Red Lobster Server shares how much she made on a Friday night

A Red Lobster server totaled her total payout after a six-hour Friday night shift and recorded the process in a TikTok video along with the tip she earned.

Jasmine Anderson (@jasminepaints79) says she made $209 for six hours of work at the popular restaurant chain, which works out to about $34.83 an hour. However, there have been a number of customers who have either left no tip on a sizable bill or barely left 10% when including tips for their meals.

Anderson’s final payout sparked debate in the comments section, with some TikTokers explaining that they also work as servers and receive more money during similar shifts. Others said they didn’t think the amount she was making was bad.

@jasminepaints79 Friday night at redlobster tip count #server #serverlife #servertiktok ♬ Original sound – Jasmine Anderson

Anderson says she had about 20 tables and the turnover was over $1,500. She then individually lists how much each table paid her, including tips, and then counts how much she “owes” the restaurant since some customers paid their checks in cash.

After counting everything, the TikToker reveals her total payout for the night, saying, “Okay, after counting all of that, I ended the night at $209. Which I can’t complain about for six hours.”

Typically, weekends are the busiest times for restaurants, especially Friday and Saturday dinners. This means full-time servers tend to take home the bulk of their tips during these shifts, which could be why so many viewers weren’t thrilled with the amount of cash Anderson brought home for the evening.

One commenter wrote, “Wow I thought I got a bad tip for my job…that’s depressing.” Another TikToker said, “Out of curiosity, what state are you in? Because that’s not good for $1500.”

Someone else said that seeing Anderson’s video made them feel better because they were no longer servers, writing, “All of these videos validate my decision to quit service when I did.”

However, others believed the amount she raked in wasn’t bad at all, with one user saying: “No because I feel like tonight was a good night??? Like I went to work at 4:30 a.m. too and left with just under $200.”

Some TikTokers expressed shock that some of the customers didn’t tip 20%.

“I always tip 20% unless the server is very conspicuously rude how is it common for it to be so low,” wrote one user.

Responding to the Daily Dot’s request for comment, Anderson explained that she was making more than her average Friday night. The waitress added that while she never expects large tips from customers, she still appreciates them.

“In my experience, I typically pay an average of $170 on a Friday night. I understand the comments section is split because on the one hand I could have made $300, but on the other I was making an average of $30 an hour and I can’t complain about that,” she said via email. “People say I tip an average of 15%, but they don’t take into account that I have to tip almost 3% (give the store a percentage of my total sales, whether the table tipped me or not).

Anderson explained that before the top they were technically “nearly 18% for [her] Services.”

“I don’t usually get a tip for a table like twice in a weekend, it’s not common but it does happen,” she said. “Finally, there are tables that are very generous, but I never expect a large tip, so it’s always a pleasant surprise to be appreciated.”

The Daily Dot has emailed Red Lobster for further comment.

We crawl the web so you don’t have to.

Sign up for the Daily Dot newsletter to get the best and worst of the web delivered to your inbox every day.