Pros and Cons of Being a Restaurant Server

Working for tips can be a great way to make a lot of money in one night, but it’s not a stable form of income. Most people in the restaurant industry work for tips and some even choose the lifestyle as their careers. There are plenty of pros and some obvious cons, so if you’re considering hopping into a restaurant as a server, there are a few things you should know.

Pros

First and foremost, if the restaurant serves alcohol both you and the establishment will need a TABC license. This is great because you can use this license to work in other restaurants, bars, or catering companies as well. Working as a server is also a great way to get your foot in the door of the hospitality industry and get used to working with people as your career.

Making a living on tips can be an easy way to rack up lots of money without losing a chunk of it to taxes. It’s also great for people who are in college or don’t plan to attend because there’s no education requirement. And if you like to stay in constant motion, the hustle and bustle of taking care of multiple tables will suit you perfectly.

Cons

The most obvious con to this work is having to deal with difficult customers. Some people might be rude, mean, or not leave you a tip at all. You have to always be pleasant and accomodating no matter how a guest is treating you, which can be difficult for some personality types.

There’s also the flipside of the coin when it comes to tipping. Some tables might leave you big tips and others might leave the minimum if anything at all. This can turn an expectedly large tip from a big table into just a few pennies on the dollar no matter how hard you worked for them.