WaitersWorld - Paul C. Paz

05/10/2026

Tablet Tableside Service Tech

Thoughts on the impact on Guests and Servers?

In my dining experience the past several years, too often the server is more focused on the handheld device rather than the Guests. It becomes 75% a transactional engagement, rather than a personalized hospitality experience.

This is especially important given the rise in pricing. If the meal is 25-50% more expensive than five years ago, consumers are expecting an equal elevation of the personalized dining experience.

There have been some staff who have become very efficient with the tableside technology. They have overcome the technical challenge and distraction and are able to deliver the, "old school", genuine hospitality. (For me it is odd to refer to hospitality as "old school". I don't recall diners expecting anything less before or now.)

There have always been servers whose primary interest is making as much money (gratuities) as fast and easy as possible with minimal delivery of full-service dining hospitality. This query is not direct to them.

Would be interested in your thoughts.

How long does it take for one to become proficient with tableside tech?

What recommendations might you have in how to train staff on tableside tech?

Pros of the tableside tech?

Cons of tableside tech?

Looking forward to useful and constructive critique of Tableside Tech.

https://www.newsweek.com/texas-roadhouse-ceo-servers-tablets-11932045
🍽️🍽️🍽️

“Handhelds may speed things up when placing and sending orders,” the popular restaurant's boss told a recent earnings call.

04/19/2026

Don't be that server.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/article-15735027/vegas-waitress-sneaky-tip-tactic.html
DAILY MAIL:

One of the biggest frustrations among consumers is businesses adding increasingly aggressive gratuity prompts or service fees to bills.

The tipping debate has taken another turn after a customer claimed they caught a Las Vegas waitress using a 'sneaky' tactic to secure a higher gratuity.

In a post shared online, the diner alleged that the server briefly took their card and pre-selected a 22 percent tip before handing the machine back for payment.

'Vegas restaurant - waitress took my card, entered "OK" for the amount, set the tip to 22 percent and handed it back to me for my PIN,' the customer wrote.

'Not a chance I'm falling for that.'

The diner said they ultimately left a smaller tip and raised the issue with management.

The tipping debate has taken another turn after a customer claimed they caught a Las Vegas waitress using a 'sneaky' tactic to secure a higher gratuity.

04/16/2026

See you there this coming Sunday-Monday?
Porland Expo Center - Portland, Oregon
I'm going on Sunday to check out the new food and beverage products coming out. Plus... the newest technology and equipment that's been developed for the hospitality industries (restaurants, lodging, travel, tourism & events)!

Best part... seeing old friends and making new ones!

If nothing else... be in my selfie 😎😉😊

WaitersWorld - Paul C. Paz

NOTE: Industry event. Not open to the general public. Preregister here:

04/11/2026

Phone-free bars and restaurants on the rise across the US

Axios reports that “at least” 11 U.S. states have individual restaurants or bars with some form of phone restriction or digital detox incentive. For example, at Washington, D.C.’s first official phone-free bar, Hush Harbor (pictured), phones are turned in at the entrance to give guests “a space to be present.” There are even two Chick-fil-A locations (in Maryland and Georgia) offering free ice cream to families who keep their phones out of sight at the table.
​
But the perks go far beyond free treats. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, recently told NPR that phone-free spaces remove the ability for people to “escape” into digital worlds, which paves the way for socialization. “This is exactly what people are yearning for,” she said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/phone-free-bars-and-restaurants-on-the-rise-across-the-us/ar-AA20bEcm?ck_subscriber_id=3514638214&utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Going%20up,%20up,%20up%20the%20longest%20outdoor%20escalator%20-%2021325725 👍👍👍

Phone-free bars and restaurants are emerging across the U.S. as people seek to disconnect from screens and devices. The big picture: This trend is emerging amid a societal shift, with several countries imposing social media bans for children and teens, some U.S. states prohibiting phone use at schoo...

