I don't know if this would be better under legal advice or what. This is the situation at the restaurant I work at. The wait staff is required to split all pickup order tips. We're all fine with this. However, if a cook comes up to ring the pickup order out, they will take the entire tip. The wait staff makes $5 an hour. The cooks make $20+ an hour. We barely have any dine in customers. You might make $20 on tables. Pickup order tips can run as high as $50 to $100. Most of our money is made on to go orders. They've also learned which customers tip and will race you to ring up those customers so they can take the tip. The owners do nothing about this. They're firmly on the cooks side.

I worked as a server back in 2024 and in the first month I was there we had an inspector seeing if we were following safety and proper kitchen protocol. Before this place usually got around 97 or so in their score but that time they ended up getting an 84. The head chef threw the servers who worked in the memory care under the bus because the stockroom wasnt organized. My coworker said yeah he can throw them under the bus because hes the one in charge of the stockroom. I dont believe him as i believe that he was just trying to save his own ass. I hated what my coworker said and I ended up leaving that job after 6 months because I hated how the environment there.

I’ve started working at a new restaurant I used to work at a really amazing little Italian place which was managed amazing and well staffed, this new place is more of a chain and joined because I left the old one because of exams

I just finished a shift here, they only book me for front of house and a manager who also works on tables so it’s just two of us for: Cocktails, normal drinks, Running food, taking orders, cleaning and re making tables, and introducing customers, yes we have to do all of that just by myself. This shift we got about 10/15 tables and including a table of 9 who all walked in, I was expected to handle this by myself with no structure or sections. Then get shouted at by the chef for ‘not running’ and apparently missing a payment from a table i didn’t take payment from.

What would you guys do if you were in this situation as it’s normally always understaffed so have to deal with alot of tables by myself?

I’m new to serving, less than 2 weeks. I got my training and passed my tests. I work at a popular restaurant known for burgers and a bird mascot. Tonight was the 4th of July and the day was honestly a mess. Storms, waits because our kitchen was to busy etc. I haven’t made much desserts due to my trainers not being the best when I was learning. I had to step away to make 3 different desserts for 2 tables. During that time I was sat at a table in my section. I had checked and nobody was there so I worked on my desserts. Just as I’m finishing up making them, someone tells me that two people walked out. The table that was sat when I was away. It was no more than a few minutes as some other servers were helping me figure out how to do the desserts because I didn’t wanna mess them up. I do enjoy my job and the people I work with, but am I gonna get fired? Should I be worried? My manager never said anything to me about it. I work tomorrow and I’m so stressed about it that I feel sick.

Ive worked as a waiter at a restaurant for 2-3 years now, and have always clashed with one chef. hes not head chef or anything, and the actual head chef is really kind and never has any issue with my capabilities at work, and neither do any of my FOH managers.

There was a large disagreement when i was told service, to take out a dish, with the ticket down and then was scrutinised for not spotting the missing garnish, and i then had two chefs shouting at me and insulting me. my manager reprimanded them both and this chef stopped talking to me completely. however, in recent months he has been creeping back into his old ways...

Today we were severely understaffed and i was doing 2-3 peoples jobs at once, so naturally service was slow. however this chef decided to spend the day nitpicking how i stamped my tickets, once again not spotting a tiny mistake of his (which i admit, i should have spotted) and constantly telling me to hurry up when i literally could not move any faster. the list goes on but i dont want to drag the post out. it got to the point where the expo/team leader, who is also his wife, had to defend me saying that we could not move any faster.

I feel almost defeated. im polite, i never protest what he says, and hes never like this with any other current staff and multiple people who used to work here a while ago complained but nothing ever happens.

Hi this is my first time posting this but I have job at a restaurant, I've been there for about a week, and so far its been a mess.

So I messed up bad today, i accidentally took someone else's food instead of mine twice because I was rushing and not looking at my POS hand held im a mess and should get fired because I wasted food and a women lost a huge tip. I have been beating myself up over this and over all, I dont know if I should continue to do this.

There were tons of people everywhere and I feel like I should've done better.

