Chicago Restaurants: Servers

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by linicx

IF. If you get the 10 $60 tables everyday for 4 days every week for 52 weeks and IF they all tip 18%. $10.80 isn't even $3 a plate. Wouldn't you rather get $40-$50 per plate? Maybe Chicago doesn't serve a $300 plate like restaurants in LA?
/
Food Jobs - Chicago, IL | Simply Hired

I don't think you saw my second part of it. $40 average per table, 10 tables per hour, 5 hour shifts for 4 days/week is $8000 total, then 15% tip (around or under average tipping) would be $1200/week. If you work 50 weeks/year out of 52, that's still $60,000/year.


Now, okay let's set our things even lower. $30 average per table, 8 tables per hour, 5 hour shifts for 4 days/week. That's $4800. 15% tip is $36,000/year in tips for working 50 weeks/year like that. $30 for a table in Chicago is nothing.

If you really don't think that's possible then I don't know what to tell you. $30 per table, with 8 tables per hour and 5 hours for many restaurants is completely doable in Chicago and i'd expect the average to be more sometimes, sure some days less, but on average no. $30 for two people in Chicago can be done at many, many places.


Now imagine someone's at Gibson's Steakhouse, which is not even Michellin rated. Imagine they do 5 tables per hour and the average bill is $100/table (the cheapest steak there is $38-$40). Let's say they work 4 hours and 4 days a week. 50 weeks a year doing that is $60,000 in tips. if everyone tips 15%.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by OldFaithful

Does anyone know an average of what a server earn in Chicago- (on average) working the dinner shift at a sushi or steak restaurant in downtown Chicago?

(Examples: Sushi Samba, Ruth's Chris, Gibsons, Mercadito, etc.)

Please also specify if this is a 4 hour shift or an 8 hour shift that you are referring to.... And if the work is being done on weekdays, or the weekend.

First, if you really think that you are going to walk into one of the traditional Chicago steakhouses and be hired immediately, it would be unlikely. Those positions generally go to people with a lot of experience in the Chicago area and having contacts helps.

Second, if you are working at a restaurant, the hours may vary day to day and will generally include weekends - like MOST weekends.

And I know servers who are making in the $50-60k BUT ... they are very experienced and are in plum positions. Most make a lot less. And remember at many restaurants, you share the tips with other team members as they are also serving the customer.

[knitgirl]

You also need to consider that when you're starting out you'll get the worst shifts and restaurants have ebbs and flows. The average restaurant is not full throughout the whole dinner service. Rule of thumb is if you can do 1 cover on weeknights and 2 covers on weekends, that's pretty good. There could be days when you work 8 hrs and walk out with 30 bucks.

[OldFaithful]

Thanks for all of the replies everyone!


@jlawrence01-

Did you even READ what I wrote?!

"First, if you really think that you are going to walk into one of the traditional Chicago steakhouses and be hired immediately, it would be unlikely."

What does THIS have to do with the inquiry?!

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by linicx

The rule of thumb in food service was always minimum wage. This was before 9/11 and the current economic mess. All restaurant owners have a drawer full of applicants. What they don't have is a drawer full of applicants who understand fine dining. Those who do, work at Michelin red book Guide restaurants. Alpha cities are particularly demanding when it comes to Fine Food and Table Service.

Wow, we agree on something.....
You can tell when a server has been 'trained' and when a server has just learned to be a server by working at a bunch of different places.
It really impacts the dining experience when you have someone serving you who has been taught the details of fine service.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

You also need to consider that when you're starting out you'll get the worst shifts and restaurants have ebbs and flows. The average restaurant is not full throughout the whole dinner service. Rule of thumb is if you can do 1 cover on weeknights and 2 covers on weekends, that's pretty good. There could be days when you work 8 hrs and walk out with 30 bucks.

