Our Restaurant Industry is really hurting

I'll do you one better: Our medical industry is really hurting.

My wife (and I) spent 6 hours in the ER wating room this Saturday after she nearly cut her finger off while gardening. The place wasn't all that busy; but it took forever for each next person to be seen in the evaluation area.

By the time we got to the specialist he asks us when the accident happened we told him 8 hours earlier and he was astonished why they hadn't called him a lot sooner.

Clearly the wait wasn't for the specialist, which could be understandable. The wait was due to the fact that they didn't have enough ER nursing and genetic doctor staff to get people going in a timely manner.

Not just in the US either.
I’m in food sales, if I could sell restaurants “staff” I’d be rich!

Is there an industry out there that isn't hurting for staff? I'm in Texas and I can tell you that there are a ton of different industries looking for help in unskilled and semi-skilled labor. There has been a major shift in how employees behave and work. I blame some of this on the lockdowns, I think people got used to not working and decided they liked it.

I see people saying they are applying for jobs in all different fields and can't get a job. It's a little confusing, to be honest. I'm staying in a resort area in Colorado right now for work and I have been told tourism is down here.

a reply to: KKLOCO

To be fair, there are some who just can't afford to tip heavily. That meal is their one night out to treat themselves and they had to save to get it.

On the other hand, some people are just cheapskates who could afford it, but have that "they're getting paid why should I give them extra" attitude.

I tip 1/3 the cost of the meal. If it's $60, I tip $20, if it's $100 you get $35....etc. IF the service is good and I don't get a cranky "I hate it here" vibe from the staff.

From wait staff point of view, is that a good ratio ?

originally posted by: GENERAL EYES
a reply to: KKLOCO

Wages for waiters/waitresses in the South is 2.13 plus tips.

I used to serve entire families of seven or more people for over an hour with all the trimmings only to be left a dollar tip.

So much this, it's an underappreciated, low paying, and in a busy place physically and mentally demanding job. Not to mention the GP has become so difficult to work with. Who wants to put up with that chit?

I remember working a double shift during Super Bowl Sunday we had an individual locked box to put our receipts and cash, It was a cold day and it was busy as hell, I was racking in the tips, busting my hump. When I checked out I had 24 dollars in tips, evidently either the manager or assistant manager ripped me off...

a reply to: DAVID64

To be fair, there are some who just can't afford to tip heavily. That meal is their one night out to treat themselves and they had to save to get it.

Then they shouldn’t go out if they can’t afford the entire experience. It’s not the servers fault they are broke. And they shouldn’t be expected to work for free. I’ve had broke points in my life. I never stiffed a server on a tip, or under tip them because I was broke.

I tip 1/3 the cost of the meal. If it's $60, I tip $20, if it's $100 you get $35....etc. IF the service is good and I don't get a cranky "I hate it here" vibe from the staff. From wait staff point of view, is that a good ratio ?

Yes, that’s an excellent tip. I’m not in the food industry. I’m in tourism. Both service industry, but different in many ways.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: JAGStorm
There are customers galore but not enough workers.
Yesterday I really wanted to go out to eat, but almost ever place we looked at was closed.
It’s not for religious reasons, it’s lack of staffing.

I know one place that’s been open forever just closed its doors. Another place is being sold.
The few places that are holding on by a thread won’t make it if they aren’t open, especially on the weekends when people like to go out.
I noticed that some are also limiting their menus.

Yes yes, before anyone starts, home cooking is great, healthy blah blah, but sometimes you want to go out to eat, for socialization, or if you are away from home.

you are confused. Bidenomics is working super good.
newrepublic.com...

According to the Department of Gas Lighting, closed restaurants means that everything is better than before. Now people can just stay at home and not work!

Didn't many of us say that this would happen if the left hiked minimum wages?

originally posted by: 1947boomer
a reply to: network dude
If you judge on the basis of unemployment numbers it IS working super good. The labor market is tight because unemployment is practically at a 50 year low--fluctuating between about 3.4% and 3.6%. It's easy to get jobs that pay more than a food worker job, right now.

Anyone who actually believes the fake government reported economic numbers is a moron.

originally posted by: GENERAL EYES
a reply to: KKLOCO

Wages for waiters/waitresses in the South is 2.13 plus tips.

I used to serve entire families of seven or more people for over an hour with all the trimmings only to be left a dollar tip.

That's just ridiculous. I don't tip super great , but defintely would have been more around $5-$10 depending on how friendly they are.

originally posted by: KKLOCO

That sucks! I work in the service industry and can say without a doubt, there are many people that don’t believe tipping is standard procedure. And since the hyperinflation kicked in, people stiffing us on tips has become more and more of a problem.

The tip culture is the problem all the way around. The customer should not be responsible for ensuring the servers are paid a living wage. That is up to the employer.

In Europe, tipping servers is not a thing. Their employer pays them for the work they do, as they should. Yes, prices are higher, but the bill you get is what you pay. No 15% extra for the customer to pay to support the service worker for the lousy business owner who cheaps out on pay.

To mitigate the "if ya can't afford to tip, don't go out to eat" response, yes, I tip.

Food Cost is killing it.

High Food Cost.
More Overhead.
Less Employees
Higher meal prices
Less Customers
Lower tips.....

It is a bust. 2 examples.

Stores - A Bag of French Fries was 2.79 in 2021. We bought a lot for our local baseball concession stand. Same bags are now 6.07.