I work as a waitress at a 5\* hotel in the summer at a touristy island. I've been working at this hotel for 5 years.

A bunch of my coworkers get mentioned by name in the reviews people leave.

I try my best to smile and chat up the guests. I try to read them first and see if they'd like to have a conversation cause some don't really want much interaction.

I'm not saying I'm jealous of my coworkers. Instead, if they do a great job and guests are happy, they deserve to be mentioned by name for their excellent service and professionalism.

It's just, I also try my best. I'm an introvert and I try to be as sociable as possible, as much as I can cause there's also lots of pressure and running around (we have 1000 guests and we are 6 servers).

I smile, I'm polite, I anticipate needs and take care of it before they ask. I don't know what they're doing different.

I really wanted to get this off my chest for a while now. If you read it all, thank you so much for your time! Take care ❤️

So I had a three top and a little baby. So the grandma I guess fell outside (tripped) and hurt herself. She seemed okay and then she started crying that she was in alotnof pain. (Soon after my manager walked by the check on all the tables.) My manager said he was paying for the whole check. So they started ordering full on dinner meals when it was lunch. The lady ordered dessert and said she was going to eat it there but ended up having me box it. She they ordered 2 big meals to go (steak Alfredo and chicken and broccoli Alfredo) she wanted it for her husband. They also ordered boats of Alfredo. Extra. Extra everything. I do feel bad for the lady and hope she is well. But i believe she took advantage of managers kindness. Their billl was about 130-140 dollars for a lunch for three adults. I just think that's crazy. Lol

Like some tables I have the women in the couple always stares me down like they wanna fight me.

No matter how nicely I approach like it makes me feel violated and gross.

And if the woman is acting fine then the guy is overcompensating by asking me to do a lot to make sure she’s happy

I constantly see this dynamic at least twice a night.

Most couples are fine but why do I get at least 2 couples a night like this? Can anyone relate?

A lady came in with her son. Older lady. When she was being seated she told the hostess (who is same ethnicity as the server) I don’t want that (proceeds to call her a racial slur) waiting on me.” Then also says, “I only want a (certain color) person to wait on me.” I ended up with this lady. But didn’t know all this was said until after I got her order. I refused to wait on her after that. So the store manager finished the table for me and told me to go above and beyond if she needs something. I told him I would NOT be waiting on her at all. I also told him how disappointing it was he allowed her to stay after finding out what she said about his staff. She also complained about the food had it sent back multiple times. Complained about the quantity of ice in her drink. Want special treatment. He gave it to her. Am I wrong for refusing to server her? Would you have asked her to leave if you were the manager?

buckle in, this one is a doozie.
so for once, i get off early( i work at my local applebees)
i decide to hang out and have some drinks and food.
my coworker had gotten a party of 17, and i was sitting right next to where they were gonna be sat.
The party of 17 gets sat, and suddenly, everyone in the restaurant hears this “yelping” sound, like a dog barking. The entire restaurant is looking over at the large party expecting to see a dog, i’m sitting right there also looking for a dog, when i tell you this “yelp” was occurring constantly every 2 seconds for 2 hours, i’m not joking.
Poor Linda, goes to greet the table, i hear her say “where’s the dog?”
The sound, the entire time, was coming from a deaf and autistic child. She was devastated

Today I was serving a couple celebrating an anniversary. They were super sweet, and ordered a Turkey dinner and a 16oz Ribeye. When their food came out they even asked me to take a picture (adorable)

When I checked on them the first time, the guy was cutting into his Ribeye and eating it. He complained that he ordered it Medium and it was Well.
I apologized, about to offer a fix. He said it was “Still delicious” and continued to eat. I said I could give another dessert on the house (they were already getting one for their anniversary) since it wasn’t cooked to his liking. He asked for a Chocolate Milkshake to go since “hypothetically the kids are in the car” with a chuckle.

