Buzz
For many, waiting tables is a familiar experience. This job stands out as one that requires no formal education but often offers better pay compared to other beginner roles. While customers often overlook their servers, there's a world of fascinating stories hidden behind their professional smiles.
10. Tipping Customs Across the Globe
The topic of tipping waiters sparks heated debates, famously highlighted in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs through Mr. Pink’s passionate rant. In countries like Japan, tipping is considered rude, while in regions such as Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe, it’s not a common practice. However, in the United States and other parts of the Americas, tipping is almost mandatory and forms a significant portion of a server’s earnings.
Tipping wasn’t always a norm in America. It gained popularity post-Civil War when affluent Americans brought the practice back from Europe. Initially, it faced criticism as a tool for the elite to assert superiority. In 1915, an anti-tipping bill was proposed, and William Scott’s 1916 book The Itching Palm argued that tipping undermined democratic values, stating, “Every tip given in the United States is a blow at our experiment in democracy.”
9. Shared Lottery Ticket
While servers often view tips over 20 percent as exceptionally generous, some stories of extraordinary tips stand out. One of the most remarkable tales dates back to 1984, involving waitress Phyllis Penzo from Sal’s Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. A regular customer, Robert Cunningham, a police detective, decided to tip her with half of a lottery ticket. They each chose three numbers, and on March 30, Cunningham bought the ticket. Incredibly, it won $6 million. When Cunningham called Penzo the next morning to share the news, she was skeptical—it was April Fool’s Day.
This extraordinary event inspired the Nicolas Cage romantic comedy It Could Happen To You. Interestingly, Penzo isn’t the only server to receive such a windfall. In 2013, Aurora Kephart, an Oregon bartender, was tipped a lottery ticket that won her $17,500.
8. Tipping Trends Among African Americans
Servers are keenly aware of tipping patterns across different demographics. Common observations include men tipping more than women, smokers outdoing non-smokers, and couples on dates being more generous than teenagers. Foreigners, often unaccustomed to tipping customs, are frequently among the lowest tippers. The most contentious divide, however, lies in racial differences, with studies showing that minorities typically tip less than white patrons.
Cornell University’s Professor Michael Lynn has extensively researched racial disparities in tipping. His findings support the stereotype that, on average, African Americans tip less than white customers and are more likely to leave no tip at all. The reasons behind this trend are debated, ranging from income inequality to unfamiliarity with tipping norms. Additionally, a self-fulfilling prophecy may play a role: servers expecting smaller tips from black patrons might deliver poorer service, perpetuating the cycle. Lynn’s studies reveal that even with equal service, the disparity persists. This issue has broader implications, discouraging black individuals from dining out and even deterring restaurants from opening in predominantly African American neighborhoods.
7. H2NO
One of the most frustrating behaviors for servers is when customers avoid ordering drinks, opting instead for water with lemon and sugar to create a free beverage. This requires the same effort from the server but significantly reduces the bill. The Olive Garden, facing declining beverage sales, collaborated with The Coca-Cola Company to address this issue. Coca-Cola introduced the H2NO program, a training initiative aimed at teaching servers how to suggest profitable beverages instead of water. Monthly sessions were held to enhance these skills.
Although the H2NO campaign wasn’t entirely secretive, Coca-Cola didn’t anticipate the backlash it would face. When the New York Times exposed the program in 2001, the company quickly removed pages from the H2NO website to mitigate the negative publicity.
6. Poisoning
While leaving a poor tip today might result in a server’s silent disapproval, and sending back a steak multiple times could risk some unsavory additions to your meal, the consequences were far more severe in early 20th-century Chicago. Numerous diners fell ill after eating at restaurants, and investigations revealed they were being drugged with “antimony potassium tartrate,” a potent emetic that can be fatal in high doses.
The substance, known as “Mickey Finn Powder,” was being produced and distributed for 20 cents per packet during Waiters’ Union meetings. This disturbing operation ended in June 1918 when Chicago police arrested four individuals, and more than 100 waiters were detained by the state attorney’s office.
