Waiter Caddy – Table-side innovation that every server should have.

Deluxe Waiter Caddy™

Deluxe Waiter Caddy™

There are a few tools that every server should have in their arsenal. A good cork screw, a crumber, a lighter, maybe a penlight and certainly a presentation book style organizer. Up until now all of these items have been old standards – unintuitive and generic. Enter the Waiter Caddy™

Developed by former server Katrina Degel, this innovative little organizer has 7 pockets: two of which can be utilized for concentrated sales improvement and up-selling tools. The unique clear, front pockets of the Waiter Caddy™ are the perfect size for standard POS paper or order pad paper. In each pocket, servers can slide the daily specials, menu notes, cocktail list, wine suggestions/pairings, and whatever else you may need quick access to.

Both available models, Original and Deluxe are sold individually to servers at www.TheWaiterDepot.com, and are also available in bulk to restaurants who want to provide a better sales tool to their servers, not only improving their bottom line, but improving the tips of their servers which is sure to boost morale.

The Waiter Caddy™ is a system, not simply an organizer.  It is very easy to use and is a much needed solution for servers to keep their menu and wine notes front and center. Conveniently, each book comes with a brochure discussing several “Cheat Sheet” ideas, as well as tips on how to make more money and pump up sales.

endorsement Waiter Caddy   Table side innovation that every server should have.

Katrina Degel, creator and owner of TheWaiterDepot.com and TheWaiterCaddy.com, offers free menu and training consultations for her clients on how to motivate staff and improve product knowledge while minimizing server mistakes. Check out the websites at www.TheWaiterDepot.com to view the product, as well as www.TheWaiterCaddy.com to view the ongoing server Learning Forum, and see the endless ideas that are being discovered for this innovative server book.

So throw away that ratty old American Express/Discover Card/Visa presentation book you have been fumbling around with and get your hands on a Waiter Caddy™!

It is a “no brainer” for Tip20! to endorse this fabulous product and we know much benefit servers and restaurants alike will see from it.Waiter Caddy Highlights

This is a paid endorsement. All opinions are 100% ours.

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Traveling with friends – it’s good for the soul

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hampton_logoGuess what! Hampton Hotels is giving away a free weekend stay at any of their locations.

It is called the “Chain of Friends Sweepstakes” and you can win a grand prize of an Entire Hotel (that’s 100 rooms for 2 nights!) or one of 100 first prizes of a weekend stay for the winner and three of their friends.

Entering is really easy too; simply visit Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes to get your own chance to win. You should encourage your fiends to enter as well, because, well frankly they are your friends and if they win chances are they will take you along! Taking a weekend vacation with friends is an important part of letting go of the stresses of day-to-day life and keeping up with those that you love but don’t always have time to be with.

Enjoy taking an occasional weekend and traveling to meet some friends. Go out and paint the town red!Click Here

Where would you go if you won? Me, I’d meet friends at the Hampton Inn Central Clearwater Hotel in Florida! A little quality beach time and some drinks by their gorgeous pool area! I can’t imagine how cool it would be to win the grand prize and actually have a hundred rooms of friends around me! Man, that would be fun – better warm up my facebook account!
Visit my sponsor: Win a free Weekend Stay

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Eleven Ways Servers Can Lose Their Tip

From Purple Slinky,  by Jo Oliver
Re-printed without permission

These are sure fire ways to decrease or lose a tip.

