Cyprus-Forum.com

[Jerry]

Since you state that you have been in business for some 35 years surely you must know that no business can operate on a " gross margin" of 400%, or even on 100.1%. Im sure you meant to say mark up.

Restaurants operate at exactly what I said. if the cost of fish is 20 Euros the client will pay 80. If you think the nett profit is less than 200% then you know nothing about restaurants.
Your kind of business was a totally different thing my guess is that you were operating at around 30%.

Margins in catering vary a great deal, a cafe at the lower end of the market will operate on a much lower gross margin than a "high class'" restaurant that employs a larger number of trained staff. Once wages and overheads have been covered most restaurants can make a good living. How much does a 2 euro cappuccino actually cost to produce? Years ago when I ran my restaurant in UK I served a pot of tea for one for 60p, material cost was a splash of milk and a tea bag - figure out the gross margin. However it cost me £400 a week in rent, rates, insurance etc even if I kept the place closed and employed no staff. The margins had to be high to cover the overheads

[Paphitis]

The first reaction I got when this guy posted the add for 4 to 5 Euros per hour, is wow, you are taking the piss.

Yes I know waiters are non-skilled even though there are waiters out there which are very good at their job.

I got the impression of a South East Asian sweat shop. Yes there are workers in poor countries working for about $3 dollars per day, and we use these cheap sources of labour to manufacture things for us. And we support the slave labour whenever we go and buy cheap clothing and shoes from a Walmart etc. Now, even the labels are manufactured in poor countries to maximise profit. It doesn't make it right or fair either way.

Waiters in America, earn very little but you are forced to make a tip which is added to the Bill automatically to ensure the Waiter gets their tip even from those who don't tip. But in America it is customary so most people add another top on top apart from the tip that is already factured into the Bill. Waiting in America can be quite lucrative if you are working for a lavish establishment with fine dining and you are good at your job.

Waiters do get tips but sometimes they don't in Cyprus and everywhere else. Which can be demoralising.

Fact of the matter is, employers will take advantage of workers whenever they can. In good times, employees take advantage of the employers. I will give you an example. There are skills shortages in some countries, and that drives wages sky high, even to unbelievable levels. But this isn't a common story for the 70 odd percent of people. Maybe for even the 95%

In my opinion, this waiter isn't paid enough. There should be a minimum wage. And if businesses are not viable then bad luck. If you want to make a business viable then you would work as a waiter yourself in order to be profitable because it takes time to build a business and a good reputation. Till then it is a hard slog.

I worked as a waiter too in my Dad's businesses and I didn't get paid anything but my Dad paid ten fold more in other ways and I was helping him out. He educated me for one, and paid all my fees and it was an expensive schooling at Private Schools. In the end though he always helped me 100 times more than me being his waiter which was really nothing. We had to pitch in with something.

[Sotos]

I am with Pyro on this one. Employers have taken and are still taking advantage (read the piss) of their employees, they used the crisis as an excuse to pay less and continue to do so.

It is a F farce, that these wages are being paid today in Cyprus and the Government and their employer buddies are doing very well out of it.

What pisses me off even more is when the owners/employers also want their share of the miserly tips the staff get.

And this is not unique to waiters (and no offence to them), degree qualified staff are also offer BS money of 1000E or so. After spending some 50-60k to get educated to come to Cyprus and make some employer MF richer.

Time the government stepped in on this one, oh but wait, the government don't run the country the unions do ha ha F ha! Its no wonder we are still called a BANANA REPUBLIC.

And Milti, you are just playing with semantics, we know what Pyro was trying to say, even if you didn't.

If employer takes shares of tips then that is fucked up and I agree with you. But other than that, as you said degree qualified staff can be offered €1000. A waiter with €700+tips would certainly make more than a €1000, so that is not too little relatively speaking. Obviously SOME companies can afford to pay more, but other companies can't and many of them closed down. The level of salaries is not set just by the successful businesses, but by the industry as a whole and even the economy as a whole.

[miltiades]

Sometime back a friend of mine who owned a shop in St Andrews street was insisting that he works on 100% profit.
I asked him what his entire stock's retail value was. He gave an approximate figure. I then said to him, since you claim to make 100% profit if I was to offer to buy your entire stock and asked you for a 51% discount would you accept. Of course he replied. Now go figure it out.
All businessess operate on GP based on sales less cost of sales. Hence you never make 100%. When you double your money you make 50% on the return.

[Get Real!]

Milti, seems to know his Business 101 and that’s why he drives a Jaguar while you sorry lot drive a Yugo!

[boomerang]

back in the '90 I was in vegas and got in a taxi and the fare came to about US$2...I only had a couple of US$1 bills few 5 bills and a few 20 bills...so I gave him a 5 dollar bill and starter to get out of the taxi...the driver said to me you know this a 2 dollar trip, I looked at him thinking I gave him less because all US dollars look the f'same to me...I said to him sorry give it back to me and then I gave him 2 bucks and got out of the taxi...smart ass...

the valet parking dudes at vegas hotels do not get paid by the hotel, but they are on US$100,000 per year on tips.. lol

I was at the crazy horse in vegas having a few beers for lunch with a few mates...we had this stripper dancing on the bar right in front of us and she was a nuisance anyway...we paid no attention anyway cos we had titty bars everywhere in Melbourne so we kept on talking amongst ourselves, titty bars was new to the US at the time and the only bar that had them was at the crazy horse...after a while she asked us where we from...I said to her Australia...she said aussies are tight asses...and I said to her who gives a fuck, we didn't asked for you to dance in front of us...move along...she moved... lol
nothing like the platinum club in Hawaii...what a place...

in Australia min wage is set by the government at $20-$22 per hr...no need to tip...regardless of the service...

in vegas when you are standing in line for a taxi, you get these idiots that open the door for you, wtf, I can do it myself...and they place their hand on the door...unknown to me because I was in a hurry to get to the airport, I slammed the door...crushing his fingers...I looked at him and said wtf man, why would you put your fingers there...no answer from him apart from quick open the door so I get my fingers out...what a moron..i suppose he was expecting a tip...yeah I gave him a tip, be good to your mum... lol

dealers in vegas servive on tips...but they put on a great show...pleasure to tip them when you win...best dealers in the world...

end of the day it's the governments fault for not setting the min wage, you cannot expect customers to take care for underpaying staff...

milti…
If I buy something for a dollar how much in your opinion should I sell it?... 2, 3, 4 dollars?...are you fucking nuts?...just because I pick and buy well it doesn't mean I gotta share it...usually i stick 10 bucks sell price...and you are more than welcomed to buy all my stock at 51% discount from the sell price of 10 bucks... lol

[miltiades]

You are making no sense, is it an ...Aussie thing ?

[boomerang]

You are making no sense, is it an ...Aussie thing ?

Let me help you out here..Which part did't you get the tipping or you can buy my stock for 51%

[miltiades]

All of it mate, its all Aussie greek to me.
Try again !

[boomerang]

All of it mate, its all Aussie greek to me.
Try again !

Ok lets start with my stock....would you buy my stock with 49% discount from $10....when you know my cost
and what would be my GM if you were to buy it.....and what would you say my GM is before the sell...

ps....not understanding the above would mean you are dummy...