Service at Black Rock Cafe...

[EightFingers]

... Not the best. Very slow. Took a long time for the waitress to get our order, at least 20 minutes. There were only three other tables occupied at the restaurant so it wasn't that busy. The waitress showed more interest in setting up empty tables than getting our order. Food was pretty quick from the kitchen so that was fine. Food was hot too. Waitress never checked for water refills which were needed. Waitress didn't bring out the check when we were done, so we had to get someone at the register to get our check so we could leave.
Our takeaway: Food was good, the waitstaff needs some "educating".

[leilanidude]

You just summed up most places in Pahoa and Hilo.

[Punatic007]

Many of the waitstaff in Pahoa work for tips only or the owner takes the tips and divides them up with the kitchen too and that's everyones wages. One is restaurant owner in Pahoa is famous for keeping a big cut of the tips and not paying wages. Hard to get good help with the Pahoa restaurant policies.

State law allows the owner to take and redistribute the tips if he gives the server at nominal percentage, don't recall exactly how much at the moment but must also pay minimum wage. He/she then must report the tips and that is considered legal in Hawaii. Hence much of the waitstaff in the state are protected by the union which prohibits the owners from touching or demanding they tip out employees who do not partake in table service.

[EightFingers]

So, would you go (or not go) to a restaurant that does this?
Wonder what would happen if all restaurants had to publish their tip policy.

[TomK]

Interesting question.

Personally, I would not visit a restaurant if I knew management takes away the tips from servers for themselves. On the other hand, the chef and cooks are probably deserving of some tip money.

I would love restaurants to publish their tip philosophy on the menu. There are some restaurants on the mainland that are doing this; I've visited a few. Some say they've increased prices and no tip is necessary as the increase goes to all the severs and cooks so they have a living wage (you can still tip if you want). Some go halfway and add a small gratuity charge that again goes to staff and you tip the rest depending on the service and food.

[alaskyn66]

Kitchen service fees are becoming more commonplace.

http://khon2.com/2016/05/31/customers-di...rvice-fee/


..What would King Kamehameha do..

[Punatic007]

quote:

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Originally posted by EightFingers

So, would you go (or not go) to a restaurant that does this?
Wonder what would happen if all restaurants had to publish their tip policy.

---

I think this is a great idea, at least you know what type of service to expect before sitting down.

T.I.P. = To ensure Proper Service

It's about and for the employees who "serve the table" only according to most unions nationwide. We you start bending that rule it keeps bending, Chefs and kitchen help should be paid adequately, that burden is on the owner not the waitstaff unless you work in Pahoa.

[lavalava]

anyone have a list of area restaurants who pull this crap? I count on my tip going to my server and that everyone else is paid fairly!! no need to eat where people are being treated unfairly

[Punatic007]

The policies are terrible in Pahoa, one does it and the others follow suit, it's a long drive to Hilo or Kona for work and that reality is exploited. They are all guilty to some degree. It's been a few years, maybe 5, since I did my research so no guarantee but here goes:

Luquin's takes 50% of the tips to feed back to kitchen, but pays minimum wage to the servers. This has been their policy since inception.
Paolo has never paid wages and takes a cut for himself and the kitchen. That's why you see a high turnover of wait staff mostly inexperienced.
Kaleo's last I heard was no wage, tips only, 30% to other employees.
Nings takes all the tips and redistributes to all employees at will, and what the server gets is considered wages.
Black rock, don't know, but by the turnover and inexperience of waitstaff it's pretty obvious it's not a decent income.

This is seriously illegal business practices, amazing it has continued for decades. Things may be cleaning up by now, I don't know.

edit to add: I did my unofficial survey by interviewing employees, mostly people I knew. If anything I wrote is incorrect feel free to correct it.

[Obie]

On Sunday mornings at the Blackrock I have had the same waitresses for years so turnover doesn't seem to be much of a problem.
It is fairly common to have to go to register to get your check and pay.

There doesn't seem to be a huge turnover at Luquin's either.