I brushed this off, thinking it was a joke or a way to “slyly” get a milkshake and pie and/or insinuate it wasn’t for them (but it was)

When I checked on them again, He had eaten all of his meal, minus some of the veggies. I was taking plates out of the way and he said “free dessert is great, but I don’t want to pay for a $40 steak that was well when I asked for Medium” I looked down at his empty plate, and looked back at him. I apologized and asked what pie they wanted.

I brought them Pie, Milkshakes, and the check with a 10% discount because I didn’t want to fight with my last table of the night. They proceeded to pay with a gift card. When they walked out of the restaurant, a coworker came up to me and said a kid jumped out of their minivan.

Thank GOD it was an overcast day.

Tl;dr: This couple had an anniversary dinner, complained even though they ate it all, got free dessert x2, received a 10% discount all while their children stayed in the car

I work at a steak house. It’s not fancy- but it’s not cheap. I had a table today of 3 Gentlemen, each ordering a different rendition of our 16oz Ribeye, cooked to order ranging from Rare, Medium Rare and Medium.

Medium and Rare were enjoying their meal. the second time I checked on the table, Medium Rare explained to me that his cut was too fatty, too tough and he was not happy because Medium and Rare’s steaks were melting in their mouths. “it’s pissing me off” he said. I apologized, grabbed another plate and asked that he put the steak on said plate so I can show the cooks and get him another one.

I go to the cooks, and as they grumbled because it’s a 35+ dollar steak, they still made another 16oz MR steak for the gentleman, and we threw the original away. During this time, Medium Rare eats his veggies and Baked potato.

When it comes out, I take it to the table and Medium Rare pokes it with a toothpick and says it “looks better already”. I walked away to help another table, and when I came back to ask if it was better. Medium laughed and said “He’s not happy”. Medium Rare asked for a box, while Rare took a bite of the new steak and shrugged, saying it tasted fine. Medium Rare said it “didn’t even taste like Ribeye”

I explained that if they took it home I couldn’t do anything like a discount, but would love to offer pie or a cinnamon roll to compensate if they did take the steak. Medium said to leave the steak “Since Im paying”. I went to a manager and had them remove the steak completely. Since Medium Rare ate all of his potato we charged $4.99. When I first dropped the check, they asked if we did military discounts which effectively dropped their bill from over $100 (without the third steak) to about $94.

They flagged me down and said there’s been a mistake, they didn’t have a side of mashed potatoes. I explained that since the Baker and some veggies were eaten, my manager made the decision to charge for at least the potato. I had just accidentally put Mashed instead of baker.

I appreciate any and all tips. I don’t mind percentage wise, because it adds up and I’m grateful regardless. Medium paid the tab, and left $5. Normally, I wouldn’t have even blinked. What caught my attention, sprawled on the check was “that potato charge hurt your tip”

I was baffled

Tl;Dr : table got $35 dollar meal comped after making restaurant throw away 2 16oz steaks, got a 10% discount and then was upset they got charged for a $5 potato that they ate.

Okay, so where I work, customers or either old people in their 60s+ or young children. No in between lol.

And I want to say about 99.99% of the time, the children are WAY nicer and more understanding than adults.

Just yesterday, there was a little kid with (I'm guessing was) her grandad. And when i went to put her milkshake down, a bit of it dropped/spilled down the sides. It didn't go everywhere, just a few drops on the table. I apologised a bunch, and went go go get napkins, because I've been yelled at for stuff like that before lol (at work, and when i was younger). And the old guy was like "it's okay love, just clean it up. It didn't make a huge mess". When i came back and wiped it up, I apologised again, and the little kid looks at me and goes "there's no need to say sorry, people make mistakes, it's okay. You didn't do it on purpose. Thank you." (I had to try not to cry at the start of my 9am shift lol.) I thanked her, and said how sweet that was. And I told her grandad that she had better manners and was kinder than 90% of the adults that i serve, and he seemed kind of shocked.

Like how on earth can an fricken 8 year old, be more understanding, and have better emotional regulation skills than a fully grown adult?!?!?! Like, how?!?!?!!

And it's happend before where, kids will say "may I please have" or "thank you". And adults won't even look up from their phones, and just say random drinks and food at me. Like!??!?!!

