Are Chain Restaurant Waiters Tipped Well in OC? (San Diego, Santa Ana: sales, real estate)

[Sleepless from Seattle]

My spouse currently works as a waiter / server at a chain restaurant - the one with the gold rush theme, C**** J***** - in the IE.

He is looking to transfer to a C_ J_ in OC. Preferably the one in Brea.

However, we do not want to pull up stakes and move to OC, unless the tips / gratuity amount is worth it.

We live frugally. In our mid-thirties. Are apartment renters. No kids. No pets. Have one car, and it is bought and paid for. Moved to the California IE two years ago for a job that fell through during our move here. Accustomed to Seattle tippers, easy gratuity of at least $80 on weeknights after a 4-hour shift. Here in the IE, chump change after a 6-hour shift. Even on the weekends

DH is an excellent and very attentive waiter / server. He receives many 5-star complements, but very little gratuity accompanying them. His co-workers tell him how lucky he is, as they often get stiffed. My guess is that IE folks are tapped out after paying the bill and/or anybody here, who has any money, dines out in San Diego

We just can't keep treading water here much longer. But will we sink in OC?

Will tips / gratuity earned at a chain restaurant in OC be enough to buy some decent food (I'm thinking fresh produce) and new socks after the rent?

[Fontucky]

Not for nuttin, I tip well at the CJ in RC.

[VeronikaW]

I think it just depends. I know that I tip 20% for normal service, 25% or more for great service, 15% for bad service, and 10% for really bad service. My mom and step dad (also here in Orange County) tip 18% for good service and 15% for normal service.

I do not envy waiters, I could never put up with people the way they do.

V. =)

[EscapeCalifornia]

I would expect tips to be better in OC than the IE. There's a lot more wealth in OC and the unemployment rate is a lot lower. The IE has been hit much harder by the real estate crash, construction industry collapse, and overall poor economy.

[Nayabone]

Why doesn't bf take a drive down to the place he wishes to transfer too, and talk server talk to the servers who work at the desired CJ? You won't find a better place or persons to ask the question.
They would know better than us poor people in the HD, and it's only an hour's drive.....
Something to do on your day off......

[Sleepless from Seattle]

Originally Posted by Nayabone

Why doesn't bf take a drive down to the place he wishes to transfer too, and talk server talk to the servers who work at the desired CJ? You won't find a better place or persons to ask the question.
They would know better than us poor people in the HD, and it's only an hour's drive.....
Something to do on your day off......

Yup! Husband and I visited two locations in OC last month. The fellow waiters / servers were pretty vague, despite my best cajoling efforts for an average tip / gratuity percentage or dollar amount

Waitress at the C_ J_ in Costa Mesa exclaimed, it "...has been nothing but hardship..." for her, as she barely made enough to pay for the roof over her head...in LA. Didn't want to pry too much, asking if her 'roof' was a beachfront condo.

Waiter at the C_ J_ in Brea agreed that the IE was depressed, adding that the Temecula location tied with the one in Corona for the worst and stated that because "...this is Orange County...", he'd do better there in OC.

Neither could / would answer whether their tips averaged at least 20%-30% of their sales or if they made at least $80 on weeknights and over $100 on weekend nights

Just thought maybe somebody here on the City-Data Orange County forum might have some insider info.

My thanks to all the above posters, who have shared with me thus far

[Coldjensens]

I have not yet met a waiter anywhere that says "Wow, they tip me plenty here I am doing great!"

Claim Jumper in Santa Ana is always busy and sometimes has a 1 hour wait at dinner time (and people will sit and wait). Lunch is usually pretty quick at least if you go after 1 or before noon. I used to eat lunch there 2-3 times a week and frequently 1-3 times a week for dinner. Our office was accross the streeet and there were not many other quick and good lunch choices. We got to know the staff well and tipped our favorites very well. (Sometimes they would argue over where we get seated because they knew we tipped decently, funy thing is that the cranky people who would argue the most voacally were not going to get that good a tip becuase they were nasty and we knew it. I have not seen or heaard of anyone stiffing the waiter, but I am sure it happens.

We generally just double the tax and round up and maybe add a dolalr more unless the waiter/waitress was awesome or horrible; if we know them; or when our kids were little if we brought the kids we would tip more. Sometimes the waiters/waitresses there are awful. Too busy chit chatting about the latest party they attended or flirting with each other to pay attention to their job. More than half the time though, they are good or execellent. My main issue - bring what we ordered and within a reasonable time. Not really concerned with much else. If I have to get up to get a drink refilled, it does nto bother me much. If they leave me sitting there waiting to pay the bill I get annoyed. After about ten minutes, we start shaving off 1% per minute. Sitting there when you want to leave is super annyoing and Claim Jumper is horrible about that. Sometimes I jsut get up and go to the counter and ask for the bill, but they still take forever to find the waiter and get the bill.

Frequently when we have a group for lunch, everyone figures out their share and rounds up and puts in that amount. Usually we ended up with too much including a good tip. IF it was only a few dolalrs too much we just left it as a bigger tip if they were nice and quick. Sometimes they would end up with 30% just becuase it was too much hassle and too time comsuming to figure out who gets back what. At Christmas, if we had a good year, we might each leave our favorite waiter waitress $100, especially if we knew they were in college or had kids. That could be a good tip day if there were six or seven of us.

For lunch fast is the key. We needed to be in and out in 45 minutes maximum. Time is money and we get a little testy if we are sitting around waiting for somone to come, especially when they are not busy. If your table ends up asking for their food to go, you messed up.

One waiter at CJ dropped a tray of about 18 drinks down my very rich friend's back once. My friend is sometimes a bit hgh falluting and needs an accoaisional humbling event. I offered the waiter $20 if he did it again, but he did not seem to want the $20, so I guess they are getting enough tips.

Keep in mind OC is considerably more expensive to live in than IE. Are you planning to move or commute?

Friends who are waiters tell me that middle class people tend to tip better than upper class. Thus, you may be better off in Fullerton or Santa Ana than in Irvine, or Newport (Does Newport have a claim jumper? I am nto aware of one, but they are popping up all over).

[Podo944]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Friends who are waiters tell me that middle class people tend to tip better than upper class. Thus, you may be better off in Fullerton or Santa Ana than in Irvine, or Newport (Does Newport have a claim jumper? I am nto aware of one, but they are popping up all over).

Hmmm... maybe depends on the restaurant. I work at a chain in Newport and we have great local regulars that tip very well on the whole.
I also worked at a chain a while back in Foothill Ranch in South County, (a neighborhood I would describe as professional middle class?) and we had a waiter that transferred and drove all the way from Fullerton to Foothill (more middle/working class maybe?) because the tips were so much better.

It might be hard to get a straight answer from servers these days... a lot of them are fighting to keep the hours they have.
But maybe you'll get lucky and your chain will have an opening. I believe there's also one (of your discreet description) in Mission Viejo on Santa Margarita Parkway.
Cost of living is higher here, but the weather is much much nicer!

Best of luck!

[ferretkona]

Good waiters get good tips. Great waiters get great tips. Said nuff

[armorbear]

Great waiters deserve best tips and they have the capability to get tips.