Kd's Restaurant / Legacy Grill

[soonerguru]

Ummm…because every restaurant in this city pays their servers the same wage…$2.13/hour. Doesn't seem to be a problem for a host of restaurants who provide excellent dining experiences.

Actually, there are plenty of restaurants that pay a higher base wage than that.

[Dennis Heaton]

Compared to what employees working 60-80 hours per week get paid at some of these stand alone, independently owned convenience stores in OKC/Edmond (not one red cent for overtime), folks working in a restaurant, waiting on others, are doing pretty doggone well.

[RadicalModerate]

Pardon my lack of knowledge here, but do several previous posts imply that the actual server/waitperson at a restaurant only gets 3-4% of the 20% tip that you leave? Or am I completely misreading the interesting information provided by Teo9969? I know that the cooks and buspersons get a share of the tip (or at least I think they do), but I have to be mis-interpreting what was written because that small of an amount just doesn't seem right at all.

[Jeepnokc]

Pardon my lack of knowledge here, but do several previous posts imply that the actual server/waitperson at a restaurant only gets 3-4% of the 20% tip that you leave? Or am I completely misreading the interesting information provided by Teo9969? I know that the cooks and buspersons get a share of the tip (or at least I think they do), but I have to be mis-interpreting what was written because that small of an amount just doesn't seem right at all.

The waitstaff will tip out a set percentage of total sales. It is 2-3.5% depending on location. This is split with the bartender, hostess, and busser. So if a waiter has $1000 in sales, he will make $150-200 in tips assuming he is getting 15-20% gratuity. If the tip out is 3%, he will tip out $30.00 of his tips to be split with the other service personnel leaving the waiter walking with $120-170 in tips (all cash)

[Edgar]

I see the hip progressive city of Seattle just voted to increase the min wage to $15/hr to give employees the dignity of working for a living wage- meanwhile voters in municipalities in the great corporate state of Ok couldn't have the chance if they wanted to.

[SoonerDave]

One other trend...

Hal Smith and some others are starting to lose managers and other staff to their own start-ups.

This is the case at Broadway 10 and Sidecar and I know there are a bunch of other examples I can't think of right now.


Seems like there is a very strong trend towards younger people wanting to do it themselves as soon as they can. The advent of food trucks and various festivals allows for an intermediate step; same can be said of retail via pop-up shops. But it sure helps when you get experience from someplace like HSRG, A Good Egg, Interurban, Deep Fork, etc.

In fact, look at what is happening on 10th: McNellie's, Fassler Hall and Dust Bowl (Elliott Nelson), Ludivine's new concept (Stranger & Johnson), Bleu Garten (Hunter Wheat), Sara Kate Shoppe (Sara Kate Huff), Women's Clothing at 1100 N. Broadway (Ashley Liddell), Broadway 10 & Sidecar (Hal Smith managers). All of these people are in their 20's or early 30's.

Same can be said of many of the places in the Plaza.

Given that the historical failure rate of new restaurants is something, I think, well over 70% (More?), it does give a bit of concern over how many of these places can/will endure for the long haul. Great to have options, great that there are young entrepreneurs willing to take the risk, but seems like there's also a pretty high risk of a lot of empty storefronts in a year or so as these places shake out to the ugly realities of the food biz. Be interesting to see how it works out.

[Jeepnokc]

I see the hip progressive city of Seattle just voted to increase the min wage to $15/hr to give employees the dignity of working for a living wage- meanwhile voters in municipalities in the great corporate state of Ok couldn't have the chance if they wanted to.

