- Joined
- Oct 31, 2001
- Posts
- 15,918
Last job I had in America was at a barbecue place called Rudy's barbecue. When I started the owners, new owners mind. Had just put everyone on a starting salary of 10 bucks an hour. With health insurance, paid vacation, and genuine benefits. We were told to refuse any tips offered, and guess what happened? The old guys who used to take tips suddenly brightened up, and took pride in all of their work, not just when they had a wealthy older couple. Everyone there started to relax and have more fun, and the customers loved the atmosphere and attitude.
We had lines out the door and down the road every day for the three years I was there. I got a raise every year. And extra vacation days too. Plus when I had a seizure most of my medical bills were covered. The place is still bumping. Employees now start on 12 bucks, and tip refusal is still a thing. Simple strategy like just paying people more works. The price point in the years I was there only went up by around 50 cents on a few menu items. And the quality never slipped. I bounced around in there as well. Went from cashier, to prep cook, to line cook, to pit man, to their catering team, and loved it.
I think the problem is we give out to non tippers for being cheap. Give out to owners for being cheap. It can, and does work. Paying your people a decent wage, providing benefits, it works. They've expanded in Austin. There's now 4 Rudys locations, and a few Mighty Fine Burgers locations too same owners, same philosophy. Living wage, full benefits, customers hanging from the ceiling. When you offer a great product (and they taste pretty damn good) people will get in line.
I'm long out of the restaurant game. And long out of living in America. I can honestly say we always felt bad hearing from other workers in other restaurants about bad tips, slow nights, and bills that have to be floated til after a busy weekend of shifts. And we were the envy of every waiter, in every chain restaurant and dive out there. The prestige that came in the community from just being paid a living wage. The ihop staff down the road wanted us all dead.
We had lines out the door and down the road every day for the three years I was there. I got a raise every year. And extra vacation days too. Plus when I had a seizure most of my medical bills were covered. The place is still bumping. Employees now start on 12 bucks, and tip refusal is still a thing. Simple strategy like just paying people more works. The price point in the years I was there only went up by around 50 cents on a few menu items. And the quality never slipped. I bounced around in there as well. Went from cashier, to prep cook, to line cook, to pit man, to their catering team, and loved it.
I think the problem is we give out to non tippers for being cheap. Give out to owners for being cheap. It can, and does work. Paying your people a decent wage, providing benefits, it works. They've expanded in Austin. There's now 4 Rudys locations, and a few Mighty Fine Burgers locations too same owners, same philosophy. Living wage, full benefits, customers hanging from the ceiling. When you offer a great product (and they taste pretty damn good) people will get in line.
I'm long out of the restaurant game. And long out of living in America. I can honestly say we always felt bad hearing from other workers in other restaurants about bad tips, slow nights, and bills that have to be floated til after a busy weekend of shifts. And we were the envy of every waiter, in every chain restaurant and dive out there. The prestige that came in the community from just being paid a living wage. The ihop staff down the road wanted us all dead.
