Seattle and the minimum wage increase

[Johnny Cupcakes]

(07-26-2015, 10:20 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Maybe...on the other hand, other than having a few less tables, does such a waiter work harder than an IHOP waitress that is lucky to get 15% of a $20 bill?

I've always assumed better servers worked their way up to high-end restaurants because the tips are better.  But it's not like more work is involved in bringing a $500 bottle of wine vs. a $50 bottle - a $5 tip for that bottle of wine is more than fair in either case (without getting into the somelier, which is a different issue).

Most people who eat at expensive restaurants have more money and so don't have issue with the 15-20% on a higher bill.  If you worked 3 tables over 2 hours and each couple left you a $10 tip, then that's $15/hr just in tips and seems pretty reasonable.

Now, I don't think $3 for the IHOP server is somehow more fair than $10 to the server of my $100 meal.  I know it's been traditional and custom to leave 15%, but practically speaking just because you got steak instead of a salad you shouldn't be obligated to leave an extra $5 on your tip just because the steak costs so much more.  It's not like the server does extra work.

Oh, I didn't mean that only high end servers deserve good compensation for their time.  I've been out to eat at Bob Evans with my huge family recently and easily racked up a $100-$150 bill for the table.  We spent at least an hour there and she devoted a huge amount of time to us.  My dad tipped her really well, as we were thankful for the place to gather, the food, and the good service.  I just think that good work should be recognized no matter how upscale the restaraunt is.