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Should A Service Charge Be Included at Restaurants So That Servers Can Have Benefits?
Salaries are a great idea, health insurance is an even better idea, but I have two examples from my restaurant life to contribute.
First, in the area where I live (Charlottesville, Virginia), the best service is provided at restaurants that pool tips - it supports a team atmosphere and creates a consistently high level of service throughout the dining room - not just at certain tables.
Second, I just worked with a client to help him open his first restaurant. He tried to hire a GM and offered a salary, but the first GM candidate couldn't accept a "pay cut" to switch to salary. He's averaging over $700 a week (mostly from tips) and makes well over $40k a year. For our area, that is quite sufficient for a single person who doesn't have a mortgage (which he doesn't). In other popular fine dining restaurants in our town, servers are pulling down $600-$700/night in tips on Fridays/Saturdays and they are used to a high, cash-based lifestyle. Trying to get these folks to switch to a salary-based life without tips would require an enormous culture change, which I am not sure is possible.
For a start-up restaurant in particular, offering salaries and health insurance without tips would make recruiting extremely difficult, as well as financially challenging. Most folks are not inclined to change the status quo, especially when they're used to the big cash lifestyle.
2lbs of Lean ground beef and sick of burgers...
I made simple, homemade enchiladas the other evening - sauteed the ground beef with onions, cumin, garlic, chili powder, red chili flakes, a bit of salt, pinch of oregano. After draining, I rolled up 4-5 tblsps of beef mixture with grated cheese in flour tortillas, which I lined up in a baking dish atop tomato sauce with spices sprinkled on it. More tomato sauce with sprinkled spices and more cheese on top. GREAT! But the best part was that I had enough to make and then freeze another pan, ready-to-go! Just defrost before baking.
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I often get hams to cook instead of buying sliced from a deli. A great use for leftover ham pieces is in a breakfast casserole (that we also like for lunch!). My way uses up older/dry bread, too, as I make our own each week.
Chop bread into cubes/tear into bite-sized pieces. Chop ham and scatter amongst bread in a greased baking pan. Add diced onion, green pepper (small dice), garlic powder, dry mustard, tarragon or thyme. Beat some eggs, add milk/soy milk (not vanilla!), cracked black pepper - pour milk mixture over bread and ham. Let soak/stand for at least 45 minutes. Bake in 350 oven for about an hour, sprinkling cheese on top for last 20 minutes, if you like. EASY crowd-pleaser; also great at tailgates!