The Goals:

To Educate Customers:
With the help of our sponsors we are actively promoting and publishing articles in national radio and television. We are also working on initiating an educational program for college students on tipping etiquette.

To Work Toward Reform:
With your continued support, we are actively pursuing reform with the N.R.A. (National Restaurant Association) so as to add a set 20% service charge to every check. This standardization will allow restaurant owners to maintain control of their costs while at the same time allowing servers to be paid fair wages. The service charge will also help eliminate the uncertainty in the mind of the customer when deciding what amount to leave for the server.

Is This Really A Good Idea?
It is a proven fact that the restaurant industry has a high turnover rate. By setting a standard for service and by guaranteeing fair compensation for servers, restaurants will be able to attract and retain a professional staff.  This would undoubtedly be appreciated by patrons as well as restaurant owners.

In trying to appropriately tax the service industry, the I.R.S.has come up with various percentages of sales as earned income. However, they have failed to realize that it is nearly impossible to estimate how much servers will make based on the current system. Consequently, it is terribly difficult to regulate the industry. The existing percentages set in place by the government sometimes cause the server to pay taxes on unearned income. This is not a fair system! By implementing a mandatory 20% service charge on every check, the I.R.S. will have a more efficient and effective solution for accurately taxing servers.

To Promote Professional Service In The Food And Beverage Industry:
The restaurant industry is the second largest employer in the U.S. As servers, we consider ourselves professionals, even though some may consider our jobs to be quite simple. We are worthy of appropriate financial compensation for the work we do on a daily basis. Our jobs are varied and complex and we deserve to be paid accordingly for our hard work and dedication to one of the most outstanding industries within the U.S.

There is a common misconception that a job as a waiter or waitress is temporary or transitory. It is widely believed that one obtains a job as a server while looking or simply waiting for a “real” job. This may be the case for some in the industry, as with any other industry, but for many of us, this job is our reality and our source of pride. Regardless of a server’s experience in the industry, nor their career plans, what remains is that we do our job professionally and need to be seen as professionals within our industry. Much like any other professional, we expect to be compensated fairly. Guaranteed wages will result in servers working under less financial strains, allowing for a more fulfilling work environment, a more consistent experience for our customers, and ultimately, an increase in sales for restaurant owners.