  1. poor service loses tipsCorrect sequence when serving courses. Drinks……appetizer……salads…..main course……dessert. Don’t bring me an appetizer and salad at the same time. Who wants their appetizer to get cold while they eat their salad or salad to get hot while they eat their appetizer? I don’t! I especially don’t want my salad, appetizer and main course all served at the same time or within 3 minutes of each other.
  2. Proper etiquette, not to mention common sense, dictates that when someone is finished eating a dish they will move the plate to the side. If a plate is still in front of me, then don’t ask if you can take it. Not all of us inhale our food. Some of us enjoy savoring our food, chewing it up, and periodically pausing for conversation, etc.
  3. If someone raises a finger, hand, or arm at you, that means they need your attention. It is not a wave goodbye or friendly gesture. So, don’t wave back, just come see what I need.
  4. When serving dishes and drinks, don’t put your fingers inside my glass or plate. When I see a waitress pick up all four glasses at the table and carry them with her fingers inside the glass my yuck meter goes haywire. Not only is that spreading germs and completely not acceptable, but how in the world are you going to keep up with whose glass goes where if everyone is drinking the same thing?
  5. Don’t ask me if I want dessert when I am not even half way through my meal. How do I know if I want dessert if I am still not sure how much of my meal I am going to eat. I may be too full for dessert. Wait until someone asks for a to go box, pushes their plate to side ( remember this signals someone is finished eating,) or asks for a dessert menu.
  6. If you see my glass is empty and I am engaged in conversation, please don’t interrupt me to ask: “Do you want some more drink?” Just fill up the glass.
  7. For some reason most servers fit into one of two categories. Either they come by every 2 minutes and ask if everything is good, refill, etc. OR they set your entrée down and you never see them until the bill comes. It is so easy to make yourself seen and accessible, without worrying someone to death.
  8. Don’t clean the windows or sweep the carpet next to my table while I am eating. I once had a waitress who sprayed Windex all over the window that was literally two feet from my table. The spray went all over my food and arm. Who wants to eat that? I also don’t want to eat dust from the floor being swept around me.
  9. I really can not stand to see a server clean a table, which includes taking their hand and raking crumbs etc.. up, and then come directly over to my table with the germs from the other table. Wash your hands! I don’t want someone else’s half ate crumbs stuck to my glass that you are about to pick up and refill.
  10. You put the bill on the table and you see me digging through my purse for correct change, don’t come stand over me. My purse and wallet are none of your business. When the bill is ready for your attention it will be pushed to the side of the table or handed to you.
  11. Once you get the bill, don’t ask if I need change. Just go pay the bill. If I do get change, then bring it to me. This is my biggest pet peeve and I can not tell you how many times I was going to leave my server 20-30% tip, but instead answered: “No, I don’t need change anymore” and the server only got the dollar or two left over from the bill.
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Happy National Cheesecake Day!

New York style Cheesecake with Strawberries

New York style Cheesecake with Strawberries

In the United States July 30 has been unofficially declared National Cheesecake Day.

Cheesecake is a dessert consisting of a topping made of soft, fresh cheese on a base made from biscuit, pastry or sponge. The topping is frequently sweetened with sugar and flavored or topped with fruit, nuts, fruit flavored drizzle and/or chocolate.

Savory cheesecakes also exist, served sometimes as hors d’oeuvre or with accompanying salads.

The earliest author who mentions cheesecake is Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes. Cato the Elder’s De Agri Cultura includes recipes for two pies for religious uses: libum and placenta. Of the two, placenta is most like modern cheesecakes having a crust that is separately prepared and baked. In 1872, William Lawrence from Chester, NY, along with other dairymen, came up with a way of making an “un-ripened cheese” that is heavier and creamier by accident, actually looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese, Neufchatel.  Lawrence distributed the cheese in foil, becoming a brand that is familiarly recognized as “Philadelphia”. Later on in 1912, James Kraft invented a form of this cream cheese, but pasteurized it- this is now the most commonly used cheese for cheesecake.

Almost all modern cheesecakes in the United States use cream cheese; in Italy, cheesecakes use ricotta; Germany and Poland use quark cheese. Cheesecakes are most easily baked in a springform pan.

The type of cheese affects not only the texture and taste, but also the ability to incorporate certain types of ingredients. When cheesecake batter is too thin, many cheesecakes will not be structurally sound and fall apart at the table. One way to get around this is to use unflavored gelatin or a little cornstarch beaten with the eggs.

A common difficulty with baking cheesecakes is its tendency to “crack” when cooled. This is due to the coagulation of the beaten eggs in its batter. There are various methods to prevent this. One method is to bake the cheesecake in a hot water bath to ensure even heating. Other methods include blending a little cornstarch into the batter or baking the cheesecake at a lower temperature and slow cooling it in the oven, turned off, with the door ajar. If these methods fail, a common practice is to cover the top of the cheesecake with toppings such as fruit, whipped cream, or cookie crumbs.

Alternatively, cracks can also be repaired by simply using a flat knife and some warm water. After the cake has been chilled for a few hours, simply dip the knife in warm water and mold the cheesecake as if sculpting. Cracks and unevenness can easily be taken care of in this fashion. This method also works well for repairing the sides and giving the final cheesecake a flawless look. For crater size cracks, try using the bits that are stuck on the side of the pan to help repair the damage.

Another common problem, particularly with baked cheesecakes, is that the biscuit base becomes too soft. For extra crunch, replace around a quarter of the crushed biscuits with Grape Nuts.

Many types of cheesecake are essentially custards, which can lead a novice baker to overcook them, expecting them to behave like true cakes.

A sour cream-style cheesecake uses close to a 1:1 volume ratio of cream cheese to sour cream to make the traditional texture that crumbles like a good roquefort cheese with a distinctive sunken center and a golden-colored top from the Maillard reaction. An extra egg white brushed on the top can achieve the same effect in less time if you desire the cheesecake to be “gooey” when set.

