So I’m a server at this local restaurant in my area. It’s owned by this family that has a few businesses, but their main focus is the church that they run. I haven’t been, but I do know the 4 owners always wear luxury brand clothing, as well as driving very nice cars, jewelry, etc.
The restaurant is in a rough neighborhood, we get a lot of good customers, but a couple of times a week we have homeless people ask for water or ice. Technically it’s not allowed to give them water, but I always do. I’ll usually say “you know I can’t give you this. Next time I need you to pay, ok?” And then just give them their water. It isn’t my ideal situation, I would prefer just getting it without giving them a hard time, but I’m not in charge or anything and I don’t want the other people on shift to be able to say anything about me doing it.
Anyway, we just got this new manager (who was hired as a server and then went up to manager without the bosses telling us…) who now refuses to give any water out and will chastise you / tell the owners if you give out water.
On top of that, it’s literally $0.70 for the cup, lid, straw and water they drink when they do ask for waters. So really not much when you think about the fact that the owner has a Mercedes.
This homeless girl walked in today and this new manager gives her an ugly look and says “we don’t give out free water.” But I went to take her order and see if she actually wanted anything. She really wanted something worth like 15$ but ended up deciding on fries, which are $5. (I’m not in the place to be able to help her pay for anything rn sadly because I’m in college or else I would) Anyway, she paid and then tipped me a couple dollars on top of that.
It’s just crazy that when we have literal homeless people they can tip and be kind, but when we have people that make money they refuse to tip. As if I don’t make 7$ hourly…
And also, I just don’t get why you can’t give out a COUPLE of water bottles a day. It’s so hard to see people being selfish over the things they have when there are people starving right outside of their establishment.
Anyway, I just really want to work for someone that has my same values, and I thought I found that in a small business, but it’s just even harder to watch sometimes.
Also, unrelatedly to the water situations, whenever the servers get bad tips (aka we’re slow and only got a few tables that day) the owner says “wow y’all really need to work on your tips.” LIKE I know we need more money, but I’m doing the best with what I have, and maybe if your business was more successful I could actually make tips.
Tl;dr: small business aren’t much better than some of the big ones out there.