5. Men Sue Hooters
Hooters, the pioneer of the “breastaurant” concept, attracts a mix of Little League teams and businessmen who ogle the waitresses dressed in orange hot pants and tight shirts. Despite the challenges of working at Hooters, servers typically earn much more than they would at similar restaurants.
However, Hooters’ business model has a significant flaw. To preserve its provocative ambiance, the restaurant hires only attractive young women, which blatantly violates equal opportunity employment laws in the U.S. This policy has led to lawsuits from men. In 1997, Hooters paid $3.75 million to settle claims from men in Illinois and Maryland who were denied jobs.
Hooters faced another lawsuit from Nikolai Grushevski after he was rejected for a job at a Texas location. The company’s marketing vice president defended the policy, stating, “If we lose this case, you’ll see hairy-legged men in the Rockettes and male models in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.” Despite their efforts, Hooters reached a confidential settlement with Grushevski on April 13, 2009.
4. Gender Inequality
At establishments like Hooters, female servers are often expected to engage in flirtatious behavior with customers, but this can lead to uncomfortable and harmful situations. Gender inequality is a pervasive issue across workplaces, but it is especially pronounced in the restaurant industry. In the U.S., around 70 percent of servers are women, and they face numerous disadvantages. Despite being more likely to work as servers than men, women earn less and are typically employed in mid- to low-tier restaurants rather than high-end dining venues.
The level of sexual harassment female servers endure is alarmingly high. Data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reveals that women in restaurants experience more than five times the sexual harassment compared to those in other industries. A Louisiana-based MSNBC poll found that 42 percent of female restaurant workers have faced sexual harassment at some point in their careers.
3. Hot Waitress Economic Index
For many Hollywood actors, especially those born into famous acting families, waiting tables is often the first step toward stardom. This idea is humorously portrayed in CBS’s popular show The Big Bang Theory, where Penny works at The Cheesecake Factory while pursuing her dreams. While having an attractive waitress serve your meal might be pleasant, some economists joke that the more beautiful the waitress, the weaker the economy. This concept is known as the “Hot Waitress Economic Index.”
At first glance, the index might sound absurd, but it holds some truth. Waiting tables is a job that pays the bills but lacks glamour or high earnings. During prosperous times, attractive women have better career opportunities, such as modeling or acting. However, in tough economic times, these opportunities dry up, forcing even the most beautiful individuals to take jobs as waiters to survive.
2. Alternative Waiters
Managing a reliable waitstaff is a significant challenge for restaurants, which often operate on slim profit margins. A single server’s bad day could result in substantial losses. To address this, some restaurants are turning to alternatives. Dalu, a restaurant in China’s Shandong province, employs a dozen serving robots that deliver meals on bicycles. Equipped with motion sensors, the robots stop when customers approach to take their food. Dalu also features a robotic hostess at the entrance, greeting guests with a friendly voice and blinking eyes.
If robots seem too impersonal for your dining experience, consider visiting Kayabukiya Tavern in Utsunomiya, Japan. Here, two macaques, Yat-chan and Fuku-chan, serve drinks to patrons. Unlike robots, these monkeys appreciate tips, which customers give in the form of boiled soybeans as a reward for their service.
1. Service Actually Improves When Tipping Is Banned
In countries where tipping isn’t the norm, restaurants that eliminate tipping and include gratuities in meal prices often see improved sales and service. This happens for several reasons. One key factor is that most people tip the same amount regardless of service quality. As a result, servers focus on serving as many customers as possible, often at the expense of quality. When service is poor, the only way to express dissatisfaction is by leaving a smaller tip, which may frustrate the server but doesn’t alert management to potential issues with their staff.
Eliminating tips also has additional advantages. Servers are less likely to discriminate against certain customers, and relationships between waitstaff and other employees, such as cooks and dishwashers, improve. These workers often do the bulk of the work for minimal pay, and better teamwork enhances food quality and overall dining experiences.