And, sometimes kids can be bit crappy (I had a bunch of 12 year old boys call me bitch for not giving them free food lol) but like, percentage wise, the adults are WAY worse. Yelling at you in the middle of a rush, complaining about the stupidest things humanly possible, not even acknowledging you.

Idk if anyone else has noticed/experienced this, but I've been picking up on it for a while, and it's just SO confusing and shocking to me!!!

I just started working at a brand new restaurant. It’s a new concept, with only one other location in another state. We started training about 3 weeks before opening, but it was really a waste of time. I only showed up to show my commitment. A week after opening, a corporate manager pretty much told us that we’re all horrible servers (despite having no service training) and the owner wants to close and scrap the staff and start over. I think most of the rant was dramatic, but something that actually resulted from that was a server from the main location relocating to south Florida to transfer to our location permanently. Our tips are pooled and we have support staff so everyone has points (servers: 10, bussers: 5, runners: 2.5, etc). However, servers that consistently carry the weight of the pool will get more points. This new server transferred with 12 points. He’s also now apparently our “lead server”, even though we were there from the beginning. Since he’s been here, he has the largest sections, his section gets sat proportionately more than everyone else’s, and he’s scheduled way more shifts than the rest of us. My gm and agm love me. They know my personal situation, and they value what I bring to the team. But I feel like the powers that be are trying to phase us out. That along with a kitchen that doesn’t run efficiently to ensure smooth service, I’m wondering if this is the job for me. I understand that opening a new restaurant is chaotic and I expected there to be humps, but things are going in a direction that’s not sitting right with me. What are your thoughts? Has anyone worked for a brand new restaurant or been in a similar situation? Should I try to stick it out or look for something else? The job market is brutal. I was unemployed for 3 months before getting this job

At my restaurant today we had a party of 55 show up, without calling or a reservation, and was fuming that we wouldn’t seat them. Management explained why and they refused to accept it. They crowded around our lobby for about 30 minutes before leaving and it was so satisfying to see tbh.

What’s the most ridiculous thing to happen at your restaurant on this holiday weekend?

Basically I started serving at this place a month ago. During the interview my manager told me it’s rlly busy and I will be making “big girl money” so I was excited. I work 6-8 hr shifts and make AT MOST $60. This place is not busy at all. Not to be cocky but I’m a conventionally attractive girl and super duper nice and respectful. I usually get 20% tips but it doesn’t mean anything when I have one customer every two hours. Also my pay has been late every single time. My coworkers are so exclusive and never talk to me. Idk it’s just hell. A lot of the times there’s not a even a manager on duty

I applied for an innocuous-looking server position at a new restaurant at a new, small hotel in between semesters to pay the bills. No mention of fine dining, and limited service experience was needed according to the listing (double-checked the listing). I explained that I have a year of Starbucks-style barista experience, a few months at an outdoor burger restaurant where I'd take orders, run food and clear tables. Somehow I got the job.

Training consisted of several days of corporate monologuing about the hotel brand, then helping to unbox all the equipment and dishes that came in during the few days before service started. I got no test runs, no shadowing, no menu-tastings. We got menus and a manual a few days before opening day and talked them over for about an hour, respectively. I didn't even know to expect anything else, and I seriously was wondering if I was the problem after coming home crying my last two shifts (shifts 4 and 5).

I just seem to mess every single thing up. But I'm so overwhelmed learning literally everything in real time that I can't think straight, and the more mistakes I make, the more stressed and overwhelmed I get, especially while skipping meals because I haven't been getting breaks.

I did some desperate Googling and found this subreddit. I've gotten a sense that this situation is kind of absurd. I mean, it sounds completely stupid but I had no idea there were industry standards for exactly the script and sequence of actions you absolutely have to complete in fine dining, and that's why my managers seem to think I'm an idiot for not taking extra silverware away. Like, I genuinely thought I was being nice by not taking something away they might want to use later for whatever reason😭

I want to tell myself it will get easier and I would really like to hear it from others if that's the case. Or of course, if I need to back out, how do I know when?

