Waitress Who Posted No-Tip Receipt From “Pastor” Customer Fired From Job

[Courtesy Flush]

http://consumerist.com/2013/01/31/waitress-who-posted-no-tip-receipt-from-pastor-customer-fired-from-job/

Earlier this week, we posted a story about a restaurant customer who not only chose to deny the waitress a tip, but also wrote “I Give God 10% Why do you Get 18?” on the receipt. Now we’ve learned that the server who posted the receipt online has been fired.
“I originally posted the note as a lighthearted joke,” says Chelsea, who was dismissed from her job at Applebee’s on Wednesday, as the story began to spread across the Internet. “I thought the note was insulting, but it was also comical. I posted it to Reddit because I thought other users would find it entertaining.”

[hlthe2b]

1. Hmm... perhaps the pastor needs to be fired by his "BOSS".....

[marsis]

84. Well, I doubt Jesus really needs the money, she probably does.

[Mnpaul]

279. I think that several people should visit his church

From the Five Man Electrical Band:

And the sign said, "Everybody welcome. Come in, kneel down and pray"
But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all, I didn't have a penny to pay So I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign I said, "Thank you, Lord, for thinkin' 'bout me. I'm alive and doin' fine."

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Sign
Sign, sign

[NYC_SKP]

2. Boycott Applebee's! I hope she gets a far far better job.

This week!

[The Second Stone]

53. Wish I could boycott Applebee's. There is one a mile from my

house that my elderly parents used to like until I pointed out how crappy the food was. They both agreed and we go other places now. So I can't boycott a place that I refuse to patronize due to lousy product. And let me tell you, if my parents, who love TV dinners, think the food is bad, it's bad.

[marybourg]

76. Maybe they love tv dinners because your mother

is no longer up to the meal planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning up that she probably did for many years.

[Kolesar]

213. For me, it's the sodium

that keeps me loving prepared food.
You have a point, to be sure!

[Ian David]

87. We COULD call-in take-out orders to the restaurant that fired her.

I believe my friend Biggus Dickus is in the mood for several orders of riblets.

[GarColga]

196. .

I'll let my friend Dick Stubig know about this!

[Ian David]

224. Don't forget Mike Litoris. He owns a home nearby.

[SWTORFanatic]

293. He named his son Mike as well - but he changed his last name to Hawk

[Wednesdays]

275. Tell them to find Mike Hunt while you're at it.

[HiPointDem]

287. and Jack Mehoff. (I personally got caught by that one as a teenager working fast food).

[SWTORFanatic]

294. My friend Haywood Jablome is in town and loves Applebees

[Kolesar]

212. that's petty bourgeoisie...eom

[formercia]

244. For those not aquainted with your friend......

[ROBROX]

175. BOYCOTT THE DAMN PLACE

I always tip since I know those who serve require tips to live.

The jerk who wrote the 10% thing is EVIL since Jesus always HELPED those less blessed. I hate the fat cat preachers who dress in suits and drive big cars. Those people serve SATAN and they will roast in hell.......

[demwing]

177. It really was an egotistical comment

He thinks he's better than thou.

[Beartracks]

261. Boycott Applebee's? Heck, boycott that pastor's CHURCH!

This un-Jesus-like fellow should not be preaching to ANYbody.

--

On edit: Okay, now that I've read the Consumerist article...

1) The pastor was apparently not a "fellow" and

2) The pastor DID leave a $6 cash tip. Her note apparently was in offense to being auto-tipped 18%.

===============

[sendero]

283. She says...

... she left a $6 cash tip, we don't know if she did at all or if she did if it was for her bill or the whole table. I have a hard time believing a small person like this would leave a $6 tip on such a check.

[Beartracks]

310. Wait... $6 is still a 17.2% tip.

She saved about 28 cents by paying $6.



===================

[Arctic Dave]

3. Applebee's is disgusting.

Their food and their company.

I hope this young, hardworking lady finds work someplace better.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

42. You know, when I see a post like this one,

I wonder exactly what it is the poster considers not disgusting.

I guess some of us who happen to like Applebee's are just not sophisticated enough to appreciate fine dining.

[IveWornAHundredPants]

54. Well, it is empirically gross.

But you'd be mistaken in believing that everyone who thinks so is some kind of toffee-nosed foodie who holds you in contempt. It's not a personal thing.

[klook]

73. "Eat This, Not That" gives Applebee's an F.

I haven't eaten at an Applebee's in years, but according to this source, other than the Weight Watchers items, their menu is appallingly unhealthy.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

88. Ok, let's come at it from a different angle.

When I go to Applebee's I order a 7oz ribeye with steamed veggies and a baked potato. I find it of satisfactory quality.

Where, exactly, are the best places to dine in a price range that is reasonable for those of us who can't dine at a premium restaurant or who are not sophisticated enough to know what we're doing when it comes to choosing our culinary fare?

[IveWornAHundredPants]

93. You still seem to be coming at it from the "taking it personally" angle.

But your question is pretty impossible to answer, not knowing where you live. I am guessing your region might have a non-chain restaurant that sources its ingredients a little more locally than a big chain, and puts more into preparing its meals than simply adding water and heat.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

94. There are places like that around here. However, to dine there

would require more money, sometimes by a long shot.

And I'm not taking it personally. But when I see someone say that the food is "gross", I have to know from them what they consider not gross. That question has yet to be answered besides your non-chain suggestion.

[IveWornAHundredPants]

109. Here's a quote from the NYTimes review

of Tracie McMillan's book "The American Way of Eating." The author worked at an Applebee's for a year.

"At Applebee’s, almost no actual cooking is done: premade food in plastic baggies is heated in microwaves and dumped onto plates. Ms. McMillan deplores this practice while also finding it fascinating. “I watch an endless assembly line,” she writes, “a large-scale mash-up that hits the sweet spot between McDonald’s and Sandra Lee’s ‘Semi-Homemade Cooking.’ ”

Sounds pretty gross to me. And I don't quite buy that the price difference is all that great between Applebee's and a "real" restaurant. It certainly is not around here.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

117. The frozen veggies I get a HEB are in plastic bags to. And after I portion

the meats, they are also in plastic bags. Oh well, I guess I'm just not keen on what is isn't gross. I guess I should feel good that Applebee's is an occasional outing and not a habit.

My whole point was not to defend Applebee's but to respond to the condescending attitude of those who are grossed out by them and to ask where I should be eating instead.

Welcome to DU, IWAHP.

[IveWornAHundredPants]

129. Well, I certainly don't mean to be condescending.

I just think it's important to push back against, or at least think hard about, the deliberate mediocrity that surrounds us and tries to infect our lives.

And thanks for the welcome - I've actually been here since 2004, under a different name.

[nadinbrzezinski]

148. Read "The End of Overeating"

By Kessler.

It s not Applebies, it is the industry.

Prepare to have an epiphany as to what ails us as a culture and a strong reason for our obesity crisis.

To sum one of the thesis, foods are designed by the industry not to be filling, or nutritious, but to be addictive in very large portions. What you described probably hovers around 1500 calories.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

151. They claim it's 550 calories for what I order...

Now, that might be without the baked potato (I don't remember, been a few months since my last visit) but even with the potato shouldn't boost it that high.

[nadinbrzezinski]

153. Depends on what you put on it

But a male average should be 1800/ 2000 calories a day, a female 1500.

Partly thanks to restaurants, Americans tend to have a skewed view of a normal portion.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

157. I completely agree that a person should not consume an entire

day's worth of calories in one meal if they are fortunate enough to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For those who are unfortunate enough to not know where their next meal is coming from, I make an exception.

[nadinbrzezinski]

306. Are you in that category?

I am sure not.

[HiPointDem]

285. in what universe? 1800 kcal for a man? 1500 for a woman? nah.

[kentauros]

202. I'm guessing you're still in the DFW area, from your profile.

If so, use the restaurant search on the Dallas Observer page. As they're published by the Village Voice (I think they still are) then the results of your search should give you some of the better places to dine. You can narrow your search not only by cuisine, but also by cost

http://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/search/

[mitchtv]

205. when I lived in Sonoma(which is ritzy) we had to drive

to Petaluma 20 mi, to find a chain/or medium priced restaurant. The Apple bees there was quite decent and we went there when we wanted a decent hamburger. We moved to Cathedral City in Socal, and the food was gross, we thought they were giving us leftovers. Never been back, so you can never be sure on a chain, to my experience.although Olive Garden may be an exception, one visit scared me off for good.

[Capt. Obvious]

124. "7oz ribeye with steamed veggies and a baked potato"

"Where, exactly, are the best places to dine in a price range that is reasonable for those of us who can't dine at a premium restaurant or who are not sophisticated enough to know what we're doing when it comes to choosing our culinary fare?"

It's a charming little place called Your Kitchen.

[MADem]

137. Some of the best meals I've had -- ever -- were at little truck stops and diners and

little joints that are family-run. That goes for here in USA and all over the world.

The "corporate logo" gives you one thing--consistency.

