Waitressing in California

emma1606

New Member
Hi,

I have a relative who is a college student but also an experienced server. She is looking to move to a restaurant in the California area.

Any ideas which is the best restaurant for a server to make money and be treated well?

Thanks!
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I have a relative who is a college student but also an experienced server. She is looking to move to a restaurant in the California area.

Any ideas which is the best restaurant for a server to make money and be treated well?

Thanks!

With absolutely NOTHING to base it on, I'd go with the two that seem the busiest year round, and those would be Cheeseburger in Paradise and Outback, which are practically next to each other.
 

sockgirl77

Well-Known Member
I have heard that Outback waitresses do well. Also may want to try Applebee's. I know a few former waitresses from Ruby Tuesday's and they got treated like crap. :shrug:
 
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wkndbeacher

Guest
With absolutely NOTHING to base it on, I'd go with the two that seem the busiest year round, and those would be Cheeseburger in Paradise and Outback, which are practically next to each other.

Yup, Asahi and Monterey would be my next two to recommend however, I think their family operated, not sure.
 

theArtistFormerlyKnownAs

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I have a relative who is a college student but also an experienced server. She is looking to move to a restaurant in the California area.

Any ideas which is the best restaurant for a server to make money and be treated well?

Thanks!

well, i used to work at Cheeseburger in Paradise. She should make some good money there and at least when i was there, the majority of the people were nice. Of course you have some of the people who are Debbie Downers, but you can actually have fun working there if you try :smile:

be forewarned though, there tended to be major relationship drama in there, drama in general, but even moreso with relationships. There are a good amount of good looking, young, horny people in there so what do you expect lol? I think this applies somewhat to all restaurants, but this was one of the worst i've seen lol.

but the managers were all nice :yay:
 
W

wkndbeacher

Guest
I have heard that Outback waitresses do well. Also may want to try Applebee's. I know a few former waitresses from Ruby Tuesday's and they got treated like crap. :shrug:

I have a friend who is a waitress at Outback, she makes about 350-400 a wk working just four days a week(mostly weekends)
 

sockgirl77

Well-Known Member
P.S. If she is over 21, I'd suggest bartending. I raked in over $300 per week at a rinky dink country bar. And that was just for tending one night per week! Imagine what she could do at a big place like C.I.P. :faint:
 

theArtistFormerlyKnownAs

Well-Known Member
P.S. If she is over 21, I'd suggest bartending. I raked in over $300 per week at a rinky dink country bar. And that was just for tending one night per week! Imagine what she could do at a big place like C.I.P. :faint:

o man, it was rediculous what bartenders there get.

look at this.

they get, the tips all the bartenders earn split between them (at least thats how i understood it, but they might have gotten all their own tips), then they get their pay from CIP which isn't much, but its more money lol, THEN they also get a percentage of the tipshare (which is calculated by the total tips earned in the restaurant and the total sales of the restaurant on a given night).

they'd walk out with a good amount of cash and then get a small paycheck to boot.
 

sockgirl77

Well-Known Member
o man, it was rediculous what bartenders there get.

look at this.

they get, the tips all the bartenders earn split between them (at least thats how i understood it, but they might have gotten all their own tips), then they get their pay from CIP which isn't much, but its more money lol, THEN they also get a percentage of the tipshare (which is calculated by the total tips earned in the restaurant and the total sales of the restaurant on a given night).

they'd walk out with a good amount of cash and then get a small paycheck to boot.

Screw sharing tips. I never shared a bar for this reason alone. I'll be damned if I work my ass of and have to split tips with a lazy ass. I did that a few times and it bit me in the ass. From that point on, I never tended a bar that I could not handle by myself. I was perfectly capable of tending for 100 people on my own. I've been to CIP once and it was packed. I know that 1 barteder could not handle that on their own. This is why I stuck to my little country bars. Just have to have the right personality and nice smile. Oh and side of nice ass never hurt either. :biggrin:
 

nobody really

I need a nap
well, i used to work at Cheeseburger in Paradise. She should make some good money there and at least when i was there, the majority of the people were nice. Of course you have some of the people who are Debbie Downers, but you can actually have fun working there if you try :smile:

be forewarned though, there tended to be major relationship drama in there, drama in general, but even moreso with relationships. There are a good amount of good looking, young, horny people in there so what do you expect lol? I think this applies somewhat to all restaurants, but this was one of the worst i've seen lol.

but the managers were all nice :yay:

I love Cheeseburger in Paradise. A group of us from work always go there, and we always tip the waitress well, they have always been a friendly group. They make a killing at happy hour and dinner.
 

cdsulhoff

New Member
Outback is a good place to work at.. They are fast about turning over tables. I worked there about 4 years ago. A weekend average is $150 low end and $200 high end per night.

I agree with Socki, Bar keeping can bring in double of what a waitress can make. Better to bartend at night! I bartend and wait during the day but this is just to keep me busy while the kids are in school.. But the money is nothing compare to evening shift.. I might ask to pick up some evening shifts.
I missed my bartending days when I did weekend night! I would walk out with $300 + There were night if Navy had a game I made $500 in one night. That is because I tend bar in Annapolis at that time.

So Yeah co with CIP or Outback. Could even go with Damons or any place where the Check average are high.. Outback's average guest check is about $50..
 
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Tikibar

Wayne from Maine
:snacks::snacks:How about Lenny's on Rt 236, more of a local crowd and has good amount of customers for Sunday Brunch. (last I knew).
 
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hammishsqueak

We're all mad here.
Tip Sharing...

I never minded sharing tips when I was under competent management :yay:

HOWEVER, I remember when I bused tables at the Holiday Inn Solomon’s Island restaurant when I was a freshman in high school (back when it was still called "The Maryland Way"). We did tip sharing and I worked my @ss of for this one waiter who at the end of the day would only give me a dollar (he probably made a good $100 on busy mornings)! All the other little girlies were still happy because he was older, handsome, and he'd like to flirt to get his way, but I eventually got fed up and confronted him. He said he was short on cash and really couldn't afford to tip us out properly. Not my problem! When I told management, they didn't do anything other than make false promises that the issue would be resolved. Very frustrating...
 

Booboo3604

Active Member
I never minded sharing tips when I was under competent management :yay:

HOWEVER, I remember when I bused tables at the Holiday Inn Solomon’s Island restaurant when I was a freshman in high school (back when it was still called "The Maryland Way"). We did tip sharing and I worked my @ss of for this one waiter who at the end of the day would only give me a dollar (he probably made a good $100 on busy mornings)! All the other little girlies were still happy because he was older, handsome, and he'd like to flirt to get his way, but I eventually got fed up and confronted him. He said he was short on cash and really couldn't afford to tip us out properly. Not my problem! When I told management, they didn't do anything other than make false promises that the issue would be resolved. Very frustrating...

I used to work at Outback a few years ago, the one in Waldorf, not California. You wouldnt run into this problem there as the amount a server has to tip out to the bartenders and bussers is based on sales. There is no discretion what so ever. When you did your bag at the end of the night, you had to include tip out in there and headwait checks all the bags to make sure everything is right. It would suck because sometimes, as it being ghetto waldorf, when a table would leave you like 2 dollars on a check for 120 or they just wouldnt tip at all, it was like you were paying for them to eat in your section and run your ass.

As for the drama mention in Cheeseburger in Paradise, plenty of that in Outback as well.
 
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