04/04/2026

Restaurant Employee Demographics
Data Brief – March 2026
The restaurant and foodservice industry is the nation’s second largest private sector employer, providing
15.7 million jobs – or 10% of the total U.S. workforce. This includes 12.5 million jobs at eating and drinking
places, plus an estimated 3.2 million foodservice jobs in other sectors such as healthcare,
accommodations, education, food-and-beverage stores, and arts, entertainment and recreation.
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, this National Restaurant
Association Data Brief contains an overview of restaurant employee demographics in 2024.

https://restaurant.org/getmedia/e4cac6f8-dfa6-43c3-97a3-3d6fba13ef0f/NRA-Data-Brief-Restaurant-Employee-Demographics-March-2026.pdf?mkt_tok=MDc4LVpMQS00NjEAAAGg8qFHt0FRKvdISnaFvnNBUoQoSglRgo_QWzUtEl8b_pIEGyDgPXXeo6fs_2rMiXndRWKDV8nGKvI-cPRWMiuGlgHnNSgjt2TBWWJO4eZ8IEQz

03/27/2026

What would you do?
https://brobible.com/culture/article/server-confronts-florida-man-40-dollar-tip/
A Florida man added a $40 tip to his $500 dinner bill and expected the server to appreciate the gesture. However, he was surprised by her reaction and asked to speak to the manager after the awkward interaction.

TikToker sits in his car and shakes his head, recounting the tip disagreement. In on-screen text, he explains that he went out to eat with a group of friends and racked up a $500 bill.

“We tipped $40. We were happy we can be able to give our server something, but her reaction was the opposite,” he wrote.

He claims the server said she was expecting $120, 24% of the total bill. So, he asked to speak to the manager.

“When we asked for the manager, she said she was just joking, but she wasn’t smiling at all,” he continues. He asks commenters to weigh in on whether the original $40 tip was enough.

Was The $40 Tip Enough?

A Florida man added a $40 tip to his $500 dinner bill and expected the server to appreciate the gesture. However, he was surprised by her reaction and

03/25/2026

Thoughts?
I know day servers that do very well on the breakfast to lunch shifts.
What's your optimum work schedule?
The Tip Gap Is Real
https://brobible.com/culture/article/ohio-texas-roadhouse-vs-fine-dining/ 💲💲💲
Several factors shape what a server actually takes home beyond just the restaurant type:

Location: A server in a high-traffic city market will almost always out-earn one in a smaller market, simply due to higher check averages and greater volume.

Shift timing: Weekend evenings are typically the best times to turn over tables, which means more tips per hour.

Experience and reliability: Servers who show up consistently, perform well, and build rapport with management are more likely to land the better shifts and eventually negotiate a higher base hourly wage.

Tip-sharing policies: Many restaurants require servers to tip out a percentage to bussers, runners, bartenders, and hosts, which can meaningfully reduce what actually lands in a server’s pocket at the end of the night.

Working in the service industry means your paycheck is only as good as your tables, and not all tables are created equal. One Ohio server's move from a

03/20/2026

Rogue Robot rages in restaurant!!! Can't wait for the movie 🍽️🍽️🍽️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfnIEWpbMU8 😲😎😂

Video shows restaurant employees struggling to restrain a dancing robot that went rogue in a hot pot restaurant in California. NBC News' Jesse Kirsch reports...

03/17/2026

A panel of industry veterans gathered to tackle one of the most persistent challenges facing on-premise beverage programs today: How do you get guests excited about wine when your own staff isn't?

The Staff Are Your First Storytellers
The panel's central idea was simple but powerful: enthusiasm is contagious. When a server speaks confidently and genuinely about a wine, guests respond — with trust, curiosity, and higher check averages. The problem is that too many operations treat wine as an afterthought, leaving staff undertrained, intimidated, and unable to sell what they can't describe.

https://www.barandrestaurant.com/chains/vibe-conference-recap-reviving-wine-culture?utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl&utm_campaign=BR-NL-CRAVE&oly_enc_id=8575H1192545D1C 🍷🍷🍷

Vibe Conference's breakout session, “Reviving Wine Culture: How Staff Buy-In C | A panel of industry veterans gathered to tackle one of the most persistent challenges facing on-premise beverage programs today: How do you get guests excited about wine when your own staff isn't?

03/17/2026

“Seven seconds before they ask!”
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DV17ts9kX4k/?igsh=MXgzcWh0NnUweG1hOA==