Cost of living is higher in Seattle than here. If you make $3300 month in OKC, you would have to make $4838.94 month for the same level of living in Seattle,

Here are some more comparisons:


Indices Difference

Info

Consumer Prices in Seattle, WA are 28.67% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Seattle, WA are 46.63% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Rent Prices in Seattle, WA are 92.16% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Restaurant Prices in Seattle, WA are 40.33% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Groceries Prices in Seattle, WA are 23.70% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Local Purchasing Power in Seattle, WA is 1.72% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK

Source and more great info:

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oklahoma City, OK, United States And Seattle, WA, United States

[RadicalModerate]

The waitstaff will tip out a set percentage of total sales. It is 2-3.5% depending on location. This is split with the bartender, hostess, and busser. So if a waiter has $1000 in sales, he will make $150-200 in tips assuming he is getting 15-20% gratuity. If the tip out is 3%, he will tip out $30.00 of his tips to be split with the other service personnel leaving the waiter walking with $120-170 in tips (all cash)

Thank you for the clarification there. I guess I had it inside out or backwards or something.
(I guess that mainly it was centered on not understanding what "tip out" meant.)

I have a marginal interest in all of this sort of thing because I'm a hobby cook, a reader of "Kitchen Confidential" (Bourdain), and my coolest sister-in-law is an expert in the Hospitality/Restaurant/Service Industry. She's been at it long enough to be a "Trainer" at some "upscale" eating places in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. She showed me her "Menu/Specials of the Day" notebook once. It would be as hard to memorize all that as it would be to cook it. And it changes all the time. =)

[Edgar]

Cost of living is higher in Seattle than here. If you make $3300 month in OKC, you would have to make $4838.94 month for the same level of living in Seattle,

Here are some more comparisons:


Indices Difference

Info

Consumer Prices in Seattle, WA are 28.67% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Seattle, WA are 46.63% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Rent Prices in Seattle, WA are 92.16% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Restaurant Prices in Seattle, WA are 40.33% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Groceries Prices in Seattle, WA are 23.70% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK
Local Purchasing Power in Seattle, WA is 1.72% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK

Source and more great info:

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oklahoma City, OK, United States And Seattle, WA, United States

The ole cost of living cop out. where would the chamber be without it. Lots of wiggle room between $7.25 and $15.

[Jeepnokc]

The ole cost of living cop out. where would the chamber be without it. Lots of wiggle room between $7.25 and $15.

It is amazing how much facts don't matter to you. If you increase min. wage to 15 then unskilled labor costs more which means your big mac is going to cost more so the end result is still no net gain.

[traxx]

I see the hip progressive city of Seattle just voted to increase the min wage to $15/hr to give employees the dignity of working for a living wage- meanwhile voters in municipalities in the great corporate state of Ok couldn't have the chance if they wanted to.

Some jobs were never meant to be living wage jobs or careers. Such as fast food worker, convenience store employee, grocery store checker etc. For decades, these type of jobs were held by high schoolers. It was always meant to be supplemental income, not a career. Not every job can be a high paying or living wage job. This is not Lake Wobegon, not all pay can be above average. Econimics dictate that.

[Edgar]

The cost of living is low for the sacred job creators as well. That doesn't seem to factor in.

[Edgar]

Some jobs were never meant to be living wage jobs or careers. Such as fast food worker, convenience store employee, grocery store checker etc. For decades, these type of jobs were held by high schoolers. It was always meant to be supplemental income, not a career. Not every job can be a high paying or living wage job. This is not Lake Wobegon, not all pay can be above average. Econimics dictate that.

bs- the stateless international corproatists like McDonald could pay a living wage and chose not. souless greed

[Teo9969]

The waitstaff will tip out a set percentage of total sales. It is 2-3.5% depending on location. This is split with the bartender, hostess, and busser. So if a waiter has $1000 in sales, he will make $150-200 in tips assuming he is getting 15-20% gratuity. If the tip out is 3%, he will tip out $30.00 of his tips to be split with the other service personnel leaving the waiter walking with $120-170 in tips (all cash)

A lot of restaurants, especially local ones, are going to a tip-check model where all your credit card tips go on a check that you get every week. They take taxes out of those tip checks that they can't take out of your (nearly guaranteed) $0.00 pay check.

And as for what people make, it just really depends on so may factors, but I imagine KD's sits between places like Charleston's, Outback, Republic and the Prime Steakhouses, Coach House, etc.

