how is it "hell" on servers? would the servers prefer you just stay home?

the entire idea is to drum up business on slow nights during slow weeks. tip as you would normally.

Poppy and Roux are pretty good - and these are good prices for them.

It's hell on servers because you get a lot of people eating out who don't normally eat out. They often require extra explanations of the menu and may not be as familiar with tipping etiquette.

Also, since the average bill per table is much lower; the average tip is lower. It also forces servers to try to burn and turn as many tables as possible.

I was at Tutta Bella last night and they're also charging $15 at dinner, which makes it a nice option. Salad + pizzetta with any toppings they offer + dessert. Yum.

Oh, or a calzone or lasagna I think.

@1: never worked in a restaurant on SRW, have you? it is total, absolute hell on front and back of house.. and, in most cases, the restaurants don't even make money off of it - especially the places where a head would usually be $50+. what's worse, in my opinion, is that you absolutely will not receive the same standard of food and service that the establishment would otherwise provide. it's simply not possible.



I loathe SRW. I think it's a joke, and I think it unnecessarily makes the already difficult job of working in a restaurant that much harder for very little, if any, gain. the only kind of cool thing about it is that an average joe can get their foot into a restaurant they'd otherwise be incapable of affording - but again, it's not going to be the same experience you'd normally receive from the joint.

@1: never worked in a restaurant on SRW, have you? it is total, absolute hell on front and back of house.. and, in most cases, the restaurants don't even make money off of it - especially the places where a head would usually be $50+. what's worse, in my opinion, is that you absolutely will not receive the same standard of food and service that the establishment would otherwise provide. it's simply not possible.

I loathe SRW. I think it's a joke, and I think it unnecessarily makes the already difficult job of working in a restaurant that much harder for very little, if any, gain. the only kind of cool thing about it is that an average joe can get their foot into a restaurant they'd otherwise be incapable of affording - but again, it's not going to be the same experience you'd normally receive from the joint.

@6, 7: I have not - my waiting days are long past, thank Christ. I also don't go to SRW that much. Maybe twice total in all these years.

I already tip adequately; I feel no compunction to overtip because work is hard work.

6/7 dear, I worked in restaurants and hotels from 1977 to 2005. I waited tables, bussed tables, washed dishes, tended bar, checked coats, worked the line, worked the grill, planned events, and worked as both a Maitre'd and Banquet Captain, in everything from a Howard Johnson's in Iowa City to the late Four Seasons Olympic (including a stint at the Seattle Westin when it was a nice hotel). Don't whine about how something like restaurant week is "hell", just accept it for what it is, or get out the business. I did, and look at me!

And for what it's worth, I go to the Georgian Room every time restaurant week rolls around. I get the same impeccable service and food that I received there when I had a house account to entertain meeting planners and socialites. Yes, there is a special menu, but the quality is still there.

Heaven forbid that restaurants sign on to a program that would lower the entry bar and make their establishment more welcoming to those on a budget. If the server with a $9.something an hour base rate can't lower themselves to welcome someone new to the establishment and perhaps accept a lower tip (with much higher turnover of the tables) for a week then I hope your manager encourages you to find work more suitable for someone with limited compassion for people who might consider the establishment their "high end" or may simply be exploring a new restaurant with a reduced financial "hit" if they don't like it.