Americans are eating out more as the economy recovers. When they receive good service, they may generously tip up to 20 percent. What they may not know is that a portion of the waiter’s tip may be going to a bartender or busboy they never saw.
There’s no way to know that the tip left for attentive service is going to be split three or more ways. Tip-pooling policies are usually unseen – not printed on the menu like a requisite tip for large parties often is.
It’s just part of the restaurant service economy, say servers and bartenders.
Tip income is rising as consumers spend more on restaurant meals post-recession. Sales are expected to reach a record $604 billion this year, up 3.6 percent over 2010, according to the National Restaurant Association. That’s after three years of decline.