I don't think the choice is between corporate crap and slaving away in the kitchen. People go out to eat because they want a break from the usual. Thing is, people don't have land lines anymore, so they don't get real Yellow Pages (as opposed to those bullshit ones full of ads). If you go to the Yellow Pages, under "Restaurants," you'd be astounded at how my neighborhood joints there are where you can grab a bite--even in rural areas.

[Capt. Obvious]

156. It's typically not slaving in the kitchen

Hosting Thanksgiving was slaving - the rest of the time it's cooking and usually enjoyable, and much much cheaper.

I know what you mean about the Yellow Pages. I heard that if you can get your AOL dial up to stay connected for more than a few minutes there are some maps out there that will show you all the local Mom and Pop restaurants right there in your neighborhood. I think one of the more popular ones is Giggle or Gaggle or some such thing. Bang or Bong might be another one.

[MADem]

176. Your sarcasm tag notwithstanding, a lot of these Mom and Pop places aren't on the internet.

That's the point I was trying to make that wooshed right over your apparently satisfied head.

They have no "online presence"--they have a phone on the wall. They put an ad in the Yellow Pages, or sometimes just a one-line listing. They don't get Yelped or Pinterested or what-have-you, because most of their customers aren't glued to their "devices" pretending that they're cooler for so doing.

But hey, you go on, now, and be that way. Obvious is your name, and Obvious is your game, I guess. Loved the "AOL ageist" snark--such amazing internet cleverness in the middle of the afternoon!

[Capt. Obvious]

180. There's a mom and pop 1 block from my work

that's not on the internet. Really small and old school place. I worked here for a while before even finding out about the place.

One day I wanted to find a new place for lunch. The google told me about it. It was right there on their map.

So right over your head too.

And LOL at your "ageist" claim. Go enjoy the rest of your middle of your afternoon on your fainting couch. I'll hold your monacle for you.

[MADem]

183. Listen to you!

You found one place on Google, ergo EVERY PLACE must be on Google!

Your logic skills keep pace with your reading ability, I see!

[glowing]

278. Not to be rude and jump in, but Yellow Book and a few other "Yellow Pages" types

of directories are on the internet. It will pull up the same things listed under the same headings as if it were a bound book. If you ever really require the book in hand, stop at a hotel and see if you can't grab a spare (we normally have serveral sitting behind the FD and a pallet of spares somewhere in housekeeping).

[pamela]

296. Try "Roadfood"

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/SearchResults.aspx?st=latlong&latlongid=63&ob=LatLon

I'm not being sarcastic. I use both the book and the web site to find good restaurants all over the country. They specialize in "Mom and Pop" type eateries that make food from scratch at very affordable prices. I've eaten in Roadfood suggested restaurants from coast-to-coast and never had a bad, or even a mediocre, meal.

[MADem]

297. I'd rather ask the geezers at the feed store! But I'll hang on to that link! nt

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

223. I don't eat at corporate restaurants at all.

There's plenty of real ones here on the lonely southern Oregon coast.

I would think that most on DU, being above normal intelligence, would do the same.

[MADem]

254. I only do it when it is just easier than arguing.

I have family members who love the disgustingly delicious fried greasiness of those Bloomin' Onions at the Outback, so I wind up there once a year at least, sometimes twice. Those things are really disgusting, it's a foregone conclusion that they're horrible for one's health, but they also taste good. Pure guilt--pure "Don't Eat That Shit--MMMMMMMM!" guilt!

For the most part, though, I agree with your POV--I like the little hole in the wall joints, the diners, the pubby places with a good suppertime meal, small restaurants where the food is made after you ask for it...and I'm a total sucker for anything that's Greco-Turkish-Arabic, southwest Asian, Middle Eastern, or Chinese/Japanese/Thai/Vietnamese. European food, they gotta have a heckuva menu to get me in the door; but I can be persuaded..!

[MADem]

126. If most people ordered what you ordered, there'd only be one item on the menu.

Start looking around for local, independent restaurants that aren't part of a chain. Give the money back to your community, not a corporation that heats up pre-cooked frozen food in flash convection ovens.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

145. Thanks for your suggestion, MADem. I would not miss

eating at Applebee's if I never went there again. It was not my intention to defend them but to understand that if their food is "gross", then what isn't gross? You can bet that any chain we go to is going to have some degree of pre-packaged fare. It only makes sense from a business/volume standpoint. Applebee's is basically a sports bar. Those of us who go there occasionally know what to expect and shouldn't be looked down upon for taking in a game and having a beer and a meal.

I much prefer to prepare my own food and I do seek out independently-owned restaurants. I was just curious what was suitable fare from someone who feels Applebee's food is "gross". Gross is a strong word that has a strong meaning. I can't remember ever leaving a chain restaurant thinking that the food was "gross". I've not always been impressed but I can't recall having been grossed out.

[JustAnotherGen]

150. I live in NJ

We are the land of the diner! It would never occur to us to go to a 'chain' when we have 5 diners within two miles. 3 ALWAYS have MSNBC on the TV --so we can get better food, for less, where it is actually cooked - at our diners. And if we sit at the counter during six o'clock Reverend Al serenades us with good vibes, good stories, and lots of humor!

[a la izquierda]

284. I grew up there and didn't go to a chain until I moved out of state.

So many locally owned places in NJ.

[MADem]

161. When you go to Applebee's an order that steak and veggies, the steak is pre-cooked and frozen, and

the veggies are frozen and microwaved for your dining pleasure. You could get the same dining experience by grabbing a Hungry Man dinner out of the grocer's freezer, cooking it up in your home microwave, popping the top on that beer from your fridge, and plunking yourself down in front of your tee vee to watch that big game. The money you save could buy a good chunk of a tank of gas, to say nothing of the cash you'd save by not driving to the Applebee's (and worrying about a DUI on the way home) in the first place.

I've eaten the occasional frozen dinner--I'm no food snob. Sometimes, time is short. I get that. Pull into a one horse town at midnight, and all that's available is the convenience store w/limited choices on the corner, and that microwave in your hotel room. That Hungry Man looks good in that situation. I really don't want to pay twenty bucks or more for a meal that is less than ten at home--particularly if the quality is low.

I travel to "economically depressed" areas of the country on occasion, and I have always been able to find me a good, home cooked meal in a family joint just by doing a little looking around and asking. And if I have a choice, I'd rather go to a local joint than a chain.

I didn't characterize the food as "gross," FWIW. That was someone else, apparently. I do think the place sucks (as I noted upthread). If you want me to characterize the food specifically, I'd call it salty-sugary-lousy--it's fast frozen food on real plates.

[obamanut2012]

187. And, with the "taste" actually added

Two good books to read that show how they do this, both by scientist and ex-FDA Director David Kessler:

Your Food Is Fooling You: How Your Brain Is Hijacked by Sugar, Fat, and Salt (2012) ISBN 9781596438316 (A version of The End of Overeating aimed at teens)

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite (2009) ISBN 1-60529-785-2

I very, very rarely eat at chains. Subway and Panera very occasionally.

[Arkana]

154. *GASP* You mean you don't eat foie gras and Beluga caviar with a '55 Bollinger

every night?

[ChisolmTrailDem]

159. I'm afraid not. I just consume whatever gross stuff I can

find lying around.

[Arkana]

167. I hear that.

Just the other day I found a perfectly good possum in the middle of the road. Only two tire tread marks!

I ate like a king that night!

[klook]

182. Fair enough.

Like many restaurants, the bulk (if you'll pardon the expression) of Applebee's business is in fattening, blood-pressure-raising, and artery-clogging foods.

You've found some of the healthier choices on their menu. So, cool -- enjoy.

[fasttense]

233. The absolute worse meal I have ever had in my entire life was at an Applebees

You are lucky your vegetables came out cooked and that your steak was NOT raw.

I understand not cooking well, but the food I have eaten at Applebees was NOT even cooked. When I went to spear my broccoli with my fork it jumped off my plate. When I went to cut my fish it was still frozen in the middle. You take your life in your hands when you eat at Applebees.

It is the most disgusting restaurant I have ever had the misfortune of visiting.

I would make the recommendation of Fatz or Ruby Tuesdays even McDonald has better food.

[donheld]

274. From Denver to Greece Fuck the Food Police.

[klook]

289. Fuck the Promoters of Grease As Food.

[Ian David]

89. If you always get diarrhea before your check arrives, it's probably a gross restaurant. n/t

[ChisolmTrailDem]

92. First of all...

Ew, gross!

And second, Applebee's food never gave me diarrhea.

I'm not an Applebee's booster at all. I just didn't know I was wrong for going there. If their food is bad, then so is the food at all chains. Chili's? TGIF Friday's? Bennigan's? Olive Garden?

Oh shit, I mentioned Olive Garden on DU!

[Lochloosa]

95. I'm sorry ChisolmTrailDem, but I had to alert

for the O word reference.....

[ChisolmTrailDem]

97. Hi Lochloosa! A little levity is a good thing =O)

[Celebration]

141. I prefer small locally owned ethnic restaurants

If I want to go cheap and not healthy, give me a locally owned Mexican food restaurant any day over the vanilla meals you get at those places.