Places that are more casual dining can be pretty rough at times, because they're a lot harder to manage the pacing on the floor. When I was at Outback in college, I had plenty of really bad nights and rarely any absolutely fantastic nights (which at Outback is like $150+). Once you get into the upscale dining, you start making pretty dang good money for what you're doing. I wonder about the money available at KD's because at Mahogany I rarely broke $200, which really shouldn't be very hard over there…but at Mahogany they also have the horrible partner-service model. Blech.

[traxx]

bs- the stateless international corproatists like McDonald could pay a living wage and chose not. souless greed

But it's a low skill job. If you start paying $15-20/hour for the low and no skill jobs then the people who are in the current $15-20/hour mid skill level jobs will demand that they be paid more for their skill levels than a McDonald's employee and it will continue to go up the chain. That is not economically viable. We're not talking about just McDonald's et al, we're talking about the whole interedependant economy as a whole. Nothing can happen in an economy without it affecting something else.

[Bellaboo]

The ole cost of living cop out. where would the chamber be without it. Lots of wiggle room between $7.25 and $15.

Edgar, Please remove those tarnished colored glasses now ! lol


I know, I know...... everyones against you.

[BrettM2]

bs- the stateless international corproatists like McDonald could pay a living wage and chose not. souless greed

Chamber junta! Chamber junta! CHAMBER JUNTA!!!!

[Edgar]

I see middle age men employed at my local Sonic. Dude rides a bike to work. You can't live proper on min working full time. That's not right in America. We sent all our good jobs overseas. people are having to work fast food, a paper route. You all are cool with subsidizing McDonalds' poverty wages? You know the food really sucks.

[Richard at Remax]

These are entry level minimum wage jobs. You aren't supposed to be a millionaire working there. They are short term jobs meant to give you work experience and a small paycheck. and more most inspires them to better themselves employment wise. if someone is 40 years old and is still working at those places, its on the person not the employer.

I am happy mcdonalds, and others, provide those type of jobs. I would rather them be a productive member in society rather than sitting at home collecting unemployment.

[Jeepnokc]

I see middle age men employed at my local Sonic. Dude rides a bike to work. You can't live proper on min working full time. That's not right in America. We sent all our good jobs overseas. people are having to work fast food, a paper route. You all are cool with subsidizing McDonalds' poverty wages? You know the food really sucks.

When I was in law school, there were late middle age men and women sitting next to me getting an education. If he is not happy working at Sonic and riding his bike...he can always take the initiative and enroll in vo-tech or college and get some more skills. Like my daddy would say...pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. No one owes a person a living. He is living with the choices he made over the years. My father was a 10th grade drop out. Realized when he and mom had a bay on the way that it wasn't going to cut it so went into the military and ended up with a degree and retired an officer. You live with the choices you make. There are a lot of very successful people that come from very bad/poor/abusive backgrounds that succeed through drive and determination.

[soonerguru]

While I agree with many of the arguments here in spirit, there's no reason why we shouldn't raise the minimum wage. I'm completely supportive of the proposal to raise it to 10.50.

[Teo9969]

While I agree with many of the arguments here in spirit, there's no reason why we shouldn't raise the minimum wage. I'm completely supportive of the proposal to raise it to 10.50.

All this talk is really tertiary to the original (ridiculous) point that was asserted by Edgar (and that he has yet to verify or even make a good case for), which is that somehow a restaurant group (HSRG presumably) threw a hissy fit and got an entire legislature to bend over backward to accommodate what was going on…

I think there's a lot of people on both sides who think raising the minimum-wage at least deserves to be looked at, especially in cities, and it's crap that the State passed the no-municipal minimum statute, but again tertiary to the discussion.

Anyway…Who can tell me about the wine list at KD's?

[Edgar]

Really no one had to throw a fit. The chamber people have a red phone to our lege. The bill written overnight and signed by fallin the next day, lickety split.

[BrettM2]

Really no one had to throw a fit. The chamber people have a red phone to our lege. The bill written overnight and signed by fallin the next day, lickety split.

I think you need to see someone about your delusions. It's just sad.

[kevinpate]

Edgar, while I am no fan of the current crop of Legizards, it's almost summer time. try a big soothing glass of sweet tea and take a break from the kool-aid for a few days.