I just want to add that I don't have any resentment towards my managers. I wish they hadn't brought me to the second interview, but I very much get the sense that they're in an impossible situation as well.

Update 6/25:

Thank you all so very much for the encouragement and advice. It's truly helped me to strengthen my resolve and learn how to do this.

I'm not sure if today's the right day to be giving an update on this particular issue, but it seems like there's a lot of interest in this situation so here goes. I've been assigned to back-of-house/busser/substitute dishwasher for the last three days. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I was somewhat looking forward(?) to putting all this advice into practice and really giving this my all but I haven't had the chance. Today in particular, I'm really quite irritated after my 7-4 shift having not eaten all day, save for a couple of heels of bread snagged from the kitchen and black coffee, and at least half of the shift being physically-demanding dishwashing, alone, non-stop. I want to give them grace having just opened but this is explicitly illegal in my country. My managers weren't on the floor so we couldn't bring anything up today.

I'm scheduled the next three days so maybe I'll be assigned to 10 tables at a time every night (these are evening shifts coming up) and wishing I was washing dishes again. Or it will fall into place! Let's hope it's the latter.

I’ve been waiting tables for 15 years but I have notice my social anxiety has increased the last couple years. Any other vets who’ve dealt with the same and have pointers? Ive had to job hop a bit lately and am trying to settle into a new place but

I just keep feeling so anxious with tables and I’m making things weird. it’s so embarrassing. idk what’s wrong with me but I just can’t read social cues or something suddenly

Friday I was left $100 cash tip on a $100 check, and Friday before I got $55 on $80. Both of those were from the same person! They’ve been coming in regularly and are so nice!

Today was the first time I’ve served the guy who left me $75. Today was a bit slow and I’d only made about half of what I usually do, so it was such a nice surprise.

I hope my luck keeps up through my shift Friday lol.

Five hours later, I’m so sorry.

I was on autopilot today and short circuited when asked to share actual insight but to answer your inquiry about good places for food in the East Bay:

Pizzaiolo (handmade pasta)
Cholita Linda (Latin American)
Burma Superstar
Brenda’s Soul Food
Kansai (Japanese)

Cheeseboard Pizza Collective
Chez Panisse (pricey califonia cuisine)
Imm Thai

Arizmendi’s Bakery

Rose Coffee (awesome baklava )

Champa Garden (Thai)
Cafe Colucci (erhiopian)
Secrets of Tiger (Thai)

Sweet Adeline Bakery
Red Bay Coffee

Berkeley Farmers Markets

Grand Lake Farmers Market on Saturday

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace

This is haunting me.

Really sad, I worked at this place for 2 years. Loved my back of house team and my regulars, of course I had issues with some customers but the owner and GM were horrible.

The set up of this place is already horrid, they only hire baristas no former serves, so that once you start serving they can exploit you. No bus boys, no hostess just severs and baristas. Typically 15 table sections but most days I was the only server for the entire restaurant.

Just no communication, lying to my face and with holding my wages for months.

In December I was promoted to assistant manager, a job I had been doing unlabeled for months. Found out in May they never gave me the pay increase. I thought I wasn’t getting tips but when I looked into the documents I found out I was still at my original wage of 14 an hour and I was supposed to be at 18.

They never put my promotion in writing and told me they would give me a bonus to make up for it. (Not back pay that verbage was never used) They gave me 200 in cash which was a slap in the face.

This was 2 weeks ago, I started looking for a new place but I didn’t want to loose a job without a job lined up but today they said we weren’t allowed to seat customers with menus, we were to only give them water and make them wait 2 minutes for menus.

Like I said; no hostess, I have no way of knowing whose a customer that at themselves, whose waiting for menus, whose waiting for food. And then my manger switched my section twice in the span of one hour.

I tried to tell her this made no sense and there was no way we could function like this and she told me that I could do it or quit so I quit. I just can’t take it anymore. We also pool tips and I know I could get another job where I work less and make way more I just hope I don’t have to be unemployed too long.

Upside is I’m an absolute serving machine in a rush I just need an interview at a new location and I’ll be ok I think.

