Food Gratuity

knottie9be6768dfb0b4a32

i am going through an approved caterer for my venue. They charge 28% service charge/tax (20%/8%) not including gratuity. It’s buffet style. If I provide a 20% that is 48%!! I’ve looked online and they make $16 bucks an hour not including gratuity. What does everyone recommend for tip? 

MobKaz

When you create a post on multiple boards, please put XP (cross posted) in your title.  It looks like most people are responding to your post on the Budget Wedding board.

MesmrEwe

20%...  Really, I'm NAF of how caterers add the "service charge" vs. restaurants who include it in the price per meal option as much as the next person.  The reality is that service charge is the cause of that $16/hr. that they're earning, and, they're working non-traditional hours, and those hours extend long before and long after they're done serving and cleaning up your meal.  The tax is something you and the business have zero control over.  

What I'd likely do is find out how many of the staff will be working your wedding, and have envelopes ready to go that you or your groom hand out the night of individually.  That's really the only way to assure that they get 100% of the money instead of percentages taken out or used against part of their wages (which is legal in some states)...  Or do 10% as part of the final total, then envelopes for the remaining that are handed out individually...