u/prezzy4

Following up on yesterday's popular post — here are some more interesting statistics from my server data.

WHAT THE AVERAGE GUEST IS WORTH TO ME

- Average party size: 2.5 people
- Average check: $61.62
- Average tip received per table: $13.21
- Average spend per guest: $24.87
- Average tip per guest: $4.07

So statistically, the moment a table of 4 sits down in my section, I’ve already made about $16 before they even order.

BUSINESS METRICS ACROSS 132 SHIFTS

- Guests per hour: 5.83 avg / 8.57 max
- Sales per hour: $143.70 avg / $212.53 max
- Parties per hour: 2.14 avg / 3.72 max
- Effective tax withholding on tips: ~10.1%
- Only about 10.1% of my pay is withheld because not all cash tips are reported.

TOP 10 SHIFTS BY TOTAL PAY (tips + hourly)

1. - $
2. - $
3. - $
4. - $
5. - $
6. - $
7. - $
8. - $
9. - $

TOP 10 SHIFTS BY DOLLARS PER HOUR

ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME

Every shift in my top 10 total pay list is 9+ hours.

Every shift in my top 10 per-hour list is under 8 hours.

Christmas Eve is the only shift that appears on both lists.

The marathon shifts look impressive on paper, but the shorter, busier shifts are where I’m actually making my best hourly rate.

Based on my data, with virtually all of my tip income shielded from federal taxes under the proposed no-tax-on-tips policy, I’d probably need to find a replacement job paying somewhere around $35–38/hr to match the same take-home pay I’m getting serving.

Most people don’t really run that math when they look down on restaurant work.

One other fun fact is i’ve been stiffed as many times as I’ve received a $100 tip. 4 times each. The tips came from a C list actor, a rich attorney who sued my dad 20 years ago, the parent of a kid i coached i. basketball, and random nice guy on christmas eve.

COMMON QUESTIONS I GET

“Yes, my base pay is $2.13/hr.”
That is already included in my gross total pay numbers.

“Why not go into fine dining?”
I’d like to eventually, but with my current setup — full-time 9–5 job plus coaching high school basketball — Texas Roadhouse works great because the schedule is flexible, the environment is pretty chill, and I can pick up or drop shifts pretty easily.

Following up on yesterday's popular post — here are some more interesting statistics from my server data.

WHAT THE AVERAGE GUEST IS WORTH TO ME

- Average party size: 2.5 people
- Average check: $61.62
- Average tip received per table: $13.21
- Average spend per guest: $24.87
- Average tip per guest: $4.07

So statistically, the moment a table of 4 sits down in my section, I’ve already made about $16 before they even order.

BUSINESS METRICS ACROSS 132 SHIFTS

- Guests per hour: 5.83 avg / 8.57 max
- Sales per hour: $143.70 avg / $212.53 max
- Parties per hour: 2.14 avg / 3.72 max
- Effective tax withholding on tips: ~10.1%
- Only about 10.1% of my pay is withheld because not all cash tips are reported.

TOP 10 SHIFTS BY TOTAL PAY (tips + hourly)

1. - $
2. - $
3. - $
4. - $
5. - $
6. - $
7. - $
8. - $
9. - $

TOP 10 SHIFTS BY DOLLARS PER HOUR

ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME

Every shift in my top 10 total pay list is 9+ hours.

Every shift in my top 10 per-hour list is under 8 hours.

Christmas Eve is the only shift that appears on both lists.

The marathon shifts look impressive on paper, but the shorter, busier shifts are where I’m actually making my best hourly rate.

ON THE “NO TAX ON TIPS” BILL

Based on my data, with virtually all of my tip income shielded from federal taxes under the proposed no-tax-on-tips policy, I’d probably need to find a replacement job paying somewhere around $35–38/hr to match the same take-home pay I’m getting serving.

Most people don’t really run that math when they look down on restaurant work.

One other fun fact is i’ve been stiffed as many times as I’ve received a $100 tip. 4 times each. The tips came from a C list actor, a rich attorney who sued my dad 20 years ago, the parent of a kid i coached i. basketball, and random nice guy on christmas eve.

COMMON QUESTIONS I GET

“Yes, my base pay is $2.13/hr.”
That is already included in my gross total pay numbers.

“Why not go into fine dining?”
I’d like to eventually, but with my current setup — full-time 9–5 job plus coaching high school basketball — Texas Roadhouse works great because the schedule is flexible, the environment is pretty chill, and I can pick up or drop shifts pretty easily.

