I hate to say it jonesq, but your examples are far from the norm. Just because the wait-staff in your restaurant made very good money, this is not indicative at all about the rest of the industry. Look at the demographic you were serving -- to quote, "...some tables TIP $250..." When was the last time you went to an IHOP, Applebee's, Chili's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, or any number of other common high-volume table-service restaurants, and saw someone spend $250 on a tip? Come to think of it, how many people do you know that would even tip $30-$50 on a meal at one of these places? And how many of these places do you think you'd encounter someone who'd been working there, AS A WAITER, for 10 years? Even 5 years?
Like I said before, when my friends and I went out for our prom dinner, the service was EXCELLENT, and the tips reflected this. I think we spent somewhere in the realm of $200 on the tip, NOT INCLUDING the billed gratuity. But to their credit, the restaurant we were at wasn't serving dinner for any less than $30 a plate, and there were 14 of us, with 2 waiters. This comes to a low average of $420 total. Then consider the 15% gratuity that goes to the wait-staff. This comes to $483. So the waiters that night each made at least $130, not including their base pay (which I know for a fact was definitely NOT below minimum wage).
Again, it's all about the demographic. I know a few waiters that make really good money at their jobs -- they are working at high-end restaurants with wealthy clientele. I know far more that make just enough to survive. I personally have a bartender friend who works for a country club back home, and can make between $5000 and $7000 a week, during a good summer week. I also know bartenders who make the equivalent of just above minimum wage, tips included, and they work far harder for their money than my friend. Demographic is king in the world of waiting.