Restaurants - They are compensating with liquor. A happy hour double margarita at a local chain was 19.00. We laughed when we got the bill.

Throw in the short staff/poor service and it is not worth it for anyone involved. It sucks.....

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

The anti-tipping thing started largely in response to owners keeping the tips given to their staff.

originally posted by: KKLOCO
a reply to: DAVID64

To be fair, there are some who just can't afford to tip heavily. That meal is their one night out to treat themselves and they had to save to get it.

Then they shouldn’t go out if they can’t afford the entire experience. It’s not the servers fault they are broke. And they shouldn’t be expected to work for free. I’ve had broke points in my life. I never stiffed a server on a tip, or under tip them because I was broke.

I tip 1/3 the cost of the meal. If it's $60, I tip $20, if it's $100 you get $35....etc. IF the service is good and I don't get a cranky "I hate it here" vibe from the staff. From wait staff point of view, is that a good ratio ?

Yes, that’s an excellent tip. I’m not in the food industry. I’m in tourism. Both service industry, but different in many ways.

I usually tip well and definitely do for excellent service or even good service when it's busy AF.

I've been there bussing waiting, tables, a cook, and delivery. Still, extremely crappy service and meal gets the flat 20%

a reply to: JAGStorm

Our fav Chinese, open only 4 days, mid day only limited hrs, so the order taker can get the call, take the order, get the next, prepare the last, take the order out, get change... phones ringing ..Like shes 1 (ONE) person.

The service industry has crashed across the board, food services, rests, inns, bars, cabarets...no one seems to want to serve others for the offered wages. Not worth it to them.....

originally posted by: LogicalGraphitti
Expectations are too high for unskilled labor.

Pre-covid I was out with a group of ten at a nearby restaurant. The waitress was an early senior, someone at or near retirement age. She committed the entire order, with drinks, to memory and got everything right!!

THAT was a skill I definitely don't have and she got a good tip.

originally posted by: matafuchs
Food Cost is killing it.

High Food Cost.
More Overhead.
Less Employees
Higher meal prices
Less Customers
Lower tips.....

It is a bust. 2 examples.

Stores - A Bag of French Fries was 2.79 in 2021. We bought a lot for our local baseball concession stand. Same bags are now 6.07.

Restaurants - They are compensated with liquor. A happy hour double margarita at a local chain was 19.00. We laughed when we got the bill.

Throw in the short staff/poor service and it is not worth it for anyone involved. It sucks.....

Yea, it's crazy we used to get out Wor Wonton soup for 10 bucks per quart now it's $17, we went to a salad place, one where they got all the proteins and loads of add-ons salad dressings different flavors, and cuisines, usually, it's so much you can get 2 meals out of it, portions were much much smaller this time and prices were increased a couple of bucks.

Hell, our business still isn't totally back and we are struggling a bit especially when something unexpected pops up, every dollar definitely counts more for us than it used to. There are 3 of us here and we try not to eat out unless we are busy, but if we don't feel like the value is there for the cost we eliminate places that used to be favorites.

It does make fasting and losing weight easier

a reply to: JAGStorm

the irony in this is that here, in Florida, the same industry is still booming.
poor wages, decades of tourists who don't know how to or simply don't tip, poor labor laws to protect employees , none of these things can stop it, there are still lines out the door at dinner time. even more so in the restaurants near and around Disney and the hotels, packed full of tourists on summer vacation. clogging up I-4 because they have no idea where they are going.
And the staff, well its all thanks to those hard working immigrants that didn't leave in droves, heck some of them are so busy that now the fast food places are offering deliveries, and no I don't mean door dash or Uber eats. I had chikfilet delivered to me just yesterday, I love the polynesian sauce! and they have their own cars for drivers to use so they don't have to use their own.
Brilliant!

originally posted by: mysterioustrangerno one seems to want to serve others for the offered wages. Not worth it to them.....

I think more than any other cause, this one is the reason its going downhill
Who wants to subject themselves to irate and unruly customers over burnt fries and then get treated like an idiot by their boss, for something they really had no control over.
Think about it, you go to a sit down joint and your steak comes out wrong, or its the wrong dish entirely, do you go into the kitchen and yell at the cook, no you take it out on the waiter/waitress. The cook doesn't care, they get their hourly wage for messing up, the server gets # on and needs those tips to survive.

I wish most restaurants and fast joints would shut down any way, we dont need em

I am from Massachusetts; a state that makes it very difficult for owners to make money in the food business.

The taxes are ridiculous for both owners and patrons, the pay is ridiculous for staff and waiters, so many customers tip terrible and due to inflation, the costs to keep a restaurant operating along with everything else has easily doubled since the start of the pandemic.

States need to have a decent minimum wage for food service workers, force a gratuity of at least 15% that is shared by all workers and make other amends to restaurant owners that help them to make a living including substantial tax relief.

It is a business model that is now broken and the only way for them to make money now is to have a buffet and serve on paper plates with plastic forks and paper table cloths. I am surprised that some have not gone this route.

So much for an enjoyable night out.

I stopped going to my favorite restaurant because the owner couldn't get wait staff other than snotty teens.
They really didn't want to be there and they made it obvious to the patrons. If I want poor service and an attitude, I'll just stay home.

The owner of the Bistro is tearing out all the booths and tables, shutting down the kitchen, putting in a stage and dance floor...free beer for the band. I'll return as soon as it's finished.