Mid-Michigan Dining

My mom waits tables three nights a week at a very small bar/restaurant in Illinois.  She also works a regular nine-to-five in an office.  She makes more waitressing three nights a week than she does working forty hours in an office.  That’s why this article in the LSJ is a little distrubing.

At the Corner Pub on Cincinnati’s west side, bartender Melissa Metz can count the cost of the economic hangover in the stack of bills she has at the end of a shift.

Those tips make up the majority of her income, but they’ve been dwindling for months amid rising gas prices and other economic woes. Right now, her weekly income from tips is down about 25 percent.

“Some people are coming in less and maybe not staying as long when they do come in,” Metz said. “And normal customers who would normally tip $5 are tipping about $2 now.”

I know times are tough, but this isn’t the way to cut back.  You have to remember that a tip is not an added bonus for a server.  It’s the majority of their paycheck.  Waitresses do not have to be paid minimum wage and most of them aren’t.  It’s not uncommon for a waitress to make $4/hour.  They rely on those tips for their income.  If your server does a good job and you’re happy, don’t stiff her/him and don’t look for reasons to justify leaving a smaller tip.