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Please also keep in mind that you can't often just "raise prices by 5%" without loving with your cash transactions. A lot of effort goes into making things 0.99, 17.95, and the "psychology" of menu pricing in general with respects to anchor items, the placement and pricing of good margin items, poo poo like that. You can't just start charging $1.03 for a mcdouble and expect the customer to understand that now they need to either pay with a card or bring pennies along with them. And then you need to worry about adjusting the cash you distribute to your 50,000 stores to make sure that you always have enough pennies on hand to make change for $1 bill + a nickel. And then you need to worry about lazy cashiers just not making the correct change anyway and accepting a $1 bill for a $1.03 menu item, which directly translates into lost money for you. You're generally working with things in blocks, pricing wise. You're looking at +/- $0.50 through $2.00, and you also have to make sure that when you bump up an item you increase the "perceived value" from the customer's end as well. There's no easy way to take a mcdouble and make it worth $0.04 more in a customer's eyes, but you can take a fancy burger and make it always come with bacon for +$1.00. That being said, I'm in the camp that minimum wage should be raised across the board under the assumption that giving the working poor more money to spend will, generally, benefit the businesses that the working poor are employed at. I also feel like tipping wage should be abolished in general so more places can adopt official tipshares like in CA, which own (I was averaging $18/hr as BoH). But, I also understand that I am not an economist and that making such a drastic change will gently caress over a lot of existing businesses. Also that, in general, it is kind of difficult to pass laws that gently caress over existing businesses unless you are a bigger business yourself.
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Sep 16, 2015 19:00
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TROIKA CURES GREEK posted:Beer and liquor are not directly substitutable for most people and most people aren't trying to maximize their alcohol / dollar once they graduate college. In addition, prices are never a direct function of the underlying components, they are a function of what the market will accept, and people will pay more for fancy cocktails than they will for an equivalent amount of alcohol in beer. Probably because anyone can pop open a beer while making fancy cocktails requires an initial investment of time and money. Eh, all my musings are based on my personal feelings and my observations of my circle of friends, most of whom have the same drinking/spending habits as I do. It's less a matter of "maximize their alcohol / dollar" then feeling a bit like chump when I order a $15 drink, even if in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't affect my over all budget any more than a $10 one. I'm also working on the assumption that the huge failure rate of restaurant is due in part to owners/managers not doing their homework about cost/profit and what the market will bear.
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Sep 16, 2015 19:12
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I would think the best way to get a price increase past your customers without most of them noticing would be to do a new menu, some items remain the same, some new items are introduced and styled as "higher end" with somewhat higher prices to match but with about the same food and labor cost as existing items, some items are changed a bit and have their prices increased and so on. Bump the prices on things that people don't focus on, like fries and other cheap sides, people are more likely to get up in arms about their entrée going from $14.50 to $18.50 than they are about the fries going from $2.50 to $3.50 Also, you have to remember that any changes to minimum wages and tipping wages would be phased in over a period of years to let businesses who are not already on the verge of failure slowly adjust. Any business that fails due to having to pay their workers 25-50 cents more per hour would have run into some unexpected expense eventually and would have failed at that point anyway.
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Sep 16, 2015 19:24
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bunnielab posted:Eh, all my musings are based on my personal feelings and my observations of my circle of friends, most of whom have the same drinking/spending habits as I do. It's less a matter of "maximize their alcohol / dollar" then feeling a bit like chump when I order a $15 drink, even if in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't affect my over all budget any more than a $10 one. You have to account for the time cost of making a drink too. A $10 mixed drink might make more profit then a $3 bottle of beer or whatever, but if I can get three customers a beer in the same amount of time as making a single drink I'd rather sell the beers. Volume can compensate for a lower profit margin.
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Sep 16, 2015 19:26
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Ummm no tips are cool and good. That's how I make a living. So gently caress that noise. Especially when the guy getting his Salary pay is making more then me a week and has more days off lmao. "Omg I have to go out to eat and tip. The horror!" Are just be complete scum of the earth and stiff us! You can have it both ways!
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Sep 16, 2015 19:48
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Do you make more than $15/hr with tips? lmao? Also, if you're jealous of the salary guy, why don't you get a job like that lmao?