Following up on yesterday's popular post — here are some more interesting statistics from my server data.

WHAT THE AVERAGE GUEST IS WORTH TO ME

- Average party size: 2.5 people
- Average check: $61.62
- Average tip received per table: $13.21
- Average spend per guest: $24.87
- Average tip per guest: $4.07

So statistically, the moment a table of 4 sits down in my section, I’ve already made about $16 before they even order.

BUSINESS METRICS ACROSS 132 SHIFTS

- Guests per hour: 5.83 avg / 8.57 max
- Sales per hour: $143.70 avg / $212.53 max
- Parties per hour: 2.14 avg / 3.72 max
- Effective tax withholding on tips: ~10.1%
- Only about 10.1% of my pay is withheld because not all cash tips are reported.

TOP 10 SHIFTS BY TOTAL PAY (tips + hourly)

1. Dec 24, 2025 (Wednesday — Christmas Eve)
   - $501.95
   - 9.25 hrs
   - $54.27/hr

2. Feb 14, 2026 (Saturday — Valentine's Day)
   - $386.13
   - 12.85 hrs
   - $30.05/hr

3. Apr 11, 2026 (Saturday)
   - $363.22
   - 11.25 hrs
   - $32.29/hr

4. Dec 6, 2025 (Saturday)
   - $351.98
   - 10.3 hrs
   - $34.17/hr

5. Dec 20, 2025 (Saturday)
   - $341.32
   - 11.0 hrs
   - $31.03/hr

6. Aug 31, 2025 (Sunday)
   - $333.14
   - 9.75 hrs
   - $34.17/hr

7. Sep 20, 2025 (Saturday)
   - $327.43
   - 12.33 hrs
   - $26.56/hr

8. Jan 10, 2026 (Friday)
   - $327.05
   - 10.25 hrs
   - $31.91/hr

9. May 10, 2026 (Sunday)
   - $316.36
   - 11.75 hrs
   - $26.92/hr

10. Aug 29, 2025 (Friday)
    - $306.90
    - 10.9 hrs
    - $28.16/hr

TOP 10 SHIFTS BY DOLLARS PER HOUR

1. Dec 24, 2025 (Wednesday — Christmas Eve)
   - $54.27/hr
   - $501.95 total
   - 9.25 hrs

2. Apr 10, 2026 (Friday)
   - $41.82/hr
   - $292.76 total
   - 7.0 hrs

3. Oct 25, 2025 (Saturday)
   - $38.55/hr
   - $285.26 total
   - 7.4 hrs

4. Apr 18, 2026 (Saturday)
   - $36.95/hr
   - $273.41 total
   - 7.4 hrs

5. Mar 7, 2026 (Saturday)
   - $36.90/hr
   - $258.28 total
   - 7.0 hrs

6. Nov 7, 2025 (Friday)
   - $35.43/hr
   - $263.95 total
   - 7.45 hrs

7. Apr 17, 2026 (Friday)
   - $35.32/hr
   - $229.59 total
   - 6.5 hrs

8. Nov 9, 2025 (Sunday)
   - $34.67/hr
   - $242.71 total
   - 7.0 hrs

9. Jun 25, 2025 (Wednesday)
   - $34.42/hr
   - $161.76 total
   - 4.7 hrs

10. Nov 6, 2025 (Thursday)
    - $34.21/hr
    - $174.47 total
    - 5.1 hrs

ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME

Every shift in my top 10 total pay list is 9+ hours.

Every shift in my top 10 per-hour list is under 8 hours.

Christmas Eve is the only shift that appears on both lists.

The marathon shifts look impressive on paper, but the shorter, busier shifts are where I’m actually making my best hourly rate.

ON THE “NO TAX ON TIPS” BILL

Based on my data, with virtually all of my tip income shielded from federal taxes under the proposed no-tax-on-tips policy, I’d probably need to find a replacement job paying somewhere around $35–38/hr to match the same take-home pay I’m getting serving.

Most people don’t really run that math when they look down on restaurant work.

COMMON QUESTIONS I GET

“Yes, my base pay is $2.13/hr.”
That is already included in my gross total pay numbers.

“Why not go into fine dining?”
I’d like to eventually, but with my current setup — full-time 9–5 job plus coaching high school basketball — Texas Roadhouse works great because the schedule is flexible, the environment is pretty chill, and I can pick up or drop shifts pretty easily.