[Arkana]

168. Chili's burgers are OK, I rarely go to TGI Friday's,

never been to a Bennigan's (don't think they have 'em up here), but I had a bad experience at an Olive Garden once and never went back.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

172. My mom was a hostess at OG for 14 years and I

didn't go often but never had a bad experience there. But I'm like you, if I have a bad time at a place, I tend to never go back either.

[Sheldon Cooper]

231. I find food snobs to be pretty irritating, too.

And folks who helpfully instruct you to cook in your own home are missing the point. Some of us just want to go somewhere reasonably priced, where we know exactly what we're going to get, and we're okay with that. Having said that, Applebee's really does taste gross to me. I can eat at Chile's, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, etc. and have no problem with the food. I think Applebee's is set apart from the rest in terms of taste. I just don't like their food.

[southernyankeebelle]

108. I like Applebees food. I have never had a bad meal. I don't eat there allot because I

don't go out to eat. But every time we ordered our dinner we got a great meal and wonderful waitresses. I tip them at least 10% or 15%. I wish it could be more. I know they need the money. I think the Pastor showed poor taste in putting that on their receipt. I don't mind the preacher talk but only in the church or unless I ask for his advice. Odd thing a couple of days ago I had to reschedule a test at the hospital. The girl that I spoke with was very nice and I gave her the information and she said "have a blessed day". I thought it was nice but I felt it wasn't the place to say that. I'm I wrong? Anyone?

[brucefan]

111. Your what we call

A stiff.if you can't tip more than 10 per cent.maybe you should stay home

[southernyankeebelle]

125. How sad. Maybe if you realize that even a poor person likes to go out and eat once and awhile.

I live on a fixed income. I am lucky to go out once maybe every 2 or 3 months. If I do go out I usually go for lunch where I ask for a bake potatoe and a hamburger and a drink. She brings it back to my table and I don't bother her anymore until she brings the check. None of the waitresses I ever had seem to be bother by that tip. I always get a thank you and a smile. I don't think you could ask for anything more. I treat the waitress with respect because they are busy. I always make sure to say thank you. I could see more of a tip if I had a largegroup of people. It usually is me and my husband. So if you think am a stiff than I sure will think twice now about going out to lunch. Or maybe I just switch and go to Burger King where I just go up to the counter and order, wait and f**ck the tip.

[libdem4life]

188. An extravagent $20 meal ... and all you can afford is $3, not $4 for a tip. Give me a break.

Sorry, you don't meet my criteria for "poor"...regardless of how many times you go out or how civilized your treatment of the under-minimum-wage staff. All for $1. And the Burger King analogy...you don't tip the Counter Waitress? The language and the bad manners are not "poor" but loudly speaking to the level of human civilization.

[southernyankeebelle]

201. You don't know me. You have no right to judge me. When I worked before I

retired I was a very generous person. You can only give what you can. I do at christmas time every yr make sure we take names off the christmas tree at the mall to buy gifts for at least 2 people. We also contribute at thanksgiving for family dinners. Also through out the year Krogers has these bags of groceries and you pay $5.00 per bag. Then you put them in this barrel and they take them to food pantries around town to help the poor. Besides that am constantly getting calls from charities asking for money. I stopped give to them. I just don't have it. I also have many medications I have to pay for. I don't know why am explaining to you but I just think you have no right to judge without knowing a person.

[libdem4life]

215. You're right, I don't. Just your opinion on waitress tips...paid less than those who empty bedpans.

They have to take way more verbal abuse and crap from judgmental customers who determine a dollar or a few cents which is pocket change, based on how quick the cook got the food up, how many table s/he has to wait, how stressed and harried the waitress is by management today, who didn't come into work and s/he has to make up for the slack with no extra pay and likely lower tips...just think about it.

The restaurant owner charges customers the minimum in food cost so as to gain customers, while underpaying the waitresses/waiters on the legal grounds that the customers will feel grateful and generous and pay the tip. I believe it is one of the few job categories that can legally be paid less than minimum wage.

Food banks and charity work and gifts for Christmas is all good...usually folks on the government dole, one way or the other. Tips are for those who have performed a service and are the working poor ... working for less than the minimum wage, desperately trying to support a family while often paying for daycare. They deserve decent tips. 5% of a restaurant tab (20%) is peanuts...not a financial burden. If someone can't afford that, cooking at home is best.

And if you equate "judging" with "responding in a negative manner or disagreeing"...of which I am guilty in this case, then our definitions are vastly different and we can agree to disagree. And you have my apologies, as well.

[southernyankeebelle]

229. You seem like an angry person. So I will leave you on this one and say you have

your opinion and I have mine. Sorry.

[markpkessinger]

264. Actually, on a $20 tab...

...$4 IS 20%, which is a perfectly respectable tip.

[xtraxritical]

146. Yeah brucefan, even people that get "stiffed" by having to be employed by Walmart like to go out.

[MADem]

123. If you can't tip fifteen percent minimum for respectable service, you probably

should save up and wait until you can. When the servers file their taxes, it is assumed that they got that much from you.

Waiters/waitresses/waitrons/servers (whatever they are called these days) are paid in the dark. They pay their rent with tips.

[southernyankeebelle]

138. I don't go out very much at all. I am retired and I am not a millionaire. My daughter-in-law

and my son both waited tables at one time. I live in a rural area and people here aren't going to the fancy places. Applebees is about the nicest place around us and has pretty good food. The parking lot is always full here. So it depends on what Applebees you eat at. My daughter-in-law is a good waitress and my son is better. When he waited on the customers the other waitress loved it because the customers would tip everyone better. My son just has a great personality with people. Great sense of humor and people like that and he gets everyone in a good mood and it spread to everyone around and before you know it everyone is in a good mood and he always makes out great with tips. Usually by the end of the evening he'll make $100.00. That's allot for this little community. His wife is a good waitress and is polite and does her job and sometimes she is lucky to leave work with $75.00 in tips. In these little rural towns they don't tip well. But every now and then we like to go out. We only went 2 times last year. I like to eat at home more because I love to cook.

[MADem]

171. I spend a lot of time in a very economically depressed area of the country.

There's a lot of unemployment and one of those rumbling underbelly drug problems around those parts.

I would never consider tipping less than 15 percent simply because it's a poor neighborhood. I'm not saying you have to leave 20, but 15 is the floor--really. A server thinks they've done something wrong if you leave less.

The laborer is worthy of their hire--and you need to pay the laborer. That's the American system. In Europe, the system is different. The waiter fee is included in the bill, you live a little something extra for extraordinary service. But not here.

[druidity33]

242. I have to disagree...

I've worked with food and in Restaurants for about 20 years as a server, dishwasher, bartender, busser, bouncer, host, prep cook, cook, etc.

If it's the difference between an empty table and a 10% tip... we'll take the tip. Especially if it's a low maintenance order. Sometimes as a server you get sent home if it's not busy enough. That table of retirees might justify your employment.

The last restaurant i worked in had a 3-5PM gig where they served a short menu at lower prices (smaller portions) and they had a crew of regular customers who came in twice a week, dropped their dime, had a drink and were out the door before the actual dinner rush. Mostly retirees, never more than a 10% tip, but i'd walk out of there with $60 from 2 hours on guaranteed tables. Which is potentially better then a dead Tuesday or a Friday where i get sent home because there aren't enough reservations to justify a 3rd waiter.

[MADem]

248. Certainly it is "better than nothing" but you're endorsing a race to the bottom.

I've never known a retiree to be so cheap, frankly, and I know a lot of 'em. They'll get out the ancient Texas Instruments calculator from the purse or pocket and figure it down to the penny, but ten percent? The people who would leave that small a tip are nearing a hundred. And they don't get out much.

The standard is fifteen percent. Sports, people who used to wait table, and those with dough to spare will leave twenty or more.

[druidity33]

280. I guess you don't get my point...

where i am at (also an economically depressed area) without those 10% tippers, someone is losing a job. The economy SUCKS and has for 3 or 4 years. Tip revenue has PLUMMETED. Maybe you just don't realize how bad it is out there?



Off to work...

[dsc]

142. No they are assumed to get 8 percent

not 15. I agree that 15 is what should be left but you are using a very inflated figure.

[MADem]

163. That's news to me. nt

[dsc]

179. Here

http://www.tip20.com/tips-taxes/25

[MADem]

184. Thanks--good detail in that article! nt

[dsc]

190. no problem

I think it is crap the irs assumes 8 but that was one of Reagan's great ideas.

[justabob]

214. interesting... I always thought it was 12% nt

[obamanut2012]

162. +1

[Capt. Obvious]

122. It's good to recognize one's shortcomings

You didn't have to do it in a public venue though.

[alphafemale]

152. And some people sniff around all day for a reason to be insulted

You made this about you.

You did that.

No one else did that.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

155. I did not "sniff around" for a reason to be insulted. But, you know,

some people sniff around for a reason to accost others with their perceived notions.

If I let myself be insulted that someone would be disgusted with Applebee's food, why I surely would not be able to get through the day. I was genuinely interested in what is not disgusting to the poster.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

246. I like chain restaurants

Chili's is awesome, in my opinion. Red Robin, The 99's, etc....I love 'em. Not a huge fan of Friday's, but it's ok.

