Thanks to TikTok, customers get to see just how much servers at various chain restaurants take home in tips.
Restaurants are only on the hook to pay tipped workers a minimum of $2.13 per hour. That means, in the U.S., servers heavily rely on tips customers give them to make ends meet. That also means what a tipped worker takes home varies day-to-day. One Hooters worker raked in $571 after wearing her birthday sash during three shifts at the restaurant. A Texas Roadhouse worker documented what she made throughout the week and averaged $25 per hour in tips; she was lauded for her more realistic portrayal of what servers earn.
A Red Lobster worker is now taking her 136,000 followers with her to work a double shift on a Saturday.
In her video, TikTok user Jules (@hausofjulia) arrives at her workplace at 1pm. She says she “got lucky today” since she was given a five-table section. She says most sections are only four-table sections, so the five-table section enhanced her chances of getting more tips in less time.
She gives her first update at 3pm regarding how much she has made in tips. “We’re a little less busy than I thought,” she says. “So far my three tips—I got $10 in the card, $20 on the card, and $9 in cash.”
Roughly two hours later, the server shares she has since made $95 more in tips.
By 7:30pm, Jules got $125 more in tips. In her final update, she says she received $89 in tips.
At 10pm, she sits at a booth to reveal what she earned in tips for the day: $334. “Not a bad day,” she says. She points out that that averages out to about “$37 and some change an hour.” She was at the restaurant for a nine-hour shift.
Jules told the Daily Dot her Red Lobster is located in Pennsylvania and that it is is typically the busiest on Saturdays. She said the restaurant eventually became so busy the day she filmed her TikTok that customers had to wait up to two hours to be seated. She also pointed out that since she served five tables at once, she made a little more than usual in tips. She says she usually makes $300 in tips when she works a double, which is a nine- to 10-hour shift, or $150 during a regular lunch or dinner shift.
@hausofjulia i always see these and wanted to do one 😭😭 #server #redlobster ♬ original sound – jules
Her video racked up over 326,000 views, and servers shared in the comments section how much they make in comparison to Jules. One said they work a double every Sunday and typically make $75 if they’re lucky.
“I work 16 hour shifts just to make $140 after tax,” a second shared.
“I made $310 last saturday in 6 hours at my local restaurant,” another exclaimed, crediting the “slow post-holiday season” coming to an end.
Jules also confirmed that she tips out the bartenders and hosts, who double as bussers. She also confirmed her base hourly wage is “like $2.”