Exactly. Weeknights can be incredibly slow, and even on busy nights you have a window of 7PM to 10 or 11 (at most) to really turn a significant number of tables around. Other than maybe a couple dozen restaurants in the city you'll be lucky to get one or two tables between 5 and 7 on an early weeknight.

And don't forget that most waitstaff will have to split their tips with other front of the house staff (bussers, hosts, barbacks, food runners, etc.). High end places will have more front of house staff to split tips with too. You can make some good money at a high end place, but I think a lot of the estimates here are wildly optimistic for 99.9% of serving positions in any city.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Exactly. Weeknights can be incredibly slow, and even on busy nights you have a window of 7PM to 10 or 11 (at most) to really turn a significant number of tables around. Other than maybe a couple dozen restaurants in the city you'll be lucky to get one or two tables between 5 and 7 on an early weeknight.

And don't forget that most waitstaff will have to split their tips with other front of the house staff (bussers, hosts, barbacks, food runners, etc.). High end places will have more front of house staff to split tips with too. You can make some good money at a high end place, but I think a lot of the estimates here are wildly optimistic for 99.9% of serving positions in any city.

I agree completely. Some of these estimates, esp for table turnover, are wildly optomistic. You're not going to get 8-10 brand new tables every hour, period, so let's scale back these predictions of 60-100K per year. Many restaurants are virtually empty on Mondays and Tuesdays..

[linicx]

I cannot speak for Chicago restaurants. In Non-Alpha cities, it is not all that unusual for restaurants to be dark on Monday or even Monday and Tuesday due to a couple of factors. [1] long weekend hours, [2] Low customer count on Monday and or Tuesday. [3] Vendors; someone has to do the shopping and ordering.

Country Clubs traditionally close for 2-4 weeks after Jan 1 to do the major cleaning and repairs - which is one of the reasons country clubs have reciprocal food and bar agreements. Country Clubs and upscale restaurants do not hire employees they do not want to invest time and money to train in French service, for instance. At the least they want to see experience in a respected steakhouse or upscale hotel. They are not so much interested in employees experienced in breakfast and casual dining unless the interviewer sees something special in the applicant.

Casual diners in Non-Alpha cities are not generally 20% tippers. Women are notoriously cheap when it comes to tipping. Good service is an art. The single woman who is ignored does not only not leave a tip, she often complains to management. Conversely if she is treated well she will leave a tip and return for the same reason.

Restaurants open for one reason: to serve food in a timely manner to all who walk through the doors and cultivate return business. Generally speaking Good Food + Good service = Good Tip.

[prelude91]

Originally Posted by marothisu

I don't think you saw my second part of it. $40 average per table, 10 tables per hour, 5 hour shifts for 4 days/week is $8000 total, then 15% tip (around or under average tipping) would be $1200/week. If you work 50 weeks/year out of 52, that's still $60,000/year.


Now, okay let's set our things even lower. $30 average per table, 8 tables per hour, 5 hour shifts for 4 days/week. That's $4800. 15% tip is $36,000/year in tips for working 50 weeks/year like that. $30 for a table in Chicago is nothing.

If you really don't think that's possible then I don't know what to tell you. $30 per table, with 8 tables per hour and 5 hours for many restaurants is completely doable in Chicago and i'd expect the average to be more sometimes, sure some days less, but on average no. $30 for two people in Chicago can be done at many, many places.


Now imagine someone's at Gibson's Steakhouse, which is not even Michellin rated. Imagine they do 5 tables per hour and the average bill is $100/table (the cheapest steak there is $38-$40). Let's say they work 4 hours and 4 days a week. 50 weeks a year doing that is $60,000 in tips. if everyone tips 15%.

8-10 tables per hour is way over estimating, I waited tables in college at Keefer's, and I think probably averaged 3-4 tables an hour (most steak houses tend to give 3 maybe 4 table sections). On top of that most servers tip out close to 30-35% of the earnings to the rest of the staff. I was one of the best servers at the restaurant and I would walk away with $160/night on average. It is possible things have changed since then.