Applebees just plain sucks, seriously. Everything tastes like it could have come from your frozen food section. No, check that....then it would taste better.

I very, very rarely hear anyone say a good thing about them, and they are certainly not food snobs (of which I agree there are MANY here at DU.)

[Arctic Dave]

252. Fine dining?

If you like stuff out of a box or a can slathered in sickenly sweet "sauce".

Get out your bubble and try some fresh made food.

[Texas Lawyer]

301. Applebees's DOES SUCK. Menu: F; Kids' Menue: F. See also Applebee's ... Less Healthy than McDonald's

We've tried repeatedly to get Applebee's to cough up the nutritional information on their menu items, but the food mogul refuses to cave. Without full disclosure, we have no choice but to give them a flunking grade. (And while Applebee's takes it sweet time coming clean, we took advantage of New York legislation requiring chain restaurants to publish calorie counts to find out what they're hiding. As you'll see from the numbers below, plenty.

Link: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/restaurants/applebees


See also

Many have said eating food at McDonald’s is unhealthy, but what about quality restaurants like Applebee's, Chilli’s, Ruby Tuesday? They serve dishes that can have more calories and fat than McDonald’s meals.
Documentary like Super Size Me and many articles have criticized that eating foods at McDonald’s is unhealthy and most of the foods served there have high calories. It's recommended to eat healthy foods at home or eat in upscale restaurants like Applebee's, Chilli’s and Ruby Red restaurants. But they are even more unhealthy in most cases, according to Matthew Paulson of Financeispersonal.com.
If you order a hamburger and fries at McDonald's, it has 630 calories in total. When you order the same hamburgers and fries at Ruby Tuesday, their Ruby’s Classic Burger and a side of fries contain 1,372 calories. With Chilli’s, their Oldtimer Burger and fries contain 1,320 calories altogether.
Applebee's doesn’t have calorie information on their menu and at the website, the calories content will be the same. Paulson thinks that Applebee's foods have high calories content and doesn’t want to reveal them by posting their nutritional information.
Burgers and fries may not be healthy, but with items like pastas and salads, all these restaurants have a higher calorie value than McDonald’s. Ruby Tuesday’s Carolina Chicken Salad contains 1022 calories and their Club House Salad has 896 calories. Dressing can add another 100 calories. Chilli’s Crispy Chicken Salad has 810 calories and their Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with dressing contains 1,010 calories.
Paulson suggests eating half a meal at these restaurants but that defeats the purpose of eating a healthy meal. Instead of sodas he suggests other fruit drinks and water.
I have a friend who works at a major restaurant, and he said the food items they receive is also supplied to other food chains including Applebee's, Chilli’s, and other restaurants. So, most of them are made with similar ingredients -- if is unhealthy in one it will be unhealthy at other restaurants, too.
Where can health-conscious foodies find the right restaurants for them?

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/245961/Applebee_s_Ruby_Tuesday_and_Chilli_s_are_Less_Healthy_than_McDonald_s#ixzz2Jf0IcUTD


See also: http://www.americanconsumernews.org/2008/01/applebees-ruby-tuesday-and-chilli%E2%80%99s-are-less-healthy-than-mcdonalds.html

http://www.ranker.com/list/the-top-10-worst-_for-you_-restaurant-meals/greatplaces

[valerief]

104. +1. Applebee's is the Wal-Mart of dining. nt

[tavalon]

286. Applebees is Southern Baptist

I won't darken their doors. If they could, they would still be burning witches.

[bluedigger]

4. "Fired from Applebee's" will look good on her resume.

[KansDem]

9. True

He gives 10%; she gives 100%.

Who're you gonna go with?

[DocMac]

304. Except he doesn't give 10%

The people who attend his church give him 10%.

[yellowcanine]

11. I was thinking the same thing.

[Romulus Quirinus]

143. I've been thrown out better places than THIS! nt

[bluedigger]

164. Yeah, I've said that.

[RockaFowler]

5. Another horrible corporation

And yes their food stinks

Eat Local!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. FWIW...Applebee's is owned by IHop

which changed its name to DineEquity.
Tho I suspect the local Applebee manager was responsible for making the firing decision.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. They are independently franchised.

Their national headquarters is here.

Each restaurant is franchised and a decision made by management at one doesn't always reflect the entire company's policies.

[narnian60]

128. I think IHop food stinks.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Applebee's is already dead to me

Now it's practically mummified. Here's hoping she finds something better than dishing-up Purina Yuppie Chow.

[KansDem]

7. "Chelsea says that the customer told her manager...

...that their reputation had been ruined by having the receipt posted on Reddit."

No, sir, your reputation was ruined long before the receipt was posted on Reddit.

[liberalhistorian]

12. What a disgusting piece of anti-Christian

trash that "pastor" is. And I say that as a seminary student and future pastor! HE should be fired from HIS job!!

[gollygee]

26. I would be very interested

in hearing how his congregation responded to seeing it. I know how I'd respond if the minister of my church did that, and it wouldn't be good.

[LiberalAndProud]

79. The pastor is a woman. She is sorry for shaming her church.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apolog



I don't think she's sorry for getting the waitress fired though.

[JHB]

98. She runs a 15-member storefront church (part time)...

...and tithes 10% of her full-time outside job earnings to her church...which she runs.

How convenient... though she might want to rethink that whole "give 10% to God" bit when she's the one who gets the money.

[HillWilliam]

136. Never fails... where you find cheap conservatism blended with "holier than thou"

nine times out of nine-and-a-quarter there's scam behind it somewhere. Dig a little deeper on Pastor Cheapo and you'll probably find a whole lot of stank.

[NuttyFluffers]

237. that ain't a tithe, that's a personal 10% tax shelter

shit. we all should start up our own family-operated "non-denominational" christian church and go hide our money inside.

TAX THE CHURCHES ALREADY!

[JHB]

238. What do you mean "should", slowpoke? ;)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2290199

[yellowcanine]

200. Look more like crocodile tears to me. She is sorry her rudeness was exposed to the world.

I have way more sympathy for the waiter here although I do think she will win in the long run by getting a better job.

[ButterflyBlood]

303. It's not a "he"

Also her church has all of 15 members. Seriously. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

[Robb]

23. Long before, and long after. PR 101.

He needs to apologize, because the hole is only going to get deeper.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

24. Yet their actions were fine?

Here's a clue for the good pastor. If you did something so disgusting it ruined your reputation, you should apologize not get the person you did it to fired for talking about it.

What a nasty person he is.

[My Good Babushka]

31. A man is degraded by what he does

not by what others do to him.

I learned that from the Pastor Colley on To The Ends of the Earth starring Sam Neill and Benedict Cumberbatch. Based on the writings of William Golding.

[MADem]

147. As is a woman, like this pastor. nt

[My Good Babushka]

149. I suppose it pertains to the man as in "mankind"

Today I suppose we would say "person" but in 1812, not so much.

[iamthebandfanman]

36. Gotta love the Self Righteous...

Yeah,
you being a dickhead and leaving a sarcastic note you obviously got a giggle out of (at her expense) will tend to ruin your reputation.. especially when you claim to be a 'man of God' (whatever that means)..

then ya have the balls to whine about what ya brought on yourself?
ever think maybe this is God will? maybe hes trying to give ya a 'wake up asshole' moment?
nah, couldnt be.

:p

[yellowcanine]

55. What reputation? Can't ruin what doesn't exist.

Likewise for the "pastor's reputation"

[ZRT2209]

105. A-men. Another ignorant asshole masquerading as a Christian.

[MADem]

181. The reputation of the restaurant was ruined when the manager fired the server.

We can put aside the cheaply produced, flash frozen meals, and the corporate distribution of the prepackaged and oversalted/sugared crap. The thing that resonates here is how shitty that manager treated his employee.

Had the manager just backed up his server, and told the customer that the tip was not "optional'--it was part of the damn bill, and that the pastor was wrong for proselytizing the server over a MANAGEMENT regulation, and that he or she would "counsel" the server about her use of Reddit, that should have sufficed.

Instead, the manager victimized the server TWICE. First, she gets a lecture and a "stiff" by an asshole "pastor," and then she gets fired by an asshole manager.

The only winner here is the fired server--she's the only one who is free of a bunch of dumbass idiots, notwithstanding the fact that she needs to find another job.

[Wait Wut]

8. I'd hire her.

The customer is NOT always right and there are times when a boss needs to stand up for his employees. I've been lucky enough to have bosses like that in the past and pride myself on being the same.

She seems like a well spoken, hard working woman. The pastor sounds like an enormous tool who didn't get the message from his Christ. Maybe he should find a new job...as a busboy.

[yellowcanine]

14. And if you write insults on restaurant checks you lose your right to privacy, imo.

She still probably should have blocked out the signature but I suspect he would have squealed anyway because people in his party would have figured out who left the note and that is what is really chaffing his butt.

[LiberalFighter]

47. Since it was Applebee's it couldn't had been more than 3 in the party.

Probably only 2. Maybe boozed it up a bit.

[MADem]

189. Yeah...who the fxxk does that, anyway?

If I write on a tab, I write "Great service!" or "Thanks, (Name of Server)!" Or "Great meal/dining experience!" or something positive. Hell, it doesn't make their sore feet go away, but it will give a server a boost after a long shift.

