so i’m a busser at a moderately fancy, family-owned restaurant where we make 30% of tips and waiters make 70%. there’s always 3 bussers so i make 10% of tips each night.

the way the work is split up just doesn’t really seem fair to me but i’ve only worked fast food before this so lmk yalls experiences. i wont be offended LOL. also pmo that we only get paid hourly for when the kitchen is open, so i miss out on like 8 hours of hourly a week. hourly is very little but it adds up. i want to know your opinions so i can figure out if i’ll work at a different restaurant next summer since im only working here for about another month bc i start law school in aug. i don’t really mind for now bc i make $550-750/week after taxes, working 4 days/week, 30ish hours (can’t wait for that no tax on tip to hit next year😻) and i get slipped a lot of personal tips.

heres how the work is split up:

WAITERS

(only work for their section)
- take orders
- help customers select and taste wines
make fancy coffees
- take out trash at end of night

* things they’re supposed to do that we do bc they don’t do them: *
- stock refrigerated drinks
- bring sodas and teas to the tables and do refills
- stabilize tables with rubber stoppers before opening and throughout the night because theyre all old and rickety

BUSSERS

(work for all sections)
- one does food running, one does water, and one does bread
- clean tables between courses
- pack up to-go’s
- clean and reset tables after ppl leave, move them around for different party sizes
- clean everything except floors, kitchen, and bathroom at the end of the night
- prep rollups, triangles, and tablecloths
- refill and clean oils, vinegars, salts, peppers
- bring stuff to and fro dish
- do dishes after dishwashers leave
- all the extra grunt work like cleaning spills, cleaning bathroom during shift, running across the street to pick up stuff we’ve run out of, taking 70+lb dirty linen bags out, etc. (bro not to ariana grande but i’m a 100lb girl like these big ahh male waiters can’t carry the linens out when they’re just standing around 80% of the time???)

• we’re also expected to socialize with customers just as much as the waiters do bc the owners like the restaurant to have a warm, friendly, family-oriented atmosphere so it’s not even like you can just buckle down and get stuff done
• they also switch us a lot without warning so you might arrive in uniform just to be told you’re going to host (no tips) or work to-go’s (only get to-go tips which are very little)
• and tbh we very very often end up doing the waiters jobs like taking orders, helping with wines, making coffee etc. they’re lowkey so lazy bc the waiters are all part of the family or close family friends

lmk if this sounds normal tysmmmm sorry 4 word vomiting. also trust me bc i’ve been working here since november so i’m not missing/forgetting any of the things waiters do