Gratuity-Based Jobs Take Hit in Bad Economy
» Gatehouse News Service - 09 July 2008
WESTMONT, Ill. - Shannon Thomas has been waiting tables for 13 years. But lately, the cheerful 28-year-old is sounding more like an economics analyst as she tracks her tips based on pay periods of others.
“A lot of families get paid every two weeks, and when they get paid, the tips are good. But when it gets closer to pay day, they tend to get worse,” Thomas said, a Stickney resident who works at Emmy’s Pancake House in Westmont.
It is a trend she has been noticing more and more in the last six months. Workers who rely on tips are especially susceptible, since their weekly bread and butter depends on the generosity of others.
David Craver, president of The National Bartenders Association, which represents both servers and bartenders, said the penny-pinching trends have been a “double whammy” for members of the association, who have seen a decrease in clientele and gratuity percentage.
“We’re seeing about a 20- to 25-percent slowdown of people coming in the door,” Craver said, according to data from member surveys. In Downers Grove, Pete Konstant, manager of Omega Restaurant, said the wait staff depends on tips from customers for income, and those diminish when everyone is taking a hit.
» Gatehouse News Service - 09 July 2008
WESTMONT, Ill. - Shannon Thomas has been waiting tables for 13 years. But lately, the cheerful 28-year-old is sounding more like an economics analyst as she tracks her tips based on pay periods of others.
“A lot of families get paid every two weeks, and when they get paid, the tips are good. But when it gets closer to pay day, they tend to get worse,” Thomas said, a Stickney resident who works at Emmy’s Pancake House in Westmont.
It is a trend she has been noticing more and more in the last six months. Workers who rely on tips are especially susceptible, since their weekly bread and butter depends on the generosity of others.
David Craver, president of The National Bartenders Association, which represents both servers and bartenders, said the penny-pinching trends have been a “double whammy” for members of the association, who have seen a decrease in clientele and gratuity percentage.
“We’re seeing about a 20- to 25-percent slowdown of people coming in the door,” Craver said, according to data from member surveys. In Downers Grove, Pete Konstant, manager of Omega Restaurant, said the wait staff depends on tips from customers for income, and those diminish when everyone is taking a hit.