The pastor is a "she" FWIW. She has a halfassed storefront church and fifteen idiot members.

[kentauros]

59. "Not always right" is so true!

And you'd probably like this site on that very same subject:

http://notalwaysright.com/

[Wait Wut]

170. LOL!

I swear I could top all of those stories!

[MADem]

120. HER Christ. The pastor is female.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

[Wait Wut]

133. Got it.

Thanks for the correction. Male or female, 'it' is still a tool.

[MADem]

144. I made the same error--prejudice on my part.

I guess in the back of my mind I couldn't picture a woman (and one "of the cloth" to boot) being so cruel and judgmental to a total stranger wage slave for no good reason over six lousy bucks.

But hey, ya (re)learn something new every day. Being an asshole is apparently an equal opportunity endeavor!

[yellowcanine]

10. Chelsea sounds like an intelligent young lady and probably can do much better than serving

at Applebees where religious cads leave insulting notes to justify being cheap on tips.

She probably should have cropped out the signature before posting it but it sounds as if the guy was probably embarrassed because the people at the table with him would recognize him for what he was - a cad. A gratuity of 18% or so is SOP for large parties in restaurants. If he doesn't like it, he can eat at MacDonalds. He would not be charged a gratuity there.

[gollygee]

13. I hope she gets another job quickly

so she can look back at this and feel it's worth it. It's good to get this conversation going - how little waitstaff make without tips, and how unethical it is to eat out and cheat the waitstaff.

But I'm not surprised they fired her. She must have known it was likely. He deserved it, but as a company they're obviously going to want to present themselves as people who wouldn't put photos of receipts online.

[bullwinkle428]

15. I wonder if those insisting this was fake/staged will apologize in this thread?

[coalition_unwilling]

28. I'm not holding my breath - n/t

[onehandle]

16. You couldn't pay me to eat at an Applebee's. Just inject bacon into your heart.

Cut to the chase.

[cbdo2007]

32. what is that supposed to mean?

You think all their food has bacon in it??

[yellowcanine]

52. Think "bacon" is a metaphor for fat and salt of which presumably there is no shortage in food at

Applebees. Just guessing.

[cbdo2007]

86. Well that's what I thought but it's a strange reason to attack Applebee's....

I can't imagine eating anywhere else is much better. To Applebee's credit they offer Weight Watcher menu items as well as a vast array of salads.

[HangOnKids]

114. You Don't Have Local Restaurants In Your Neighborhood?

If not, why don't you just go the grocery store and make your own food?

[Capt. Obvious]

130. Ohh la di da mr. fancypants

and your "making food in your kitchen"

[HangOnKids]

134. LOL!

Isn't that what a kitchen is for? Come on folks, cooking is fun, and really EASY. I rarely eat out, because I always walk away with was I thinking? I can make that BETTER!

[JNelson6563]

191. Probably uses fancy store-bought soap too!1!

[Capt. Obvious]

195. He's probably too snobby

to use a good old fashion Yellow Pages too.

[cbdo2007]

160. I don't eat at Applebee's....

when my family and I do go out we can find about 100 places that *taste* better than Applebee's, I was just curious about the extremism of the original reply that "you couldn't pay me enough to eat there, might as well inject bacon into your heart."

[HangOnKids]

178. It isn't extreme

The menu there is heavy on FAT. That was the point of that post.They were using bacon as an analogy.

[Ikonoklast]

307. Applebee's is literally one step above gas-station microwaveable frozen food. For real.

Except it's four times as expensive, and they get suckers to pay.

Olive Garden operates in much the same manner; pre-cook assorted types of pasta before opening, refrigerate them, run them under boiling water as needed per order, open pouch of food-service microwaved 'home-made' sauce, dump on the pasta, charge twelve bucks.

[onehandle]

271. Every one of their foods has bacon it it. It's in the water. It's piped into the ventilation...

Kidding. As someone else noted, it's a metaphor for fat, salt, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

[Maynar]

270. Just hook it to my veins!

[/Barney Gumbel]

[Fire Walk With Me]

17. Smooth move, Applebee's.

[dmallind]

18. Again with this NTS air quotes every time a clergyman does something bad?

We have absolutely no reason to suspect this man is not a very real pastor. Portraying him as a fake one just because he's mean reeks of Christianist bigotry that real pastors and even real Christians can do no wrong, and that if they do so, they are no longer Christians - the very definition of a no true Scotsman fallacy and very telling of inherent bias and disassociative behavior.

Bullshit to that.

Unless proven otherwise, this jerk is a pastor, not a "pastor". Just like Warren and Haggard and Falwell and the rest. They still still pastors when they are fuckwads, and pastors can be fuckwads like anyone else.

[redqueen]

22. +1

It's a job title, right? So he is or he isn't.

[physioex]

60. Actually, thank to the internets and google, the entire receipt can be viewed.....

I haven't done any research but the person signed the check Wes Bell.

[AtheistCrusader]

77. Separating the two concepts gives the rest of them cover too.

Pass, I like them as one herd. Easier to keep track of that way.

[Union Scribe]

218. What other groups

do you consider as "one herd"?

[AtheistCrusader]

232. Republicans.

[Recursion]

192. She

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

[dmallind]

295. Can't follow link at work but Wes is a she?

Rather understandable assumption that it would be a male without evidence either way don't you think?

[Ganja Ninja]

20. Applebee's serves food straight from the pit of hell.

On a good day.

[we can do it]

21. Just one more reason not to eat Crapplebees food poisoned shit.

Fuck corporate restaurants. Over priced shit, underpaid workers.

[Whovian]

25. Lesson: Never "insult" Christians in middle management

by pointing out un-christlike behaviour.

[Robb]

29. ** UPDATE: Pastor Bell claims she left cash on the table, exactly $6.29

...AND that she was charged also. So the waitress and the Applebee's are all lying about her godly ways.

Please continue, Pastor.

http://kdvr.com/2013/01/31/pastors-comment-on-receipt-i-give-god-10-why-do-you-get-18/

(snip)

While she does admit leaving the note at a St. Louis Applebee’s displayed poor judgement on her part, the pastor, who has only identified herself as Pastor Bell, came forward to KTVI to clear up the matter, saying she did actually end up leaving a tip.

“What (the photo) doesn’t show is the money that I left and that we all left on the table,” Bell told the T.V. station.

Bell claims she left $6.29 on the table — the same amount that was scribbled out on the receipt — and that her credit card was also charged with an additional $6.29. Bell said everyone else at her table also left tips in cash.

(snip)

Ultimately, Bell said she came forward to clear her name, and in hopes of shedding light on the good work around the community that her ministry is doing.

Well, that clears everything up.

Edited to add: The Smoking Gun has a kind headline for Pastor Alois Bell, and more details.

[mainer]

33. Doesn't change the fact she left that un-Christian note

And if she really left a tip, why did she feel compelled to write the note?

[Robb]

38. I know. It's not a particularly believable story on her part.

As I said upthread, there is a time to stop digging, and for her that time is now.

[LiberalFighter]

49. Who would had thought a member of the clergy would lie?

[abelenkpe]

64. because she is a self righteous jerk who likes spreading misery? nt

[kentauros]

69. And not just write the note,

but also cross out the tip amount on the receipt. There's a 0 on the "Additional Tip" line, too. Seems to me that she went out of her way to make it known that she was not going to pay any tip, by credit or cash.

[smirkymonkey]

41. +1000

F***ing fake KKKristiaian.

[appleannie1]

74. She is lying. The amount that was charged to her card is on the receipt and does not

reflect the addition of a tip. So she is not only a snarky, cheap biotch, she is a liar.

[MADem]

116. That pastor is an asshole--she called the restaurant to get the woman fired.

JANUARY 31--The St. Louis pastor responsible for the credit card receipt heard ‘round the Internet termed her snide scribblings a “lapse in my character and judgment,” adding that the Applebee’s employee who posted the receipt online was fired yesterday after she lodged a complaint with restaurant managers.

In a TSG interview, Alois Bell said that the online firestorm created by the receipt has left her stunned. “My heart is really broken,” said the 37-year-old Bell. “I’ve brought embarrassment to my church and ministry.”

The Applebee’s receipt, which was posted earlier this week to Reddit, includes Bell’s handwritten notations referring to an 18 percent tip added to the bill (for groups larger than six). “I give God 10% why do you get 18,” wrote Bell, who scratched out the tip and added a zero in its place. She also wrote the word “Pastor” above her signature.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234


She's whining about "bringing embarrassment" and she was the one who made the call in the first place? What a JERK. What ever happened to "Just let it go...?"

I thought this "pastor" was a fire-n-brimstone male when I first read the story ...an incorrect assumption on my part.

I guess the pastor forgot to put "milk of human kindness" on her grocery shopping list.

[obamanut2012]

165. It's obvious she's lying

And, lets make believe she isn't (:rofl lying: she still wrote that snotty, FU remark, to someone she knew couldn't really fight back.

[Matariki]

174. So she's rude, cheap AND a liar.

funny.

