The Taco Bar in Seaside

How does everyone feel about an automatic 15% being added and then having a line for yet more tippage there for filling in on credit/debit reciept? I feel like a dirtbag when I draw a line through it, but if they do more for me I leave a few extra dollars in cash (cash tips rule!)

I've worked in the industry for numerous years. I disagree with your point that waiting on a party of six requires more work for the server. Perhaps, if you are comparing it to taking care on one party of one. However, let's keep only apples in this basket. Taking care of one party of six is much less work than taking care of six parties of one. Six trips to the table to take an order, six trips to the kitchen to get drinks, six trips for giving specials, six tickets to enter into the POS, etc. Time and effort is much less when you have only one party of six vs six parties of one.

The general reason for an auto gratuity for parties of 6 or more is because the more in the party the more work for the waiter. Generally while keeping the same number of tables. I have worked in many establishments where the waiters (myself included) would often have a mini-meeting in the server station to get a second opinion about auto-grating a table. Certain large groups will always get auto-grated by any good waiter because it is just known that you will get screwed if you don't. These include, but are not limited to; highschoolers, any club that requires a colored hat, and I hate to say, but foreigners. Generally the reason for foreigners is that most European countries just pay there waiters a flat liveable wage.

This might gross some people out, but there are resources on the web:

www.waiterrant.com
www.bitterwaitress.com
www.stainedapron.com

How does everyone feel about an automatic 15% being added and then having a line for yet more tippage there for filling in on credit/debit reciept? I feel like a dirtbag when I draw a line through it, but if they do more for me I leave a few extra dollars in cash (cash tips rule!)

As long as you are tipping decently via the 15% auto tip, servers aren't upset with your line through the tip line. If you feel an extra gratuity is needed, add it to the line. No biggy. It's easier to print the line for the poeple who use it, rather than not print it and have people wanting to add one.

Dave,

Man I almost choked on my coffee when I realized that you were the owner? of The Taco Bar. Thats in a good way :floor:. Thank you for responding to the thread, it has taken a life of its own. The young man that served us yesterday would have most likely gotten a $5.00 tip anyway. It was not his service that I questioned nor the food, Just the way it was setup for what I would call counter service. Dave you provide Great food and super service at Bud and Allies. Now I understand why the Taco Bar has the same. Congrats on the job you and your folks do! It just makes it that much better for us here in Sowal!:clap:

Thanks so much BH 25, I almost choked on my coffee finding someone who actually did not know what I do. After 23 years in business, it is refreshing to still sometimes be anonymous in SoWal for me.

Dave

Thanks so much BH 25, I almost choked on my coffee finding someone who actually did not know what I do. After 23 years in business, it is refreshing to still sometimes be anonymous in SoWal for me.

Dave

:lolabove::lolabove:

Dave,

Man I almost choked on my coffee when I realized that you were the owner? of The Taco Bar. Thats in a good way :floor:. Thank you for responding to the thread, it has taken a life of its own. The young man that served us yesterday would have most likely gotten a $5.00 tip anyway. It was not his service that I questioned nor the food, Just the way it was setup for what I would call counter service. Dave you provide Great food and super service at Bud and Allies. Now I understand why the Taco Bar has the same. Congrats on the job you and your folks do! It just makes it that much better for us here in Sowal!:clap:

You are the acception, not the rule. My daughter, being in the food service industry would have tipped, but most 14 + year olds that vacation in the area, would probably not tip. So which is better...to rely on people such as yourself that would tip 20%, or make an accross the board mandatory tip of 15%? As I said, to me it is more of an insult to my integrity to be automatically billed 15% in a fine establishment, as if I would go into a fine restaurant and stiff the wait staff....:angry: One does not belong in a fine establishment if they would do so, however, in an open air establishment such as this, people stiff them all the time. A different clientele all together.

I haven't been in the Taco Bar recently, so I don't know if there is a notice regarding the 15% gratuity. But like BeachHouse, I would have been a little put off by the forced gratuity if I was unaware. Hearing the reasoning behind it, I get it. On the other hand, I typically tip at least 20%, but when forced by the house(or the waiter) to a certain percentage, that's what they get.
On yet another hand it sucks to be the waiter on a table when everyone Thinks they've put in their share, and some obviously haven't.

John R, the 15% add-on gratuity is clearly posted.

