So, you’ve planned your party, everything was awesome, and you want to tip your amazing staff. How do you figure out whom to tip, how much to tip, and when to tip? It can be a bit mind-boggling to figure out on your own, and it can be hard to get a straight answer from your vendors. But still, wouldn’t it be nice to get some direction from the experts? Yes! Here are a few helpful hints from us to make you a tipping pro.
1. Are You Sure You’re Not Already Paying a Tip?
Here’s where it’s important to read your contract and ask your Catering Representative questions. Some caterers will charge a “Gratuity” which is split between the servers present at your event. If your contract doesn’t have a line item for “Gratuity”, it probably is not already included. However, be sure to check with your caterer to make sure that the gratuity is not already included before deciding to tip your wait staff. Also, be sure that you know the difference between “production charge” and “gratuity.” Most caterers (including Main Course California) will charge a percentage fee called a “Production Charge,” “Production Fee,” or “Service Charge.” This is different from gratuity and is used to cover incidental costs associated with an event other than the direct food, beverage, labor, and rental/decor costs built into pricing. By law, no portion of this fee goes to your staff in the form of gratuity or tip, so plan accordingly.
2. Who do you Tip?
There are many catering team members who work diligently to create your amazing event. Some of these people you experience during your party – waiters, bartenders, and action station chefs. Some of these hard working staff you rarely or never see, such as kitchen chefs, scullery crew who clean the dishes, and set up crew members. Whether you see ’em or not, all of these team members will share in the gratuity you give.
3. How Much Should You Tip?
It really depends! Giving a tip is not required.We know, not the easiest answer, but it is the most accurate. But we’re here to be helpful, so let’s put a number on it.
Here are things you should ask yourself to come up with a dollar amount, as it is really up to your happiness and budget:
Did your event team do an outstanding job? Did they go out of their way to make your event amazing? Did they help you load your car or clean up after an especially messy or unruly guest? There is no one predetermined amount you “should” give. But typically, 12-15% of your Food, Beverage, and Labor charges is appropriate. If that is a bit too much math to do, another popular way to figure out a tip is to offer flat rates per staff member. Flat Rate Tips generally range between $150-200 each for the Event Captain and Executive Chef (if your party has these positions staffed). You can figure on about $50-75 per Bartender and about $40-50 per waiter, assistant chef, and scullery crew member. If you do want to tip, it’s important to plan ahead of time and check with your caterer to see how many staff are present for your event. Again, not everyone tips, and this is left up to your discretion and budget.
4. When do You Tip?
There are two basic ways to provide gratuity to your event team:
- You know for a fact that you absolutely want to tip your team, and you want to get all of your payments made ahead of time. Great! Include it in your final payment, which is often due 30-15 days prior to your event. Your Catering Representative will calculate your percentage or let you know how many staff will work your party and tell you how much to add to your final bill. It’s paid, and it’s done – nothing else to think about, and you can enjoy the party!
- You’d like to discuss gratuity with your Catering Representative once the party is over. This is a very popular choice, and it gives you time to reflect on the outstanding service your team gave you and your guests. After your event, your Catering Representative can talk with you about how much you’d like to give your team.
5. How do You Make Sure Your Team Gets Their Tip?
You can either write a check to Main Course California for the total or you can pay gratuities with cash. You can send your gratuity in the mail, bring it to our office and give it to your Catering Representative, or give it to us at your event. If you would like to pay your gratuity at the event, please give the check or a discrete envelope with cash to your Event Captain, as the rest of our staff is trained to not accept tips during the event.
Here is where we have to follow the labor laws and things get really legal. So, in our best “legal voice”:
Gratuities are considered payroll income. Whether you write a check payable to Main Course California or give your Event Captain a discrete envelope with the appropriate amount of cash, all gratuities are distributed to our event staff via their paychecks with appropriate taxes accounted for. This ensures that none of our staff has to deal with the IRS later on down the road and ensures that we are following the law. We like doing things the right way. After all, that is the reason why you chose us!
6. What about Tips at the Bar?
It seems that most people are accustomed to tipping bartenders. After all, that is how it works at night clubs and restaurants, right? Yes, but this is catering, and we do things differently. Many hosts don’t want their guests to feel obligated to tip. We feel a tip jar on the bar just isn’t classy, and we certainly don’t want the person making your amazing cocktail to have to take money and then squeeze that lime into your drink. Therefore, Main Course California does not allow tip jars at the bar, nor do we encourage our Bar Staff to accept tips at the bar. It keeps their hands clean, and your bar nice and neat. On rare occasion, a client may ask us to put a tip jar out for a certain themed event, like a Speak Easy or Vegas Party. But other than that, it’s only about the drinks at the bar!
Ok – so there you have it, your own Master’s Degree in Event Staff Tipping! We know that asking some of these questions can feel a little taboo, but someone’s gotta give you the lowdown, right?
We hope that you are now armed with the knowledge you need to say “Thank You!” the way you want to. And from all of us at Main Course California, we’d like to give you a warm “Thank You!” in return.