[markpkessinger]

266. Here's why I think the pastor's story doesn't ring true...

Two things, actually. First, if she had been okay with the $6.29 tip, why would she have bothered to attempt to cross it out on the receipt? Second, who, when leaving a cash tip on a table, fishes around for 29 cents (or any odd amount of change)? They would leave, say, $6.50 or $7.00 -- but her claim that she left exactly $6.29 on the table strikes me as highly unlikely.

[AndyA]

30. Jesus would have done the same thing, right?

What a great lesson to his congregation: do unto others! Now someone is out of a job due to this man's insensitivity and greed. He needs to practice what he preaches, and there's a congregation somewhere that needs to find a new pastor, because the one they have sucks.

I don't eat at Applebee's anyway, but this is just another reason why I don't.

[coalition_unwilling]

34. I'm not a Reddit user but is there any specific information about

the specific pastor and his\her congregation\denomination? If so, could someone point me to it?

It's way past time for a national boycott of Applebee's until they rehire her and apologize publicly for their treatment of her.

[coalition_unwilling]

40. Reply to myself for this thread: pastor in question is a 'she' and probably

a fundy nut, pastoring a 15-member (!) congregaton\denomination (Truth in the World Deliverance Ministries) out of a storefront church.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

[MADem]

131. TSG to the rescue....

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

The January 25 meal came after an evening service at the Truth in the World Deliverance Ministries church, said Bell, who added that five adults and five children were in the group that dined at Applebee’s (a traditional post-service destination for church members). The subsequent bill was divided up amongst the parties.


....In a follow-up conversation with an Applebee’s manager, Bell said she was told that the waitress was immediately terminated.

A mother of three, Bell heads a 15-member church that rents a storefront space. Bell said she has a separate full-time job--which she declined to describe--and tithes 10 percent of her earnings to the church.

She's a "pastor" because she says so....in other words, she's a pastor like I'm an astronaut!

[coalition_unwilling]

225. I had stumbled on the same source after I posted my request for info, but thank you

Last edited Fri Feb 1, 2013, 09:35 AM - Edit history (1)

very much for replying.

If I were the CEO of Applebee's, I would be re-hiring the waitress and telling this so-called 'pastor' that her business is no longer welcome at my establishments. (IOW, 86 her mean-spirited ass.)

[MADem]

250. Happy to help, and I agree with you! nt

[Smilo]

35. Okay, am I missing something

I never saw anywhere on the receipt that it was Applebees.

Sounds like the pastor was shamed and being a vindictive kind of fella went to management.

Good luck Chelsea, you don't need to working for some manager who can't take a joke and who things that what this pastor put was ok.

[RevStPatrick]

37. Here's what I don't understand about that "pastor"...

I've got quite a few nice restaurants in my neighborhood, and Sweetie and I frequent them as much as we can afford to. I always tip AT LEAST 18% and usually more.

When the people in those restaurants see us coming, they always smile, greet us heartily, and find one of the best tables for us. We always get great service, extras, freebies and samples, and when I bump into the servers or owners elsewhere, they are genuinely happy to see me.

And most importantly... I know that I will never get spit, or worse in my food!

Doesn't that "pastor" know that his bread is being rubbed on some server's asscheeks, and that Tyler the waiter peed in the bouillabaisse? Doesn't he understand that? I worked in restaurants when I was a puppy, and I know what goes on in those kitchens. Particularly the chain places like Applebee's where the staff is treated like shit. When you get treated like shit, some of it ends up in the meatloaf...

[librabear]

48. Wait...

So you are saying that the only way to keep waiters from rubbing their butt on my food is to tip well? You seem to hold these people in very low regard.

[RevStPatrick]

100. No, not at all...

I tip well because I can, and because the servers are my friends and neighbors, and because they work hard.

The other side of it is that from my past experience, chronic undertippers are sometimes "treated" to things they didn't pay for. I always worked the line, so it wasn't me, but I knew of servers who "added ingredients" and I heard stories.

[librabear]

194. I've heard those stories too

Those stories tell more about the people that do them than the chronic undertippers. Nobody deserves that.

[Tien1985]

262. I agree

That no one should be treated that way--but it is the reality of food service. I've worked all over New England and in New York, and this kind of "revenge" is extremely common. The best you can do as a worker is report it, but you better have proof or you're the one who will end up out of a job for starting trouble. And proving food that has gone out is contaminated isn't easy.

It's the way it is until we have a way to stop it. In the meanwhile, don't eat out, or tip and behave well.

[dmallind]

298. Again - why is it a "pastor" when they do shitty stuff? Pretending believers/clergy never do?

She's a pastor, not a "pastor", no matter how slimy snide and unpleasant she acts.

[deucemagnet]

305. I have to weigh in on the side of food service workers here.

Like many people I put myself through college working in the food service industry. No matter how big an under-tipper, jerk, drunk, or lunatic a customer is I have never, ever witnessed or even heard a second-hand account of a customer's food being tampered with. By and large, servers, bartenders, cooks and restaurant managers have a sense of pride in their work, and would never serve anything less than wholesome food to anybody. At any of the places that I worked, anyone tampering with food would be fired immediately and blackballed in the local restaurant community, and rightfully so.

[plethoro]

39. I would rather eat road-kill than enter an Applebees.......nft

ddddddddddddddd

[Heathen57]

91. Same thing isn't it?

[VOX]

158. Close, but Zagat says that roadkill's better.

[geardaddy]

43. Crapplebee's can suck it. n/t

[mahatmakanejeeves]

44. From the article at Consumerist:

Some time on Wednesday, Chelsea says the customer who had left the receipt contacted her Applebee’s location, demanding that everyone be fired, from the servers involved to the managers.

That's a whole lot of forgiveness there.

[thesquanderer]

62. Not to mention compassion.

That sentence really struck me as well.

Apparently this pastor never saw the "What would Jesus do" bumper sticker.

I can't imagine a less "godly" reaction, short of going back to the place with an assault weapon.

If anyone ought to be fired from their position for being unqualified...

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

85. Have we confirmed that this dickwad really is a pastor?

If so, I'd love to know where.

[HuckleB]

113. Yes.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

[Mosby]

119. Yes, she is.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

127. Embarrassment to her church and ministry?

Her "church" has fifteen members! That's not a church, it's just a bunch of people singing in unison.

[Capt. Obvious]

204. and not paying taxes

It's a great scam

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

206. Who would even THINK of a scam like that?!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022290199

[Capt. Obvious]

207. My roommate in college wanted to start a religion

just to get tax exempt status and get rich. If my memory serves I do believe the number he used to quote me was 15 members to become a recognized religion.

I gave you a rec.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

208. A rec?

What? No Love Offering?!

What's a swami got to do around here?

[Cynicus Emeritus]

228. Non-Profits are the scam not just churches

That entire concept of non-profit is a huge scam that needs to be tightened up big time. Too many are playing it for their own benefit or for the over paid executives and CEOs. The religious aspect is only part of it. Political donations are part of it.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

300. This is happening

The Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Hospital, which occupy a sprawling campus in suburban Milwaukee, have recently been asked by the City of Wauwatosa to justify why they shouldn't have to pay property taxes. Basically, they have to prove that the benefit that they provide to the community at least equals the value of the tax exemption. Look for more of that in the future.

[Cynicus Emeritus]

309. That is exactly what is needed

Exactly as you describe, non-profits should be required to justify their individual tax free status. They are often a burden on the community. It should not be a situation where the community and government should blindly accept their status. Executive pay is all too often excessive. If these are really charities then executive compensation should reflect a degree of modesty. Many of these organizations bring prestige and influence to those who run them and many retired executives etc would do it for a stipend.

[dmallind]

299. Yeah that's pathetic - but one guy only had 12 if you recall....

[BlancheSplanchnik]

211. wow what a flaming narcissist!

She forms a church centered around herself. She tithes--to herself. She feels compelled to trumpet her exalted status as religious leader by writing notes to servers in restaurants. When caught in the act of being nasty and self-aggrandizing, she calls the restaurant and demands everyone be fired. When outed publicly, she cries crocodile tears proclaiming to one and all so that the public is apprised of just how humble she is.

Yeeesh.

Any schmuck egomaniac can open up the church of ME. And take off taxes for it too while practicing self-worship.

[Maynar]

272. This ^^

[The Wizard]

45. If his God is all powerful

why would his God need 10% of his income. Organized religion is pan handling with a license and no overhead.

[2naSalit]

96. Or taxes! (nt)

[MADem]

118. He is a SHE. SHE is a meanspirited .... pastor!

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

The reason the server was fired is because she called the restaurant and COMPLAINED that the server noticed her cheap-ass, nasty, rude note and shared it.

The pastor is wrong, the restaurant is wrong. When people act like shitbirds in public, there should be no expectation of privacy.

[Warren DeMontague]

46. I already don't eat at Crapplebee's

so a boycott is redundant.

[City Lights]

50. Fuck applebees.

And not just because their food is vomit inducing...

[JEB]

51. After reading that

I will never set foot in an Applebee's unless I've got an uncontrollable urge to vomit. Same pretty much goes for churches.

