TIP FREE / EQUITY SHARE RESTAURANT

If you think about it, the idea that our guests should be responsible for independently paying some of our crew members (but not others), not too mention that they should determine the amount those employees should be paid is rather ridiculous.  

We are providing you a service, and you are paying for that service.  We will charge you a fair price for that service, and pay our staff a fair wage for their contribution in making sure your dining experience is top notch.  

There is no longer a need for you to take on the burden of augmenting that pay. The entire cost of our crew's labor is now transparently built in to our prices

The reality is, it cost significantly more to service a guest in our dining room than it does to provide food for carryout.  In large part, this is what led to the rise of the tipped model that is the current normal in American restaurants.  That tipped model covers the cost of a server by requiring the guest to pay their wages directly.  

Unfortunately, the cost of a server isn't the only added expense required for a full service restaurant.  There are hosts, and bussers, food runners, and dish washers that are all needed.  There is also additional non-labor costs such as the cost of dishes and small-wares, the cost of equipment and chemicals to clean those dishes, the cost required to provide, furnish, and maintain a dining room just to name a few.

This is why it costs more to dine in at our restaurant than it does to order to-go.  We have  made sure that our dine-in prices are still less than you would have paid previously if you combined an average tip to a traditional menu price.

Under our equity share model-

• Every pay period a set percentage of dine-in sales, and smaller set percentage of carryout sales is dedicated directly to payroll.  
• All crew members will be paid a base hourly wage, plus an additional share of the equity pool. 
• The equity pool will be divided amongst the crew based on two factors- The number of hours the crew member worked during that period and the crew member's contribution to the success of the restaurant quantified as an equity score which is voted on periodically by the crew, management, and ownership.

It is our intention to create a system of compensating our crew that does the following

• Eliminates the discrepancy between dining room and kitchen employees' compensation
• Allows our crew to share in the success of our business by increasing their pay directly with increases in sales
• Rewards individuals based on effort, knowledge, and skills
• Offers crew members the capacity for advancement, both in position and compensation
• Creates an environment where it is possible to make food service work a viable and respected career for those who choose to apply themselves and treat their work as a craft to be learned and honed.