Comments on: Japanese steak and seafood coming to Grandin Village; CUPS coming to Roanoke College

By: leonard

leonard — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:53:35 +0000

I wud like a dishwasers job if availiable if needed

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:32:31 +0000

Thanks, crooked road. Interesting information, especially about how the wage scale in the food service industry might not have been keeping up with the rest of U.S. industry. All the more reason to provide a generous tip to those who deserve it!

Just to be clear (many times, I am not clear!) I’m not looking for any special treatment from a place I might visit frequently. I am interested in letting those who deserve gratitude for a job well done how much I appreciate their effort. There are plenty of hard working people in this country, especially in the food service industry, who don’t get the gratitude they deserve. At the same time, there are many in this country who expect lavish praise and accolades for simply showing up. I know how hard it is to try to come up with meals that are good, I try and try at home and fail more than I succeed. Therefore, I am in awe when someone can produce food that is wonderful, and if it is in a commercial setting, I’d like to show appreciation. It is a talent I wish I had.

By: s.m.armstrong

s.m.armstrong — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:31:05 +0000

Most restaurants: servers make 2.13/hr + tips. They in turn tip a percentage of their shift total to the bartenders and hostesses. Bartenders make anywhere from 5.00 – 8.00/hr + tips. They in turn tip out the bar-backs and sometimes the disher. Hostesses normally make minimum wage and tips from the servers. Cooks make at least minimum wage and rarely, if ever,get tipped. Asian restaurants usually tip share with everyone getting a cut.
As for the “Sinatra treatment”, just be nice to the staff and tip accordingly. They will remember you. That nice part goes a long way.

By: crooked road

crooked road — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:34:03 +0000

#29 Kevin, some restaurants have arrangements where the wait staff & kitchen staff share in the tips. Sometimes upscale restaurant – none around Roanoke, we’re talking really upscale – distribute the tips equally. Some low end places that tend to be buffet/all you can eat places do the same.

The most efficient method of tipping the kitchen staff is to greet them personally and give them the Franklin handshake. That’s really impractical, and extremely seldom utilized. The better strategy if you want special attention from a restaurant you visit on a consistent basis is to effusively praise the entire staff every time you visit, and to grease the host(ess) whenever you do so. Word will filter, and you’ll get the Sinatra treatment eventually.

By: crooked road

crooked road — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:27:09 +0000

As a tangent, IIRC wait staff are still paid the exact same (sub) minimum wage now as they were 2-3 decades ago. I suppose the cheapskate mentality is that they will earn more in tips? Or… the management just doesn’t give a flip, and wrongly thinks customer service has zero impact on customer loyalty. My memory was that when I was in the food service business the standard wage was approximately the same as Lindsey mentioned, and that’s been thirty years ago.

For reference, just imagine if you made the same income as you did thirty years ago, if you’re old enough to use that scale. If you’re not, just imagine how it would feel to make the same income thirty years from now, with all the inflation factored in…

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:53:48 +0000

Thanks to you both, Kristen and Lindsey. Has anyone ever heard of someone tipping the cook staff, or has anyone tried to do so? I start at a minimum of a 20% tip for wait staff, but if the service is good, I’ll go beyond that because I firmly believe in “rewarding” those that do a good job. I know some folks believe in not tipping at all for bad service and I respect that. I’ve never had such horrible service that I felt no tip was warranted. If it gets to that point during the meal, I’ll ask to speak to a manager and request a different server. I’ve only had to do that once and the manager was happy to oblige.

By: Lindsey Nair

Lindsey Nair — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:04:01 +0000

I think that’s right, Kristen. Waiters and waitresses make an hourly wage that is lower than minimum wage, but they are tipped employees and are expected to make minimum wage after tips are factored in. When I waitressed, I always made $2.13 per hour.
Cooks should have a higher hourly wage, one that is at least minimum wage.
If anybody knows more about this, please chime in.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:55:22 +0000

Kevin, I believe cooks are paid differently than servers. Servers are given below minimum wage with the plan being tips will make up the difference. Cooks are paid at least minimum. I could be wrong but I think this is how it works.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:11:55 +0000

Kristen, I could not agree more with your sentiment. We try new places as often as possible, and we try to keep in mind that some new places need time to tweak the service. If the food is good, we’ll be back (at least one more time!), but if the food is bad, so long. This brings some more questions for y’all; a tip is usually given for the quality of service. Do restaurants generally give a percentage to the cook staff? If I feel the service was lacking but the food was excellent, is there a way I can request to tip the cook staff directly and by-pass the servers, or at least request the smaller percentage of the tip go for the service? Thoughts?

By: Elena

Elena — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:17:53 +0000

My friends and I went there opening night and loved it enough to come back again the next day. The meal comes with soup & salad and the salad’s house dressing is really great. I ordered the shrimp which our waitress recommended. It was good, not too saucy or oily. My friend ordered the steak with extra rice which she liked too. We were really surprised on how cheap our checks were. The food is definitley worth more than the price. Its so affordable we can go there for dinner every night. I plan on going again with my husband this week.