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Sep 16, 2015 20:01
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I'm not gonna get into this with you guys again. My season has died now. I live on a beach. So business has dropped off a loving cliff after Labor Day. I'm not even going to get into it. All waiters are poo poo and don't deserve any pay. The whole BOH should just cook and serve and cash out and answer phones and do everything with people.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:25
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Ok so in this case, wouldn't you directly benefit from having a real wage instead of just making tips? Kind of unrelated, but maybe not -- are you going to take another job to cover off on the seasonal business you're losing? I was at the US Open last week and it is a MASSIVE operation, so much so that like 80% of the FOH staff there takes vacation from their "real jobs" to work and earn boatloads at the open. So I'm curious what people in seasonal places do. Turkeybone fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Sep 16, 2015 |
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Sep 16, 2015 20:28
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A Man and his dog posted:Ummm no tips are cool and good. That's how I make a living. So gently caress that noise. You didn't actually read anything anyone posted did you? lmao. Your sheer density never ceases to amaze me. lmao. lmao. P.S. lmao. lmaaaaoooo
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Sep 16, 2015 20:30
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Lmao yes let me just walk Into my job tomorrow, As a tipped employee and ask for 30-35k a year, plus benefits. I'm sure that will just go over swell! Smh.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:32
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A Man and his dog posted:Ummm no tips are cool and good. That's how I make a living. So gently caress that noise. Or crazy idea we could do away with tipping culture and pay everyone a living wage which is what people here are arguing for you dolt
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Sep 16, 2015 20:32
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A Man and his dog posted:Lmao yes let me just walk Into my job tomorrow, As a tipped employee and ask for 30-35k a year, plus benefits. Goddamn son
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Sep 16, 2015 20:33
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Literally The Worst posted:Or crazy idea we could do away with tipping culture and pay everyone a living wage which is what people here are arguing for you dolt Ok then pay everyone a loving living wage. Im not against that. Go for it! Figure it out! But I'm not gonna be busting my rear end making God knows what when some loving chef thinks he should be making twice or triple what I make. Oh poor baby you have to put in a food order every week.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:38
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A Man and his dog posted:Lmao yes let me just walk Into my job tomorrow, As a tipped employee and ask for 30-35k a year, plus benefits. actually how about american labor breaks out of its current circular firing squad which has enabled exactly zero wage growth adjusted for inflation for half a century, group together as organs in a body politic, and collectively bargain for basically that. like has been done before and needs to be done again. seems like that would save some time and effort rather than doing it one by one imho
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Sep 16, 2015 20:39
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A Man and his dog posted:Ok then pay everyone a loving living wage. Im not against that. Go for it! Figure it out! That's literally what this discussion has been about the whole time. My god you're a dumbass.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:39
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I worked yesterday from 4-9. I made $8. Yes it's so unfair.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:41
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A Man and his dog posted:But I'm not gonna be busting my rear end making God knows what when some loving chef thinks he should be making twice or triple what I make. hoo boy if you're making any kind half-decent of tips at all, you are already making 3+ times what BoH makes
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Sep 16, 2015 20:45
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You will never make it fair for everyone in this industry. And people should tip. You are providing a service while making $2.13 an hour. The BOH should def be getting paid more where I'm at. It sickens be what we pay them. That's out of my hands though.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:46
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A Man and his dog posted:I worked yesterday from 4-9. I made $8. Yes it's so unfair. what did the work that made you no money entail? regular daily cleaning duties?
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Sep 16, 2015 20:46
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Liquid Communism posted:That said, the biggest piece involving restaurants that always gets left out of the discussion on minimum wage is that if you up the take-home pay of the working poor, they're going to be spending more money, often with the same industry that pays them. Yeah. The classic example is Henry Ford doubling the wages of all his workers (to five dollars a day), cutting hours to eight per day, five days a week, and ending up doubling his profits in the next two years. Hmm, five dollars a day... after inflation that'd be $120 per eight hour day... which works out to be 15 dollars an hour. Huh.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:47
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JawKnee posted:hoo boy Perhaps you're unfamilar with A man and his dog. He is Schrodinger's server, and exists in a state of making mad money and living the high life (on the BEACH! even) while laughing at the sad creatures toiling away in the kitchen while simultaneously needing two jobs and experiencing a down season where he makes sub-poverty wages while suffering the indignity of having to fetch condiments *gasp!* for drunken rednecks.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:48
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JawKnee posted:what did the work that made you no money entail? regular daily cleaning duties? Beach joint. Was making good money. Now it's just loving dead. When the tourist leave. They leave. That's my second job. But still. Woof. It entailed me taking one table and leaving.
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Sep 16, 2015 20:50
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A Man and his dog posted:I'm not gonna get into this with you guys again. FTFY tl;dr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARjRYgsfw9o vvvvv: Wait you're complaining about making $8 on a five hour serving shift on the beach in a tourist town just after the end of tourism season? I unironically cannot even. Go open a lemonade stand in February or something. Vorenus fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Sep 16, 2015 |
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Sep 16, 2015 20:55
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I'm going to stop. This is the exact reason why no one should ever talk about pay in this industry. Going to enjoy a long cool nap on my hammock. Good day.
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Sep 16, 2015 21:01
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A Man and his dog posted:You will never make it fair for everyone in this industry. What if, stick with me here, you were paid a living wage and not two dollars an hour
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Sep 16, 2015 21:02
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A Man and his dog posted:But I'm not gonna be busting my rear end making God knows what when some loving chef thinks he should be making twice or triple what I make. You carry plates.