But thinking about this brings up a dilemma for me which is inconsistent with my earlier remarks regarding Taco Bar. At Tacqueria Del Sol in Atlanta, there are two choices for dining. The most likely is to stand in a long line and order and pay up front at the cash register. As far as drinks go, depending on your choice, if you want a margarita, the cashier pours a margarita from a pitcher right by the cash register, grabs a beer, or hands you a cup for self-serve non-alcoholic drinks. A runner (literally) brings your food, and that's the last contact one has with an employee (unless you want another alcoholic drink, which in this case, you walk up to the bar and wait). Hubby leaves a dollar per person for this type of service, plus a tip to the bartender if we have extra drinks.

The second scenario (for the regulars who are in the know) is to have one member in your party check out to see if there's room at the bar. If there is, s/he waves everyone in the party in, effectively bolting the line. When you sit at the bar, you get continuous service -- the bartender repeated returns to see if you'd like anything else, etc., like at a regular full-service restaurant. You don't pay until AFTER you eat (as opposed to up front). In this case, hubby tips 15-20%, depending on if we're in-and-out, or spend time over cocktails.

Do you think this is the right approach to tipping at this place?:idontno:

John R, the 15% add-on gratuity is clearly posted.

But thinking about this brings up a dilemma for me which is inconsistent with my earlier remarks regarding Taco Bar. At Tacqueria Del Sol in Atlanta, there are two choices for dining. The most likely is to stand in a long line and order and pay up front at the cash register. As far as drinks go, depending on your choice, if you want a margarita, the cashier pours a margarita from a pitcher right by the cash register, grabs a beer, or hands you a cup for self-serve non-alcoholic drinks. A runner (literally) brings your food, and that's the last contact one has with an employee (unless you want another alcoholic drink, which in this case, you walk up to the bar and wait). Hubby leaves a dollar per person for this type of service, plus a tip to the bartender if we have extra drinks.

The second scenario (for the regulars who are in the know) is to have one member in your party check out to see if there's room at the bar. If there is, s/he waves everyone in the party in, effectively bolting the line. When you sit at the bar, you get continuous service -- the bartender repeated returns to see if you'd like anything else, etc., like at a regular full-service restaurant. You don't pay until AFTER you eat (as opposed to up front). In this case, hubby tips 15-20%, depending on if we're in-and-out, or spend time over cocktails.

Do you think this is the right approach to tipping at this place?:idontno:

Sorry BR have to disagree with you on the "Clearly" posted, I was not going to say anything about it but since you brought it up, Its a piece of Copy paper on the wall that unless your looking to the right for some reason you would not see it. I mean come on now why would I be surprised if it was right there where you could see it on the wall with the menu? No its not in "Plain sight IMHO, and now that its out maybe Dave can fix that? My first knowledge of the auto tip was when the young man handed me the bill and he said a 15% surcharge had been added. 😱

Shouldn't we draw a distinction here between full-service table waiting and a walk-up counter? Really, how is this taco bar any different than the old Airstream sushi bar? Or for that matter, Burger King?

It's COUNTER SERVICE, people. The food comes in plastic baskets lined with wax paper. 15 percent? Auto tipping has to be relative to the food you get and how you get it. Sorry, but this doesn't qualify, IMO.

I haven't been in the Taco Bar recently, so I don't know if there is a notice regarding the 15% gratuity. But like BeachHouse, I would have been a little put off by the forced gratuity if I was unaware. Hearing the reasoning behind it, I get it. On the other hand, I typically tip at least 20%, but when forced by the house(or the waiter) to a certain percentage, that's what they get.
On yet another hand it sucks to be the waiter on a table when everyone Thinks they've put in their share, and some obviously haven't.

Yes, the policy is clearly posted next to the register.

Dave, can you explain about the rounding up?? :idontno:
See my post above.

I am Taco Bar regular, love the Burritos, Tacos and Dip...Mike is a great Manager and Guy and everyone is always super friendly...Great Job Guys...See you soon!

Flip Flops Grills

Perhaps we should start a poll...

Do you prefer surly service from someone who is not very skilled at the job, or do prefer the 15% automatic tip and a waiter who is competent, friendly, and as often as not a nice college kid working a summer job and may be able to tell you about some great hiking or new band as you have a drink and a couple of tacos?

I mean, we lament the exploited eastern European labor on one thread, and then complain about automatic tipping on the next. I'm glad to have the choice to go somewhere with a pleasant and happy staff.