If youre interested, id be happy to detail the realtities of waiting tables. Here’s a big one non-waiters don’t always know: all your tips are claimed these days. Your gross tips are taxed, after which your tips are split (either required tip-out % or full tip pooling) between the other staff.
I have never worked a full service restaurant but I was at a huge pizza chain for 8 years, 6 as general manager. We only had the drivers report credit card tips and cash was left alone. They also didn’t tip out the kitchen. What has changed to make cash tips reported? Couldn’t you just lie about the amount?
When I moved cities I got a delivery job with a different company. It was fantastic. So much less volume, less stress, and the other drivers wanted to just chill and smoke weed so I would take most of the orders. A few times I broke $300 in tips on a 12+ hour shift if someone called off. Good money if you have a reliable car and put money back for when it inevitably needs repairs.
We only had the drivers report credit card tips and cash was left alone
Where i worked mgmt claimed the irs would come after them and us if we didn’t claim our cash tips. I don’t know if that is true though since mgmt would come have a talk with you if your cash tips claimed were less than 10%. Even back then cash was such a small percentage of my daily sales that i didn’t really care bout it.
In only 10 years of experience i got to see the business change for the worse.
My first waiting job (at red lob in '97) was so so different from the last one i had in '10. In '97 there were no mandatory tip-outs. When i came back to the business in '04 i was shocked that i had to tip the bartender, the busser. I have since witnessed the restaurant business getting only worse. Expo/host tipouts, full pooling, you name it. One time i went to a restaurant where they shifted staff between front and back of house so everyone got 2.13/hr. Its only gotten more dire since i got out.
I don’t have personal experience with delivery but there is a guy i know who works for himself delivering wood. He would often get tipped even so, for doing a great job or placing the bundles exactly where the customer wanted. I’m just guessing but its kinda likely you’d have gotten those sweet tips even if your boss had paid you well.