Server Shows How Much She Makes in Tips on a "Slow" Night, Sparking Pay Debate

A TikToker by the name of Jools (@joolieannie) posted a now viral TikTok showing what she makes in a single shift working at Texas Roadhouse. The server stated that she was fresh out of training and ended up only working three hours during a day with low customer traffic, but still managed to pull in a decent amount of money for the time she spent there.

Commenters had a variety of different responses, but many seemed to agree that, even though it was a relatively slow night, something that a fellow server in Jools' clip corroborates on camera, she managed to earn a decent amount of money in that time period.

Jools begins the clip by saying: "OK so I'm fresh out of training at Texas Roadhouse. I have a two-table section, so follow me along tonight and let's see how much money I make." The video then cuts to her on the restaurant floor where she speaks into the camera.

"I didn't record this part but my first table left me a $10 on 67 which, ehh. They were really nice though, so..." That comes out to about 14 percent.

The camera then transitions to another table that left her a $4.65 tip on a $23.24 order (which is 20 percent). "It's also just...kinda slow today," she says.

"Ooh, she sweaty," she says, introducing her next take from another group she just served. "OK, my next table...$53.66, $13.41 tip... mmm, not bad." (That's 24 percent.)

At this point in the video another server at the restaurant comes on camera. "It's so slow, it's so slow," the TikToker's co-worker says.

Then she updates her followers on another table she served, "OK my next table's bill was like $43 and they gave me $15 and she said I was fab." That tip is almost 35 percent, so they must have meant it!

She then cuts to the last table she served, as she speaks into the camera.

"My last table's tab was $47 and they left me $12 [25.5 percent], so after everything was said and done I ended up making $61 in like 3 hours. It was a super short shift. But with my hourly that's twenty five dollars an hour," she then puts up a double peace sign and poses for the camera.

Judging from her reaction at the end of the video and her intake on a slow day, if that same pace of customers came in and out of the restaurant, on a slow day she could expect to make around $200 for a full eight hour shift.

Other TikTokers who said that they also work as servers stated that her take-home on a "slow" shift was actually pretty good. Others said that weekends, while more hectic, almost always provide an opportunity for higher hourly payouts.

Others said they couldn't believe she had a "slow night" at Texas Roadhouse to begin with, as they've visited the restaurant several times and it's almost always packed.

There were some employees who said that while her payout was good, getting a schedule packed with enough hours to earn a livable wage is unfortunately very difficult. And then there were those who couldn't believe she only had a two-table section and said that getting large groups is where the real money's at.