[boston bean]

61. possibly separate checks but still a party of 20.

[mainer]

103. Can you imagine sorting out 20 separate checks?

That waitress was definitely due a tip!

[justabob]

216. was separate checks nt

[joeybee12]

57. SHould be a wake-up call...far too many employees have no protections whatsoever...

This needs to be changed...quick.

[RockaFowler]

110. Joey - that is the real story here

This waitress had no protection.

As do a lot of us in this country. If we don't have a Union protecting us, we can expect the same treatment.

[joeybee12]

112. Especially with asshat Repuke governors pushing "right to work" laws...

which essentially mean employees have no right to work.

[Union Scribe]

220. +1

[appleannie1]

58. I hope she finds better work. The person that did not tip deserved to be called out. Waitresses

are paid a LOT less than minimum wage and are taxed at 10 to 15% of the bill for the tips it is assumed they received so it cost her money to wait on him/her.

[lynne]

63. I wondered about the fallout when I saw the receipt -

- as it contained the merchant ID and the full name of the customer. Not smart to post that online, no matter who your employer is. Could make other patrons fear that their receipt and possibly credit card info could end up online or be used in an unauthorized manner.

While I don't agree with what the pastor did, can't say I'm surprised that the waitress was fired. No, I'm not a fan of Applebee's but I don't think they're the only restaurant that would fire an employee for posting a receipt online that could identify the restaurant as well as the patron.

[Occulus]

221. It sounds like you're just fine with that, too.

It was wrong to fire her. If you think otherwise, you are sick and have some soul searching to do!

[lynne]

269. Yeah, I pretty much am fine with it -

- as what she did was a violation of trust between the consumers and the restaurant. The waitress is the one who violated that trust by putting sensitive information online - including info that identified the restaurant. That was a really bad judgement call on her part. And not many places will retain an employee that has shown such poor judgement and then publicized it for all to see.

I'm speaking of consumers in the broader term to include other patrons that tip well and are good customers. No patron wants to frequent a restaurant where they know a waitress has placed sensitive info online. I know I wouldn't.

What the pastor did was wrong and she had it coming to her. Had the waitress found a way to confront the pastor without involving the restaurant, it would be a much different story. But embarrassing your employer and placing his business at risk is not the way to get back at the pastor. It is, however, a good way to get fired.

[mike dub]

65. Damn some people (righties) are bitter lately

Here's an idea for the "pastor" ... next time, just tip 10% and leave it at that, you cheap-ass (or however little, 5%???, since the AlMighty is the only one deserving 10%). Gloating and actually writing a note on the check About It is pretty damn bitter, and unnecessary --- especially when directed at a waitress making less than minimum wage (?). This guy is probably one of those super-bitter freepers... angry President Obama's in the "White"House (and is coming for his guns). Gimme a break.

[bluestateguy]

66. This would have been an opportunity for the pastor to learn a lesson and have some shame

But instead he demands the waitress be fired.

Fine "Christian" he is.

[klook]

67. She was probably wearing fewer than 37 pieces of Flair, too.

And if the information from the "Eat This, Not That" people is accurate, Applebee's is a good place to eat if you are tired of life. How about a Reuben? 1,130 calories. Or some BBQ Pork Sliders? 1,100 calories. (Sorry, but any menu item whose name contains the words "pork" and "sliders" is not going in my mouth!)

GRADE: F
KID'S MENU: Grade F

We've tried repeatedly to get Applebee's to cough up the nutritional information on their menu items, but the food mogul refuses to cave. Without full disclosure, we have no choice but to give them a flunking grade. (And while Applebee's takes it sweet time coming clean, we took advantage of New York legislation requiring chain restaurants to publish calorie counts to find out what they're hiding. As you'll see from the numbers below, plenty.)

SURVIVAL STRATEGY
The saving grace on the Applebee's menu is the handful of items created in partnership with Weight Watchers®, the only items for which the restaurant offers any nutritional information at all. Unfortunately that doesn't leave you much to choose from, but unless you want to play Russian roulette with your health, you're better off sticking to this menu.

- More: Women's Health

[abelenkpe]

68. Perhaps we could all write to applebees to voice our disappointment

that they would fire this girl. The waitress is the victim here. First she is insulted and denied her tip. Then fired for outing a stingy unchristian self righteous jerk. How is that fair? Personally I think it reflects poorly on applebees.

[patrice]

70. If what the pastor did was the right thing, why does Applebee's want to hide it? nt

[sarisataka]

71. Just sent a message to Applebees

the canned reply is

we only learned about this incident this morning and are doing our best to get to the bottom of it.

They need to resolve this and make their actions very open and public. A commercial on this issue would be a good way to show they are taking responsibility

[MADem]

185. They fired the server--if that's "getting to the bottom of it" they've hit rock bottom! nt

[obamanut2012]

217. Applebee's are usually franchised -- they probably didn't know

And, Corporate are contacting the franchise. They probably won't be able to do anything.

[snort]

72. I'd hire her.

From reading her comments I see that she is intelligent and her story has some depth to it.

Applesleaze once again screws the pooch. I would never eat a plate of their processed slop.

[Berlum]

75. screw Applebee's small-minded persecution of workers

Freaking Republican Family Values in action....

[patrice]

78. What if the waitress had written a Hindu religious greeting on the bill? Christians are PRIVILEGED.

[frylock]

80. applebee's sucks anyway. she should apply for a job at chili's.

[Laelth]

81. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[warrior1]

82. If applebees and the like

gave them a living wage they wouldn't need tips.

[Playinghardball]

83. Why does the mythological god need money?

[DallasNE]

90. What Is It With All Of These Chain Restaurants Taking It Out

On their wait staff? Add Applebee's to the growing list of restaurant's to boycott. They certainly don't appear to be learning any lessons here.

[Rex]

99. Applebees, barf and gag.

The last time (and it is the last time) I went to an Applebees, they served me raw bacon! I looked at the waitress and asked why they didn't cook it and she just grunted and shuffled it back to the kitchen. We promptly left and went and ate at an actual food establishment.

[MADem]

101. Boycott Applebee's! The place sucks on a good day, anyway! nt

[DirkGently]

102. Pastor @sshole needs to be publicly outed.*

Article says he called the restaurant after the anonymized version of his nasty / God O' Gram demanding the entire staff be fired. If this woman's going to lose her job, other servers and restaurants in the area have a right to know who he is, so they can refuse to serve him if they choose.

If there is a Hell, there's a hot, dark spot in it, filled to the brim(stone) with sanctimonious, evil religious "leaders" like this one.

*Pardon -- apparently SHE has been identified.

[richmwill]

255. Yes, she has been identified.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

[obamanut2012]

106. Methinks her church may be a tax shelter

[Digital Puppy]

107. K&R for some attention

[HuckleB]

115. In reality, Pastors work for tips. Of course, those tips are tax deductible.

The money doesn't go to God. It goes to the Pastor.

Pure hypocrisy.

[DaveJ]

121. Free speech in this country has a long way to go

Even most people on the DU say that people should not be allowed to disparage their employer in any way. Whereas I agree with that in VERY extreme cases, say an employee is repeatedly and willfully trying to damage their employer -- generally, I don't think employeers should be picking at every tiny thing an employee says and does on their own time.

[cbdo2007]

169. we will never have free speech in this country

[ProdigalJunkMail]

240. and this act by a corporation

has nothing to do with freedom of speech.

sP

[ProdigalJunkMail]

239. there is no freedom of speech

except that the gov't cannot impede it. this issue has ZERO to do with freedom of speech.

sP

[DaveJ]

253. You are stating the obvious.

I am aware of the reality of the law. I am saying what I believe is right.

The government should protect free speech, IMO.

[LanternWaste]

292. As in protect us from the consequences of what we may say?

"The government should protect free speech, IMO...."

As in protect us from the consequences of what we may say?

[Martin Eden]

132. If God gets 10% the waitress should get 1% ...

... of the pastor's entire income. I think it's appropriate to compare apples to apples at Applebee's

[richmwill]

135. What an idiot this "Pastor" is. She gives 10 percent to God?...

I'd bet ANY money that her "10 percent to God" goes to pay herself and her Pastor salary.

[MADem]

249. Of course it does--tax free, too! nt

[santamargarita]

139. Applebee’s is a shit hole. I hope she finds a real job.

Clergy are a cheap bunch I could do without.

[stonecutter357]

140. OT!

There is an argument on every post lately on DU,the place is full of trolls.

[Matariki]

166. Yeah and now she should post the name, address, and telephone number of the restaurant

and they'll see how firing her works out for them.

[VOX]

173. The bigger issue begins with the "pastor" believing that God & the waitress are separate entities.

They are one and the same, Gandhi-wise.

[Kalidurga]

186. This makes me happy I don't eat out much anymore.

No local dining places around where I live anyway. Closest thing is the Chinese place on the corner. So, if I was going out to eat, it would be there. It's one of the few vegetarian friendly places I have found.

[RKP5637]

193. Ain't religion great! n/t

[MountainMama]

197. And once again....

Dave Barry shows us the way: "Anyone who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person."

Demanding that everyone in the place be fired? Real Christlike. FAIL.