I’ve tracked every Texas Roadhouse serving shift I’ve worked over the last ~11 months. I’m a full-time insurance sales rep during the week, so this has mostly been a Fri/Sat/Sun side hustle with occasional doubles and occasional weekday pickups.

I usually work around 8–12 shifts per month and typically make somewhere between about $1,400–$3,100/month depending on season, schedule, and doubles picked up.

For context: my store is a decently busy location, but probably on the lower end of the volume spectrum for our market compared to the busiest Texas Roadhouses nearby.

I do upsell and ask for appetizers/drinks/desserts, but I don’t hard push people. Most weekends I’m usually aiming to sell around $500–$800 depending on whether I double or not.

OVERALL STATS

- 132 shifts
- 893 hours worked
- Gross pay: $23,391
- Actual take-home: ~$20,400
- Total sales: ~$132,000
- Average tip %: 19.43%
- Tip out: ~3% of sales
- Effective take-home tip rate: 16.43%
- Average hourly: ~$26.19 gross
- Average shift pay: ~$177
- Average shift length: ~6.8 hrs

Best shift:
- Christmas Eve
- $505 in 8 hours

(Important note: I removed that Christmas Eve shift from Wednesday averages because it massively skewed the data.)

PAY BY DAY OF WEEK

Monday
- 10 shifts
- 48.5 hours
- $20.19/hr
- $98 avg shift

Tuesday
- 7 shifts
- 35.5 hours
- $22.27/hr
- $113 avg shift

Wednesday* (Christmas Eve removed)
- 6 shifts
- 31.9 hours
- $23.75/hr
- $126 avg shift

Thursday
- 21 shifts
- 118.5 hours
- $24.55/hr
- $139 avg shift

Friday
- 21 shifts
- 149.8 hours
- $27.55/hr
- $197 avg shift

Saturday
- 31 shifts
- 246.7 hours
- $28.83/hr
- $229 avg shift

Sunday
- 35 shifts
- 255.1 hours
- $24.34/hr
- $177 avg shift

SECTION SIZE COMPARISON

10-seat section
(typically a 2-top + 4-top + 4-top)
- $25.85/hr
- 18.19% avg tip
- $172 avg shift

12-seat section
(typically a 2-top + 4-top + 6-top)
- $25.51/hr
- 15.82% avg tip
- $163 avg shift

14-seat section
(typically two 4-tops + one 6-top)
- $28.52/hr
- 16.62% avg tip
- $208 avg shift

The jump from the 12-seat to 14-seat section was surprisingly large. Replacing the 2-top with another 4-top increased average shift earnings by about $45 and hourly by roughly $3/hr.

I also tracked a lot of other variables:
- restaurant volume by shift
- sales trends
- party size trends
- guests per hour
- section turnover
- tip % by day
- sales/hour
- section performance
- seasonal differences
- doubles vs single shifts
- etc.

Curious how this compares to other Texas Roadhouse locations or other restaurant concepts.

I’ve tracked every Texas Roadhouse serving shift I’ve worked over the last ~11 months. I’m a full-time insurance sales rep during the week, so this has mostly been a Fri/Sat/Sun side hustle with occasional doubles and occasional weekday pickups.

I usually work around 8–12 shifts per month and typically make somewhere between about $1,400–$3,100/month depending on season, schedule, and doubles picked up.

For context: my store is a decently busy location, but probably on the lower end of the volume spectrum for our market compared to the busiest Texas Roadhouses nearby.

I do upsell and ask for appetizers/drinks/desserts, but I don’t hard push people. Most weekends I’m usually aiming to sell around $500–$800 depending on whether I double or not.

OVERALL STATS

- 132 shifts
- 893 hours worked
- Gross pay: $23,391
- Actual take-home: ~$20,400
- Total sales: ~$132,000
- Average tip %: 19.43%
- Tip out: ~3% of sales
- Effective take-home tip rate: 16.43%
- Average hourly: ~$26.19 gross
- Average shift pay: ~$177
- Average shift length: ~6.8 hrs

Best shift:
- Christmas Eve
- $505 in 8 hours

(Important note: I removed that Christmas Eve shift from Wednesday averages because it massively skewed the data.)

