‘This is depressing’: Red Lobster server shares how much she makes on a Friday night

A Red Lobster server tallied up her total cash out after a six-hour Friday night shift and recorded the process, along with how much she earned in tips, in a TikTok video.

Jasmine Anderson (@jasminepaints79) says that she earned $209 for six hours of work at the popular restaurant chain, which totals to about $34.83 per hour. However, there were a number of customers who either left zero tips on a sizable bill or barely 10% when factoring in gratuities for their meals.

Anderson's final payout sparked a debate in the comments section with some TikTokers stating that they, too, work as servers and received more money during similar shifts. Others said they thought the amount she earned wasn't bad.

@jasminepaints79 Friday night at redlobster tip count #server #serverlife #servertiktok ♬ original sound - Jasmine Anderson

Anderson says she had around 20 tables and the sales were over $1,500. She then individually lists out how much each table paid her, including tips, and then counts how much she 'owes' the restaurant since some customers paid their checks in cash.

After counting everything, the TikToker reveals what her total payout for the night was, saying, "All righty after counting all of that I ended the night with $209. Which I can't complain for six hours."

Typically, weekends are the busiest times for restaurants, especially Friday and Saturday night dinner services. This means that full-time servers more often than not make the bulk of their take-home in gratuities during these shifts, which could be why so many viewers weren't thrilled with the amount of cash Anderson brought home for the evening.

One commenter wrote, "Wow, I thought I got tipped bad at my job….this is depressing." Another TikToker said, "Out of curiosity which state are you in? Because that’s not good for $1500."

Someone else said that seeing Anderson's video made them feel better about no longer working as a server, writing, "All these videos do is confirm my choice to quit serving when I did."

However, others believed that the amount she raked in wasn't bad at all, with one user sharing, "no because i feel like tonight was a good night??? like i went to my work at 4:30 as well, and left with just under $200."

Some TikTokers expressed their shock at some of the customers not tipping 20%.

"I always tip 20% unless the server is like very noticeably rude how is that so common for it to be that low," a user wrote.

Anderson responded to the Daily Dot's request for comment, stating that she earned more than her average Friday night. The server added that while she never expects large gratuities from customers, she's otherwise appreciative of them regardless.

"From my experience, Friday nights I usually average $170. I do understand the comment section being split because on one hand I could have made 300$ but on another hand, I averaged 30$ an hour and I can not complain about that," she said via email. "People say that I average 15% but they do not take into account that I have to tip out (give the store a percentage of my total sales no matter if the table tipped me or not) almost 3%."

Anderson explained that before the tip out, she technically made "almost 18% for [her] services."

"I usually don’t get tipped on a table about twice in a weekend it is not common but it does happen," she said. "And lastly, there are tables that are very generous, but I never expect a big tip so it is always a pleasant surprise that I am appreciated."

The Daily Dot has reached out to Red Lobster via email for further comment.

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