe. It is a bit more pricey than average, but has wonderful food, and I imagine people who eat there leave good tips. There may be more such places around. Our favorite restaurant in San Marcos is The Root Cellar, but I imagine it would be hard to find a place there, since it is small. There are a few in Kyle - Bordeaux's? If you end up having to come into Austin, try the restaurants at South Park Meadows shopping center first, as this is right off the I-35, and the far south.
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