PAY BY DAY OF WEEK

Monday
- 10 shifts
- 48.5 hours
- $20.19/hr
- $98 avg shift

Tuesday
- 7 shifts
- 35.5 hours
- $22.27/hr
- $113 avg shift

Wednesday* (Christmas Eve removed)
- 6 shifts
- 31.9 hours
- $23.75/hr
- $126 avg shift

Thursday
- 21 shifts
- 118.5 hours
- $24.55/hr
- $139 avg shift

Friday
- 21 shifts
- 149.8 hours
- $27.55/hr
- $197 avg shift

Saturday
- 31 shifts
- 246.7 hours
- $28.83/hr
- $229 avg shift

Sunday
- 35 shifts
- 255.1 hours
- $24.34/hr
- $177 avg shift

SECTION SIZE COMPARISON

10-seat section
(typically a 2-top + 4-top + 4-top)
- $25.85/hr
- 18.19% avg tip
- $172 avg shift

12-seat section
(typically a 2-top + 4-top + 6-top)
- $25.51/hr
- 15.82% avg tip
- $163 avg shift

14-seat section
(typically two 4-tops + one 6-top)
- $28.52/hr
- 16.62% avg tip
- $208 avg shift

The jump from the 12-seat to 14-seat section was surprisingly large. Replacing the 2-top with another 4-top increased average shift earnings by about $45 and hourly by roughly $3/hr.

I also tracked a lot of other variables:
- restaurant volume by shift
- sales trends
- party size trends
- guests per hour
- section turnover
- tip % by day
- sales/hour
- section performance
- seasonal differences
- doubles vs single shifts
- etc.

Curious how this compares to other Texas Roadhouse locations or other restaurant concepts.

I’ve tracked every Texas Roadhouse serving shift I’ve worked over the last ~11 months. I’m a full-time insurance sales rep during the week, so this has mostly been a Fri/Sat/Sun side hustle with occasional doubles and occasional weekday pickups.

I usually work around 8–12 shifts per month and typically make somewhere between about $1,400–$3,100/month depending on season, schedule, and doubles picked up.

For context: my store is a decently busy location, but probably on the lower end of the volume spectrum for our market compared to the busiest Texas Roadhouses nearby.

I do upsell and ask for appetizers/drinks/desserts, but I don’t hard push people. Most weekends I’m usually aiming to sell around $500–$800 depending on whether I double or not.

OVERALL STATS

- 132 shifts
- 893 hours worked
- Gross pay: $23,391
- Actual take-home: ~$20,400
- Total sales: ~$132,000
- Average tip %: 19.43%
- Tip out: ~3% of sales
- Effective take-home tip rate: 16.43%
- Average hourly: ~$26.19 gross
- Average shift pay: ~$177
- Average shift length: ~6.8 hrs

Best shift:
- Christmas Eve
- $505 in 8 hours

(Important note: I removed that Christmas Eve shift from Wednesday averages because it massively skewed the data.)

PAY BY DAY OF WEEK

Monday
- 10 shifts
- 48.5 hours
- $20.19/hr
- $98 avg shift

Tuesday
- 7 shifts
- 35.5 hours
- $22.27/hr
- $113 avg shift

Wednesday* (Christmas Eve removed)
- 6 shifts
- 31.9 hours
- $23.75/hr
- $126 avg shift

Thursday
- 21 shifts
- 118.5 hours
- $24.55/hr
- $139 avg shift

Friday
- 21 shifts
- 149.8 hours
- $27.55/hr
- $197 avg shift

Saturday
- 31 shifts
- 246.7 hours
- $28.83/hr
- $229 avg shift

Sunday
- 35 shifts
- 255.1 hours
- $24.34/hr
- $177 avg shift

SECTION SIZE COMPARISON

10-seat section
(typically a 2-top + 4-top + 4-top)
- $25.85/hr
- 18.19% avg tip
- $172 avg shift

12-seat section
(typically a 2-top + 4-top + 6-top)
- $25.51/hr
- 15.82% avg tip
- $163 avg shift

14-seat section
(typically two 4-tops + one 6-top)
- $28.52/hr
- 16.62% avg tip
- $208 avg shift

The jump from the 12-seat to 14-seat section was surprisingly large. Replacing the 2-top with another 4-top increased average shift earnings by about $45 and hourly by roughly $3/hr.

I also tracked a lot of other variables:
- restaurant volume by shift
- sales trends
- party size trends
- guests per hour
- section turnover
- tip % by day
- sales/hour
- section performance
- seasonal differences
- doubles vs single shifts
- etc.

Curious how this compares to other Texas Roadhouse locations or other restaurant concepts.