Setup
Tipping by sales is more common at full-service. Tipping by tips ties what the support staff makes to what the server actually got tipped — fairer on slow nights.
Server's totals
Tip-out roles
FAQ
Tip-out vs tip pool — what's the difference?
Tip-out is per-server: each server keeps their own tips and gives a percentage to support roles (bartender, busser, kitchen). Tip pool is collective: all tips go into one pot and get split by hours and role weight across the whole front of house. Use a tip pool when servers and bartenders want to share equally; use tip-out when you want individual servers to keep most of what they earn directly.
Should percentages be on tips or on sales?
Both are common. Tipping out by tips ties what support staff earns to what the server actually got tipped — fairer on slow nights when the server's tips were low. Tipping out by sales is more predictable for the support staff and is the older standard. Pick what your team has agreed to and stay consistent.
What are typical tip-out percentages?
Rough industry defaults: bartender 5-10% of liquor sales (or 5% of tips), busser 2-3%, food runner 2-3%, kitchen 1-3% where allowed. Total tip-out usually lands between 8-15% of tips. Higher than that and servers start to push back; lower than that and support staff feel undervalued.