Cheesecake Factory, auto tip in effect for large parties or not?

[SL6827]

Gotta question about the Cheesecake Factory. They have announced they will be building one in Chattanooga, TN and should be done around the first of 2019! Yayyyyy!!!!! Can't wait to eat there with my family. But what I want to know is, do they add automatic gratuity on parties of six or more? (hoping so) I never go without tipping at least 18% when we go with just me and my husband or a kid or two with us, but my extended family will not tip. That means when we go with them, (larger party) I usually have to fork over more for a tip, because they didn't. So I am hoping that they always add the tip to each check with parties of six or more.

If they don't I am going to be very disappointed.

 

[Alesia]

I have no idea, but you can always catch your server when the rest of your family isn't around and ask them to add the gratuity.

I am a server in a restaurant where the auto grat is at the discression of the server. I don't generally like to add it unless I know I really need to, but I would appreciate the heads up.

 

[Albort]

if i recall correctly, 6+ parties do add the tip into the total for most places.

would do the math though, i also recall cheesecake factory also doing the wrong math and adds more than they suppose to. LINK

 

[DisneyHardin]

Many places don't do an auto-grat anymore because for tax purposes they are considered "Service Charges" instead of "gratuities" and it somehow messes with the servers taxes. I'm not a server so I don't know the exact details, but my friend who is one was explaining it to me recently.

 

[SL6827]

I have no idea, but you can always catch your server when the rest of your family isn't around and ask them to add the gratuity.

I am a server in a restaurant where the auto grat is at the discression of the server. I don't generally like to add it unless I know I really need to, but I would appreciate the heads up.

I thought about this exact scenario and may end up having to do just that if they don't add it automatically.

 

[crazelion]

I just want give shout to my home town Chattanooga, TN it rare that see on the boards

 

[Wubar]

Gotta question about the Cheesecake Factory. They have announced they will be building one in Chattanooga, TN and should be done around the first of 2019! Yayyyyy!!!!! Can't wait to eat there with my family. But what I want to know is, do they add automatic gratuity on parties of six or more? (hoping so) I never go without tipping at least 18% when we go with just me and my husband or a kid or two with us, but my extended family will not tip. That means when we go with them, (larger party) I usually have to fork over more for a tip, because they didn't. So I am hoping that they always add the tip to each check with parties of six or more.

If they don't I am going to be very disappointed.

They just decided one day that they will be the people that just do not tip???

 

[tvguy]

They just decided one day that they will be the people that just do not tip???

It is a risk servers face. Tipping is an odd ritual. If the quality of your meal sucks, but you had top notch service how do you reward the server, and send a message to the chef? I guess they pool tips in most restaurants, so no way to reward the people who went above and beyond, and no way to penalize those who fell short in doing their job. And why is it some places have a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour for tipped employees, and places like San Francisco required $15 an hour. And my server at Denny's worked just as hard as the guy at the Lobster place, but 20% of a $30 tab is $6, and 20% of a $100 tab is $20.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

I thought about this exact scenario and may end up having to do just that if they don't add it automatically.

If you frequently go out to eat with your non-tipping extended family, you could use this tactic at other restaurants as well! Simply privately tell your server to add the gratuity onto the bill.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

It is a risk servers face. Tipping is an odd ritual. If the quality of your meal sucks, but you had top notch service how do you reward the server, and send a message to the chef? I guess they pool tips in most restaurants, so no way to reward the people who went above and beyond, and no way to penalize those who fell short in doing their job. And why is it some places have a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour for tipped employees, and places like San Francisco required $15 an hour. And my server at Denny's worked just as hard as the guy at the Lobster place, but 20% of a $30 tab is $6, and 20% of a $100 tab is $20.

