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Waiters make $120k/yr at Wolfgang Puck restaurants

I'm sure it depends which restaurant - and which location at that matter.

I think California is a state where the employer has to pay out full minimum wage ontop of whatever they get for tips as well for example.

Also when the place is so expensive they don't list the prices.... Yeah... makes sense...Probably just talking very high end.

wolfgangpuck.com

CUT, BEVERLY HILLS - Wolfgang Puck

Visit CUT, BEVERLY HILLS, which offers a blend of tradition and innovation showcasing the best of Wolfgang Puck’s cuisine
wolfgangpuck.com wolfgangpuck.com
 
What's the issue?
If its a high end restaurant, waiters and chefs can make 6 figures in total compensation.

Chefs, the cooks on their staff and the wait staff will make or break a restaurant and the customer base will tip accordingly.

Puck is probably using extreme examples to make his argument but I've known waiters who made good money and were flown cross country to help set new restaurants.

Side note, if Puck is saying he has wait staff who pull in 120k, they are probably pulling in 150k and the IRS thinks they pull in 50k.
 
pauldun170 said:
What's the issue?
If its a high end restaurant, waiters and chefs can make 6 figures in total compensation.

Chefs, the cooks on their staff and the wait staff will make or break a restaurant and the customer base will tip accordingly.

Puck is probably using extreme examples to make his argument but I've known waiters who made good money and were flown cross country to help set new restaurants.

Side note, if Puck is saying he has wait staff who pull in 120k, they are probably pulling in 150k and the IRS thinks they pull in 50k.
Click to expand...

Rich people don't tip in cash. At least, not in restaurants 😉
 
The people who are going to Wolf's restraunts probably have money. My mom had a cafe in Stone Harbor, NJ for over 11 years. Strone Harbor, and Avalon have million and multi-million dollar summer homes. Some of these homes are HUGE. Many of the people who would frequent my mom's cafe were millionaries. We had doctors, small and large busines owners, politicans, hedge fund managers from NYC. We had a woman who would come in regularly who owned 11 pizza stores in NY and PA. Another was a man who owned an island. He was a multi-millionaire who developed some kind of software patent. The waitresses who worked for my mom made bank. A typical lunch for 2 customers would run about $30-40. A typical tip would be $10-15. Sometimes $20 plus. At the end of a 4 hour shift they walked out with $300-400 easy.
 
Average check at his places isn't exactly Chili's level so yeah some people are probably making that.

Tried to go to Spago in LV since it relocated to Bellagio from Forum Shops, totally booked. Didn't use to be that way.
 
I'm going to guess that his restaurants employ what could be considered the best wait staff you can find. When you're the best at something,. regardless of occupation, you get paid.
 
Homerboy said:
I'm going to guess that his restaurants employ what could be considered the best wait staff you can find. When you're the best at something,. regardless of occupation, you get paid.
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I wonder what is considered "the best". Seems you can't do better then not messing up an order and being pleasant. Most of the outcome is predicated on the kitchen staff.

I play this bit with wait staff who tell me everything's good. I look at them with curious smile and say "really, everything? Oh come on". If I think about ordering something and the waiter subtly recommends against it, I increase the tip. I love honesty with a little humor.
 
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HomerJS said:
I wonder what is considered "the best". Seems you can't do better then not messing up an order and being pleasant. Most of the outcome is predicated on the kitchen staff.

I play this bit with wait staff who tell me everything's good. I look at them with curious smile and say "really, everything? Oh come on". If I think about ordering something and the waiter subtly recommends against it, I increase the tip. I love honesty with a little humor.
Click to expand...

At higher end restaurants they do more than just take your order and throw it on your table though.
 
It's nice to see some places that actually want to pay their employees more than what they have to. Walmart, Amazon etc could easily afford to pay all their employees 6 figures and still make their billions every day but of course they won't.
 
Red Squirrel said:
It's nice to see some places that actually want to pay their employees more than what they have to. Walmart, Amazon etc could easily afford to pay all their employees 6 figures and still make their billions every day but of course they won't.
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You're real life Homer Simpson.
 
Red Squirrel said:
It's nice to see some places that actually want to pay their employees more than what they have to. Walmart, Amazon etc could easily afford to pay all their employees 6 figures and still make their billions every day but of course they won't.
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Yeah it just comes at the price of having a restaurant that 96% of the public doesn't dine at due to the cost of food lol.
 
Homerboy said:
At higher end restaurants they do more than just take your order and throw it on your table though.
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have only been to high end steak places but doesnt seem any different than someone at a local restaurant.

what diff have you experienced?
 
Never been to one of his restaurants. My nephew's son was friends (maybe still is) with his son, I suppose they live(d?) in the same West L.A. neighborhood. I suppose my nephew and family know him and his. I should ask. haha.

Nephew's wife prepared us a wonderful meal some years ago, turkey burgers, kinda fancy and I got the recipe from her, it's from a cookbook written by an Israeli and a Palestinian! In fact, I'm going to make it today, just shopped for some of the ingredients.
 
purbeast0 said:
Someone at a restaurant in Beverly Hills makes 6 figures.

How this would surprise anyone is beyond me.
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This. When you get to the most trendy high end restaurants, they draw big spenders and A-listers. Spago had a couple Michelin stars at one point, that draws some high rollers.

I worked in a couple restaurants in the city - not nearly as fancy as Spago. This one joint, Aquagrill, top 3 oyster bars in the city. David Lee Roth was often there at the bar right by the oyster display ordering them in between the lunch and dinner shift. As just as a backwaiter, and this was over 20 years ago, working 32 hours a week I was clearing $800-900 after taxes, and that included working some of the least lucrative lunch shifts. From working at those couple restaurants in the city, all the other staff have friends working at various restaurants throughout the city. A buddy of mine worked at a Boulud restaurant, the checks there were rather large. He made good money. It's where we did a shot of King Louis cognac, which is like $150 per shot. Not everyone is a high roller and dropping that kind of loot but commonly, two tops will drop a few hundred bucks or more on dinner. Then you got the slightly bigger spenders that drop a few hundred just on a bottle of wine. Another waiter knew a guy at Balthazar, very trendy place in SoHo, A-lister type joint, where the top bartenders could make $500 at a lunch. The best bartenders, but again, at lunch. Over 20 years ago.

Keep in mind the waiters making 120K are quite likely working insane hours. Holidays. Etc...It's a hustle.
 
HomerJS said:
I wonder what is considered "the best". Seems you can't do better then not messing up an order and being pleasant. Most of the outcome is predicated on the kitchen staff.

I play this bit with wait staff who tell me everything's good. I look at them with curious smile and say "really, everything? Oh come on". If I think about ordering something and the waiter subtly recommends against it, I increase the tip. I love honesty with a little humor.
Click to expand...

Like people that know all the table manners, what spoon/fork to with what dishes, know(characteristic/pronoun) the whole wine/cocktail list and what to pair, deep know knowledge on food, presentable, can read people...etc.
 
Denly said:
Like people that know all the table manners, what spoon/fork to with what dishes, know(characteristic/pronoun) the whole wine/cocktail list and what to pair, deep know knowledge on food, presentable, can read people...etc.
Click to expand...
I can do all that. "This wine will get your ass drunk. So will this one." "That crap is some type of big sea bug covered in blood jello." "Sir, I believe you're drunk off your ass, can I offer you the entire dessert cart?" "Wolfgang was high as f' when he threw this crap in the blender. It isn't bad but no one, not even Wolfgang, could tell you what's in it. It pairs great with Oreos."
 
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