AboutJeffrey Summers Expertise I am the Founder & Owner of Restaurant Coaching Solutions, Inc. We have experience on any topic related to the restaurant & hospitality industry - from Menu R&D, Menu Engineering, Marketing Strategies, New Store Openings, P&L Analysis, Lease Negotiations, Staffing, Policies & Procedures, Building & Design, Site Location, Branding, PR & Promotions, Multi-Unit Development, and any other area effecting the operation of your business. Check us out on the web for more information at www.RestaurantCoachingSolutions.com or call us toll free at 877-535-2324.
Experience I am the Founder & Owner of Restaurant Coaching Solutions, Inc. We have experience on any topic related to the restaurant & hospitality industry - from Menu R&D, Menu Engineering, Marketing Strategies, New Store Openings, P&L Analysis, Lease Negotiations, Staffing, Policies & Procedures, Building & Design, Site Location, Branding, PR & Promotions, Multi-Unit Development, and any other area effecting the operation of your business. Check us out on the web for more information at www.RestaurantCoachingSolutions.com or call us toll free at 877-535-2324.
Organizations The National Restaurant Association Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association's mission is to represent, educate and promote a rapidly growing industry that is comprised of 925,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets employing 12.5 million people. The Society of Hospitality Management The Society for Hospitality Management is an education and professional development association and organization serving the hospitality industry. The SHM is a network of hospitality professionals committed to the education, training, and professional development of employees at all levels in the industry. Through training and educational programs, products, and services, industry professionals grow personally and professionally and in the process improve the performance of the properties and companies they serve. The Gerson Lehrman Leisure & Lodging Council The Gerson Lehrman Group Councils are global networks of executives, physicians, scientists, engineers, attorneys, and other professionals who deliver expertise and decision-making assistance to businesses, governments and investment leaders from around the world. The Professional Business Coaches Alliance The Professional Business Coaches Alliance is a knowledge sharing and peer coaching organization that concentrates on the delivery of effective business coaching - with an emphasis on usable strategies and tools - for the small business owner. The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Founded in 1946, the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education is the global advocate of hospitality and tourism education for schools, colleges, and universities offering programs in hotel and restaurant management, foodservice management and culinary arts.
Publications My articles and opinion pieces have been featured on several industry websites, magazines, blogs and forums including: Building Better Restaurants.com RestaurantOwner.com RestaurantEdge.com FoodService.com Ezinearticles.com RestaurantReport.com Restaurant Startup & Growth Magazine American Express' Briefing Newsletter Nation's Restaurant News and tons more!
Education/Credentials I hold degrees in Economics, English, Culinary Arts and industry certifications in Hospitality Management and Restaurant & Catering Management.
Past/Present Clients Here's a list of some of the teams Jeffrey has coached! Hardee's Super X Drug Stores Connie's Pizza Burger King Chili's Long John Silver's The Purple Sage Bistro Applebee's Shoney's T.G.I. Friday's Century 21 House of Realty La Dolce Vita Pastries & Catering Wal Mart 5 Seasons Sports Clubs Wendy's Bennigan's Riverside Publishing Godfather's Pizza Ovations Dining & Entertainment Romaine's Stew's Microbrewery & Eatery Xerox Food Service Double D's Sourdough Pizza and literally hundreds of other Independent Operations.
I'm a server/bartender in a small restaurant in WA state. Its been brought to my attention that the business has not been paying us for actual time worked, but for the number of hours in a scheduled shift. (8 on a weekend, 6 on a weeknight) Sometimes this works to the servers advantage, but sometimes not. We're required to be on shift 15 minutes 'early', but we're routinely not paid for those additional 15 mintues. Is this legal, or do they have to pay us for actual time worked, to the minute?
My second issue is that of honest server/bartender mistakes. If we miscalculate a ticket (which we do all by hand), is it legal for the restaurant to charge us for these mistakes? Say I have a food tab of $35.00, and a bar tab of $10.00 for one customer. When adding the two together I add the 1 in the wrong column and charge them $36.00 instead of $45.00. Am I required to pay that $9 difference?
My third issue is that the restaurant is automatically claiming our tips for us, and no one seems to know how this is calculated. If its a % of my sales, I'm fine with that, but I'd like to actually be able to SEE what my sales are, and ensure that this is all being done correctly.
Thank you in advance for your help! I can't seem to find the answers to these questions anywhere online.
Answer First, I have to say if you have that many questions about how your employer treats your service, I have to question the ability of your ownership to effectively lead people.
As to your questions;
1. They must pay you for actual hours worked - estimates don't cut it. As a good employee, you should be tracking your hours worked and matching your calculations with those of your owner and reconciling the differences when they occur.
2. It may be legal, as long as your state allows this practice. A simple call to the local labor board will get you the state specific answer you need. The bottom line is that even if your state does allow it, any deductions cannot place your hourly wage below the minimum levels.
3. Your employer cannot claim tips for you. That is your sole responsibility under IRS rules and regulations for tip reporting.
The bottom line is that this is your money and you should be more knowledgeable about how, where and why it's going.