[mainer]

198. Christians tip worse than non : (Link)

"Christians are in fact more likely to tip badly than diners with no religious affiliation, according to a study on the subject by Michael Lynn of Cornell University. While Christians gave an average of 17.3 percent for good service, a significant minority -- 13 percent -- left less than 15 percent gratuity for good service, which is double the percentage of unaffiliated diners who tip in that rand and six times the percentage of Jewish diners who do the same.

Several servers have reported receiving a $10 bill as a tip, only to find it's phony, with the words "SOME THINGS ARE BETTER THAN MONEY" written on the back, "like your eternal salvation, that was brought and paid for by Jesus going to the cross."


http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/30/receipt-bad-tip-pastor/?ncid=webmail2

[WCGreen]

199. I have never once had a satisfying meal from Applebees...

I stopped going and try to frequent the many wonderful local restaurants we have around.

The only chains we really ever frequent are Boston Market and Cheesecake Factory.

[caseymoz]

203. He also pays no income taxes.

I guess 10% "to God" means to the Pastor's own church. Otherwise, I don't think the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have any expenses.

Truly, a first rate jerk.

[HiPointDem]

209. i'm not sure but it seems 18% tip was included in the bill -- you *had* to pay it. that's why it

says 'additional tip'.

[RedCappedBandit]

210. That's another easy 'boycott'. What a shithole.

[Skittles]

219. that cheap bastard deserved to be outed

THANK YOU CHELSEA and Applebee's can FUCK itself

[radhika]

222. Retort: "I work so you church folks can live tax-free...cough up a tip!"

Who would Jesus tip - and how much?

[markpkessinger]

267. Well...

... Pastors pay income taxes like everybody else, so that doesn't quite work. Churches, as organizations, are tax exempt -- their employees are not. I'm not defending the piece of shit pastor, mind you.

[Starry Messenger]

226. Totally wrong that she got fired.

The pastor wrote her own name and message on the ticket. Don't want to get outed as an asshole? Don't do hole and corner mean things to people who have no way of fighting back against your cruel sense of humor.

[notadmblnd]

227. Isn't it now illegal for employer to use what you pot on a social website to fire you

I thought i read something about a law like that passing

[ProdigalJunkMail]

241. even if it were...

she was fired for posting a picture of the credit slip with the customer's name on it. it is probably considered property of the franchise and would be exempted from any such law.

sP

[Posteritatis]

312. Nope. The laws in the works forbid them from demanding passwords to accounts.

There was a spate of employers demanding new hires give them passwords to any social media or personal email accounts they have. It hit the news and there was a fairly quick instance of there-oughta-be-a-law to forbid that sort of thing. I'm not sure if anything actually passed, especially in that farce masquerading as the previous Congress, but I do know that it made it to the congressional level as well as a bunch of states (and other places abroad).

The really annoying thing is that the whole privacy-invasion thing had an absolutely nauseating amount of cheerleaders here.

[Blue Owl]

230. Pastor Penny-Pincher's pathetic patronism poses problems

n/t

[Claybrains]

234. Screw Applebees!!! They are a bunch of assholes!!!

In my town, they called the cops because a women was breastfeeding her baby, but you can carry a firearm. I haven't been in years and don't plan on ever going again.


[link:http://www.newtoncitizen.com/news/2012/sep/18/woman-says-she-was-asked-to-leave-covington/|

[XRubicon]

235. Maybe if she had more flair

She probably wasn't expressing herself, they encourage that.

Seriously. She's better off and I hope she finds a new job soon.

[supercats]

236. Not Much Good Comes From Religion

From all the raping of alter boys, to their views on contraception, to their non-tax status etc. etc. etc. enough is enough. They abuse human beings, the government, and society. The church is hypocritical and needs to be taken down by the courts. I know there are priests and such but there are too many people in organized religion who hide behind the cloth that are bad apples who ruin it for the rest and so I believe the church needs to lose it's privileges.

[oldandhappy]

243. You did it again, Applebees

They keep shooting themselves in the foot! Almost bought one of their cards as a gift -- glad I did not and now, will not.

[indepat]

245. The perfect squelch would be to have this boomerang on Appleby's like it were a big rocket

up their ugly punitive asshole.

[YOHABLO]

247. “I Give God 10% Why do you Get 18?”

I thought religious people were suppose to give God 110%!! And, no one requires that they give an 18% tip or even a 10% .. it's called gratuity .. and that's how servers pay their bills and support their families in many cases. Why can't people get that? The restaurant is not required to pay a living wage ($2.13 per hr) because servers make their money on tips. I hope the server finds a new position and I think the minister should be outed. A reasonable tip is 15% .. and usually 20%, if not more, in an upscale restaurant .....of which Applebee's is not! In fact their menu is ridiculous and I will not eat there again. It is not only an unhealthy menu .. their food portions are ridiculous. I ordered something once there, chicken fingers, which I didn't think anyone could screw up, and they were so salty they were inedible. Now I have even more reason to stay away from that hole.

[MADem]

251. She gives herself ten percent and gets it tax free, is what she's saying.

But she can't tip a waitress having to deal with twenty people and a bunch of separate checks.

In this case, it was a mandatory tip, like many places charge when they have a large party and want to sit together or in very close (conversational) proximity. 20 people came in and all wanted their food at or around the same time--that's stressful for the cooks as well as the servers.

Thing is, this tip policy isn't a secret, it's right there on the menu, and since the Applebee's meal was a traditional after-church thing with this "pastor" and her "flock," the mandated tip should not have been a surprise.

[davidpdx]

256. What a load of shit

I posted a note on their Facebook page.

[Apophis]

257. That "pastor" is a piece of garbage.

The waitress will find a far better place to work.

[Xipe Totec]

258. pastor = garbage, true. But the real assholes in the firing incident were the Applebee managers. nt

[Apophis]

259. Indeed.

[emsimon33]

260. Another good reason NOT to eat at Applebee's--health is another

[McCamy Taylor]

263. Stiffing a waitress is just like stealing. Which makes Rev. Bell a thief.

If she really did leave $6 cash, that makes her an advocate of thievery as opposed to an actual thief. Not a crime, but not so good coming from a minister.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/tipping-pastor-apologizes-687234

[tblue37]

265. She will get other job offers now, I bet. I hope so. nt

[Grantuspeace]

268. “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me.”

Boycott! We as a people must take care of our own!

I would compare this waitress to the bravest whistle blower of our time. If it isn't a ruse, didn't she take a stand? Didn't she risk everything to help herself and her colleagues? Boycott!

[loudsue]

273. Applebees won't get another cent from me!!

Phuck 'em.

[Iggo]

276. Cuz she served you your fucking food, Pastor Asshole.

[pokerfan]

277. Cartoon sums it up

[timdog44]

281. to #88

A couple things. If you can afford to eat out, you can afford to tip. It doesn't just go to the waitress, but to all the wait people. Problems run in where an automatic gratuity is put on and the cheap restaurant owner keeps the 18%.
#2 Eat at home. Learn hoe to cook yourself. Pick your food from the circumference of the grocery store and don't buy much of anything in a box. It really isn't that hard. Maybe grow a garden and eat from that.
#3 Give your tip to the waitress in cash and not on your credit card.
#4 My Dad was a minister and tithed to the church. But when he went out to eat he tipped at least 15-20%. What a cheap ass that minister was.
#5 Boycott Applebees and boycott that asshole's church

[LittleBlue]

282. Applebees is crap, would never go there

Had some really tough meat and choked on it once, never went back.

[Dustlawyer]

288. I used to own a muffler shop and I quickly learned that "Pastors" ALWAYS asked for their

work to be free as a donation to their church. When I refused, they asked not to be taxed b/c they were tax exempt. Invariably, it would be their personal car, or a family members, or friend's. they 2 times I allowed a paster to pay me later I was burned. They refused to pay and one had the nerve to come back with another car even though they owed me over $700. It is a racket that gives legitimate pastors a bad name.

[Baitball Blogger]

290. I hope someone gives her another job quickly.

It's a crazy world we live in. We have private restauranteers pushing off good salaries to the servers, expecting the customers to pick up the cost; and then we have right-wingers, who let's face it, are all about keeping the money in their pockets. That's what this is really all about. No matter what excuse they use, that is the end game. They're tightwads.

[grahamhgreen]

291. Why 18%? Because God don't need to eat!

[dotymed]

302. It must be pretty handy

that he and God have the same address. I'll bet his God takes credit cards too....

[Progressive dog]

308. The mistake was leaving the signature

I believe this so called pastor did a slimy thing, but I also wonder why a waitress would post this with the signature still on it.
It is understandable that she would be dismissed by her employer for this.
From the posts, I know many of you disagree, but this is not about whether Applebee's treats it's employees well, or whether customers should leave a minimum tip because it is part of the salary, it is about privacy of personal information. There is no justification for this.

[Beartracks]

311. Wait.... She still tipped 17.2%!

I can see why she was really upset at the idea of paying the 18% tip -- a whole $6.28 cents on a bill just shy of $35!!

So instead... she paid $6 cash.



Her motivations is so clear now. She saved about 28 cents.

===================