This question has been bugging me for a while, so I’m wondering if any of you are / know waiters and waitresses that could answer this for me:
Which nets a server more money, a table ordering dessert (thus a higher tip), or not ordering dessert (thus quicker turnover)?
I’d say it depends on the type of restaurant.
In my waitressing years, I found finer dining establishments more likely to follow the percentage tipping guidelines. Diners and family type places I’d get the same tip from a table of regulars no matter what they ordered or how much it cost.
I’d say it’s still more money to not make dessert, if the waitstaff is doing the dessert-making. I can serve four tables food that the kitchen cooked in the time it takes me to make complicated desserts for one table of four.
As a former waiter who is now a restaurant manager I would say it depends on how many people order dessert and how expensive they are. Also, as Queen Tonya pointed out above the amount of time involved to get the dessert to the table would be important as well. In my experience, if it was a table of 4 and I could get 3-4 of them to order desserts and coffee it was worth it. If only one of them did then usually not.
As a manager of course, anything that makes my overall sales numbers higher and my cost percentages lower is better because the owner is happier.