Servers are already a disenfranchised group, they aren't paid minimum wage like everyone in the kitchen.
I think this is where we mainly disagree. I feel their minimum wage is irrelevant. It's about total income. I don't see how they are disenfranchised when they make more money in total.
The owner may disagree. The server is the face the customer sees. The server helps the customer decide what they want to order, addresses any issues they or the customer finds with the order, provides full services of delivery and follow-up, orchestrates the full customer experience while representing the restaurant and the wishes of the owner. The kitchen manager/chef and bar manager should be the only people making more than the servers+tips.
The reduced server wage was my states attempt to offset their wage against the established minimum wage such that those in the kitchen are paid a salary more similar to the server's salary + tips. It helps the restaurant reduce payroll and incentivises servers to go above and beyond. Servers can have bad nights with few customers or too many servers, the guys in the kitchen still get paid just for showing up. Not a perfect system but what has evolved over the past century. I was part owner of a restaurant/bar/venue 25 years ago when servers were paid $1.60/hr. You want to keep the best servers happy or they will go apply at your competition. I can imagine the financial stress in that industry today, hard decisions are being made. BTW, servers seldom claimed cash tips on their income tax anyway. Credit card tips have to be claimed.
(post is archived)