In 1999, at one of the weekend-long Phish festivals, Big Cypress, held at the Seminole Indian Reservation in southern Florida, New Years Weekend, ABC Nightly World News broadcast a performance of “Heavy Things”. In an attempt to confuse viewers, members of the band requested that instead of applause at the end of the song, the audience chant “cheesecake” over and over. It became a running joke for Phish to reference cheesecake throughout the duration of the show. During a performance of “You Enjoy Myself”, the band went into a trademarked, vocal jam in which each of them sang “cheesecake”, types of cheesecake, and so forth. This has since been commonly referred to as the “Ben Milan Jam”.

The band King Missile has song called ‘Cheesecake Truck’. The song lasts for just over one minute, but the word ‘cheesecake’ is mentioned fourteen times. The song is humorous mainly due to the incredible number of cheesecakes (an entire truckload) that the protagonist claims to eat during the first day of his job driving a cheesecake truck.

In the 1955 film Guys and Dolls, Frank Sinatra’s character Nathan eats cheesecake when he first meets Marlon Brando’s character Sky. (The references to cheesecake were inspired by Lindy’s deli in New York City.) Brando, a practical joker, knowing how much Sinatra hated cheesecake, flubbed each take so that Sinatra would have to eat piece after piece of cheesecake. After filming repeated takes of the scene, Sinatra said he could not take one more bite.

Cheesecake was the favored dessert of The Golden Girls during their late-night talks around the kitchen table.

On an episode of MTV reality show Making the Band, P. Diddy made the contestants walk to Junior’s in Brooklyn to get him a piece of cheesecake. This was later satirized by Dave Chappelle on an episode of Chappelle’s Show.

Before the live broadcast of Phish’s millennial concert in Big Cypress. Phish frontman, Trey Anastasio, told the crowd to chant “Cheesecake” instead of clapping at the end of Heavy Things.

Couldn’t you go for a piece right now!!

Find other National Food and Drink Holidays

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If there was no tipping, what should servers make?

Our first Tip20! Poll addresses something that is neglected in most tipping vs. no-tipping arguments. If you don’t like tipping, what do you think a fair hourly  wage for servers should be?

If tipping were to be abolished, the wage range servers should make should be:

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I am:

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Discuss below, also does your answer apply to bartenders as well? or would that change things?

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Be a Professional Flair Bartender or Just Look Like One

We have decided to occasionally feature a product from our extensive Tip20! Bar Store now and then.

Professional Flair Briefcase Tool Kit

Found in the Flair Briefcase Tool Kit

Today we are featuring our “Top of the Line” Flair Briefcase Tool Kit.

If you are a Flair bartender then you know how important it is you keep your gear in tact and easily toted from one gig to the next. This professional flair bartenders tote is not only equipped with flair appropriate tools, but it is perfect for easy transportation.

The Bar-Tote is a durable, all-black, water-resistant, nylon tote designed to carry an assortment of bartending and personal items. It measures in at 14″W 12″L 4.5″D and has 16 compartments varying in size to fit your every bar tool need from jiggers and shakers, to calculators and asprin. This large bar tote comes equipped with easy carry handles and a removable strap for shoulder carry.

Professional Flair Briefcase Tool Kit

Flair Briefcase Tool Kit

Contents of the Flair Tool Bag Kit

  • 3 – 28 oz Weighted Powdercoated Neon Yellow Shaker Tins
  • 16 oz Mixing Glass
  • Powdercoated Neon Yellow 4-Prong Strainer
  • Powdercoated Neon Yellow Speed Opener w/ Magnetic Clip
  • Jigger (.5 x 1)
  • 3 Piece 28 oz Stainless Steel Shaker
  • 2 Practice Flair Bottles
  • Stainless Steel Fruit / Ice Tongs
  • Stainless Steel Muddler
  • Citrus Press (Chrome)
  • Fruit / Twist Knife with Blade
  • Utility Knife
  • Shaker Grip Tape (Red)
  • 2 Lighters
  • Julep Strainer
  • Double Lever Corckscrew
  • Light Up Pen
  • Black Shaker Mat
  • 5 Black Tapered Metal Pourers
  • Stainless Steel Ice Scoop
  • Neon Yellow Pour Check
  • Stainless Steel Bar Spoon
  • Gold Martini Mister
  • Bar Products Black Towel

Believe it or not ALL OF THIS INCLUDED for only: $119.94!

Arrive at work or the party, make an impression and show off your stuff.

See more info and options here.

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