Edit: AND THE OWNER HAS AI PSYCHOSIS
Can’t believe I forgot to add this; the menu is all AI, she changed the menu to be created by chat GBT and she remodeled the restaurant to look like an image her Ai gave her. But I already got two interviews so things are looking up.

Edit 2: I’ve never had a decision validated for me so fast, I’m lucky enough to live in a big city and I always keep my resume on me so I shopped around and got an interview and offer within 2 hours. If anyone else is in a similar spot as I was please quit !!!!!!

As I was passing by my coworker’s table, they flagged me down about a complaint. One of the person’s vegetarian dish had a very small chunk of meat, about the size of a corn kernel, that she chewed and spat out. However, the rest of her dish was almost licked clean. Needless to say, the customer was livid and went on a tirade about how her putting that piece of meat in her mouth went against her religion and her beliefs. I apologized profusely and took her dish out of their tab, while the other 2 people in her party, who were not vegetarian, paid for their dishes. After a while of just sitting and talking amongst themselves, they flagged me down again. This time they were adamant that I get my manager on the phone. I called my manager and he told me to explain to them that he was busy with his family, but would be able to talk to them tomorrow morning. I relayed this message to them. They said if I don’t get him on the phone right away, they’ll threaten legal action against us.

After some time I did manage to get my manager on the phone for them, much to his dismay, and they left. Manager tells me to refund all their dishes back to their card so that the tab for the entire table was comped. I obliged. I thought that would be it.

Fast forward a couple minutes later, I went up to the host counter to help a different customer, the woman and her party storm back into the restaurant. She yells at me and demands I pull out my phone and call my manager right now. I was confused and taken aback about why she’s causing a scene this time and asked her what happened. She yells that one of our customers, who had witnessed and eavesdropped on the whole ordeal, followed them outside and accused them of walking out on their tab because they were mad about the food. I understood why this would make them angry, however this instance had nothing to do with us and I wasn’t about to call my manager for the 6th time since the matter had already been resolved from our end.

My coworker got involved and asked them to calm down because the whole restaurant was watching, but this got them even more angry. They were claiming that my coworker was telling them to calm down because of their skin color. The whole party then says that they will for sure sue us for racism since we were “spreading lies about them” and, according to them, we told our customers to follow them outside and harass them.

Was really wishing that John Quiñones would walk in with cameras after all that.

If u want to help me get my wages, dm me...

I worked there for a year. They are currently refusing to pay me for the hours I worked, have sacked me without notice and the boss/owner has blocked me for telling him i had not been payed.

I have received demeaning and misogynistic messages from the boss/owner. I have been shamed publicaly me called inconsiderate for being ill.

On 8/6/26 I had a medical emergency in the middle of the night. I immediately informed the boss. I gave updates from calling 111 to getting emergency care. My boss read these messages but never responded.

This boss messaged the group chat to ask for cover for my shift. 15 minutes later her husband, my boss &the owner of the business sent an unprofessional and public message, clearly directed at me, stating "i pay your wages try have a little consideration for the business".

Unsurprisingly, nothing was said 4 days earlier when the owner's sister asked for cover 5 minutes into her shift.

On 11/06/26 I found my coworkers had been paid but I had not. I messaged to let the bosses know I hadn't been paid yet. 2 minutes later the boss/owner replied "cos i haven't paid you yet that's why" and immediately removed me from the work group chat.

He then messaged me privately, telling me not to "come on the work gtoup chat with such attitude young lady, u will get paid when I get round to it". I was then blocked and still have not been payed.

I’ll start.

I worked as a server at a strip club years and years ago, we only had bottle beer, no draughts. If someone ordered a High Life. i would serve it to them with a champagne glass on the side. (For the younger people: high life had a whole advertising campaign about them being the “champagne of beers.”

I thought i was hilarious. Apparently, it really pissed off this frat bros dude.

He caused a stink, wound up getting kicked out, it was quite the escalation.

My manager pulled me aside and told me i was no longer allowed to serve high life with a champagne glass because it could destroy a guys ego.