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Sep 16, 2015 21:05
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I mean I hate my servers when they complain about being busy and don't spend the whole night running up and down stairs carrying trays full of food and make more money than I do And I hate you more right now it's incredible
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Sep 16, 2015 21:07
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Hoo boy. I've been doing Sober September, mostly for my wallet's sake, but today I had my biggest task yet following my promotion: writing a press release for a fancy new menu thing we're doing with some of our live music nights. I've been doing our twitter and facebook stuff lately so I thought it'd be less daunting, but oof. Boss okayed it, it's off out in the wild for the various DC blogs my predecessor listed for me to do with as they see fit, but jesus my nerves are wrecked. I'm seriously considering giving up sober september, but it just seems like a lovely thing to do, considering I'm over halfway there now.
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Sep 16, 2015 21:09
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AND I just took a fantastic nap in my car between shifts so I'm predisposed to not hate anyone at al right now so dang
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Sep 16, 2015 21:09
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Literally The Worst posted:I mean I hate my servers when they complain about being busy and don't spend the whole night running up and down stairs carrying trays full of food and make more money than I do It's almost like them being busy leads to you being busy carrying trays full of food...weird
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Sep 16, 2015 21:22
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The Maestro posted:It's almost like them being busy leads to you being busy carrying trays full of food...weird "I'm too busy to tell you my table moved or to make sure the kitchen understands my arcane tickets that I'll complain about when they don't" earns nothing but scorn EDIT especially if I happen to be the only runner that night meaning I'm doing all the running for the entire place as opposed to just a section "Dang man were busy as poo poo" is cool BENGHAZI 2 fucked around with this message at 21:33 on Sep 16, 2015 |
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Sep 16, 2015 21:30
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A Man and his dog posted:Ok then pay everyone a loving living wage. Im not against that. Go for it! Figure it out! 
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Sep 16, 2015 22:00
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I went overboard earlier today. I apologize. Sorry. Chefs make it work. I won't bring up pay scale again. My bad.
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Sep 16, 2015 22:07
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Also what kind of poo poo hole do you work in where you only get food in one day a week?
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Sep 16, 2015 22:12
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pile of brown posted:Also what kind of poo poo hole do you work in where you only get food in one day a week? For real. We get Sysco in M/W/F, Northern Haserot nearly daily, produce M-Sat, Blue Ribbon at least once a week, and another meat purveyor and InstantWhip every now and then. It's definitely job security for me.
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Sep 16, 2015 22:21
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A Man and his dog posted:I went overboard earlier today. I apologize. The problem was not that you brought up pay scales. The problem is that you ignored every post before yours that said, "We should get rid of tipping and pay a real wage!" and replied, "gently caress! Tips are how I make my money because I only make $2.13!". I mean, among all the other stuff you said.
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Sep 16, 2015 22:23
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nuru posted:The problem was not that you brought up pay scales. The problem is that you ignored every post before yours that said, "We should get rid of tipping and pay a real wage!" and replied, "gently caress! Tips are how I make my money because I only make $2.13!". Let it go. I give him as much poo poo as anyone, but if we keep piling on after he apologizes we'll just stay stuck in the circular firing squad like Willie Tomg said.
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Sep 16, 2015 23:57
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A Man and his dog posted:Chefs make it work. I won't bring up pay scale again. My bad. mindphlux posted:servers have that 'gently caress you got mine' attitude because they make more than whatever other server, who makes more than BoH, and higher up BoH probably has the same gently caress you attitude because they get paid more than the prep bitch, who gets paid more than the dishpit guy. you can just go back and replace the word 'servers' in all my posts over the past couple days with 'a man and his dog', and I think they'd make just as much - if not more sense lmbo its u; u r the working poor 
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Sep 17, 2015 02:53
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that said I was enjoying the discussion, also would love to hear more from CdC / people actually running restaurants / in management positions. wish it hadn't gotten derailed.  BY SOME LAZY ILLITERATE JACKASS DUNNO WHO THAT COULD BE
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Sep 17, 2015 02:57
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I'm resigning from my current position this week because I took an upgraded one with a different group, but I can answer specific questions about my current one. We sell tickets in advance and charge a flat 20% service charge on top of all costs to guest which is split amongst most of the staff. We originally had everyone on the tip share, but now it's phased out of new hires in BOH. BOH all make far above minimum and work pretty much a minimum of 60hrs/wk so there is lots of OT/DBLT. FOH is mostly the min (with fully paid benefits, PTO, etc) with X Number of tip shares based on position and seniority. Most people tip on top of that as well. It's in a city with a high minimum wage and CoL. I don't feel like doing a big write up because honestly I'm really loving busy this month, but if you have specific questions, shoot. You can probably figure out where I work from this, so don't be a goony weirdo, eh?
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Sep 17, 2015 03:09
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