Pooling tips is not actually all that common. Often, the server will tip out the bussers and bartenders a percentage of their earnings for the shift. Generally, back of the house employees are paid much higher wages. And yes - most places pay servers $2 something per hour as they are tipped employees. If the amount they report doesn't equal out to minimum wage or higher, than the employer is required to make up the difference in their paycheck. BTW, normally servers do not receive money in their paycheck & non tipping customers actually cost them money as they will still be accountable for those sales. Your scenario of Denny's & the Lobster place is why generally, experienced servers will seek out higher priced or higher end restaurants in which to work.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And my server at Denny's worked just as hard as the guy at the Lobster place, but 20% of a $30 tab is $6, and 20% of a $100 tab is $20.

Nothing prohibits you frm tipping your Denny's server $20.

 

[tvguy]

Nothing prohibits you frm tipping your Denny's server $20.

LOL. $20 tip on a $30 tab, yeah, right.

 

[Alesia]

I guess they pool tips in most restaurants, so no way to reward the people who went above and beyond, and no way to penalize those who fell short in doing their job.

I think tip pooling was a short-lived fad in the 80s. I don't know of any restaurant that does that now -- for exactly the reason that you give. I wouldn't work in a restaurant where I make the same as someone who isn't pulling their weight.

 

[Alesia]

LOL. $20 tip on a $30 tab, yeah, right.

I got a $20 tip on a $22 tab this past Sunday at lunch. It's not common, but it happens.

 

[tvguy]

Pooling tips is not actually all that common. Often, the server will tip out the bussers and bartenders a percentage of their earnings for the shift. Generally, back of the house employees are paid much higher wages. And yes - most places pay servers $2 something per hour as they are tipped employees. If the amount they report doesn't equal out to minimum wage or higher, than the employer is required to make up the difference in their paycheck. BTW, normally servers do not receive money in their paycheck & non tipping customers actually cost them money as they will still be accountable for those sales. Your scenario of Denny's & the Lobster place is why generally, experienced servers will seek out higher priced or higher end restaurants in which to work.

16 states allow tipped workers to earn less than full Federal minimum wage, so 34 require tipped workers to make AT LEAST full federal minimum wage before tips.
I have never worked in a tipped position so no experience with if and how they share tips.
But I do know more than one person that makes more in tips working part time in a tipped job, than they make full time in the allegedly "professional" job, or so they claim.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Ohmygosh I would possibly die of embarrassment eating out with people like that- but they’re family! What are you gonna do? Get around it, so good for you!

I’ve been educating myself in this area recently out of curiosity. For those wondering here’s a good reference point by state on what tipped wage laws require: https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

 

[kaytieeldr]

LOL. $20 tip on a $30 tab, yeah, right.

No. If you feel the Denny's server works as hard as the steakhouse server and deserves the same tip, you have two choices. Tip both based on the steakhouse price, or tip both based on the Danny's price. Or, no, there's a third option: don't find out.

so 34 require tipped workers to make AT LEAST full federal minimum wage before tips.

No. Seven states (not 34) plus Guam "require employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before tips."

Facts are wonderful things.

 

[tvguy]

No. If you feel the Denny's server works as hard as the steakhouse server and deserves the same tip, you have two choices. Tip both based on the steakhouse price, or tip both based on the Danny's price. Or, no, there's a third option: don't find out.

No. Seven states (not 34) plus Guam "require employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before tips."

Facts are wonderful things.

Facts are my life. US Department of Labor website says 34.
https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

 

[kaytieeldr]

Facts are my life. US Department of Labor website says 34.
https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

No. Seven states where, "State requires employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before tips." Plus Guam, which is territory, not a state.

Additional 26 states where, "State requires employers to pay tipped employees a minimum cash wage above the minimum cash wage required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act ($2.13/hour) plus DC and USVI ," which is not equivalent to the claim/ first statement.

 

[SL6827]

They don't eat out with us that often, just every now and then. But with the opening of the CFactory in Chattanooga, that might be a place they will go with us more frequently to eat, so I am trying to figure out how best to go about this. I don't want to have to make up their tip because they are cheap.