The average hourly wage for Servers in Los Angeles is higher than the national average sitting at about $20.00 per hour. However, this figure varies widely. Factors such as the restaurant’s concept, location and clientele greatly impact earning potential.
As is the norm, tips play an important role. In fact, it’s not uncommon for Servers at high-end establishments in LA to rake in significantly more than their base salary.
So, if you’re wondering, “What restaurants do Servers make the most money in Los Angeles?” – then read on. We’ll dive into some of the city’s top spots, discussing why these restaurants are so lucrative for serving staff. After, we’ll touch upon how to position yourself for a Server job with great pay.
Top-Paying Restaurants for Servers in Los Angeles
Los Angeles’ diverse dining scene provides plenty of earning potential for Servers, ranging from upscale venues to well-established local brands. These options are especially sought out for a blend of higher-base pay, frequent tipping or sometimes even a combination of both.
Here are a few picks worth considering:
1. Spago Beverly Hills
Wolfgang Puck’s iconic flagship restaurant in Beverly Hills continues to set a high standard for fine dining. Its sophisticated clientele and elevated prices mean servers often leave with impressive tip earnings in addition to above average pay rates.
See more at Spago Beverly Hills.
2. CUT by Wolfgang Puck
Located in Beverly Hills and another of Puck’s properties, CUT also attracts a celebrity crowd. Their preference for big tabs and premium alcohol means a very favorable outcome for experienced Servers on any particular night of service.
See more at CUT by Wolfgang Puck.
3. Nobu Malibu
Famous for celebrity sightings, high priced menu offerings and an amazing ocean side view, servers find great opportunity with international clientele and generous average ticket sales during their shifts.
See more at Nobu Malibu.
4. The Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel
Located within The Beverly Hills Hotel, this iconic location is favored among well-to-do locals as well as important celebrity clientele which is conducive to better shifts and tips for servers.
See more at Lounge.
5. Gjelina
Located on Abbot Kinney, Gjelina attracts a mix of celebrities, locals, and tourists with money to spend. A reliably crowded restaurant which provides consistent sales, it ensures good opportunities for seasoned service staff who can manage a faster tempo and more people at a time
See more at Gjelina.
How Location Affects Server Earnings in LA
The geographical location of the restaurant in Los Angeles also plays a role. The restaurants located in areas like Beverly Hills, Malibu, West Hollywood and downtown usually bring a higher average bill because their local and tourist clients are generally better situated to spend more.
These also provide opportunity for working special events with very generous gratuities that aren’t available outside of the scope of these special upscale environments.
On the other hand, casual restaurants in more residential areas, though busy on their own accord may not have a financial environment as conducive as that of restaurants located in more premium neighborhoods of the greater Los Angeles metro area, where more client revenue per bill is usually achieved due to local economic factors.
The Impact of Restaurant Type on Server Earnings
The type of restaurant plays an integral role on what serving staff ends up making during their shifts. Fine-dining venues generally have higher hourly wages and greater tipping potential, all fueled by an affluent and ready-to-spend clientele.
Because such locations also require more service specific skills such as advanced wine or cuisine knowledge or the experience to run busier tables more fluidly, their staffing payscale for service is generally better.
In contrast, casual dining restaurants might have a lower base salary for Servers. However, a more steady influx of clients at various hours may lead to good and consistent income through tip opportunities in these settings.
Well-placed casual and consistently booked concepts such as brunch, breakfast or bar centric operations may yield opportunities on par with some mid-tier and less complex fine dining restaurants.
How to Find and Land High-Paying Server Positions in Los Angeles
Here are steps you can take to position yourself for top earning opportunities within LA’s booming service industry:
- Research Upscale Areas: Target affluent areas like Beverly Hills, Malibu, West Hollywood and the Downtown District in your location based searches. Explore restaurant ratings, see if they cater to an established affluent audience that allows their servers and service staff in general to have larger incomes than normal.
- Polish Your Resume: Highlight previous fine dining and hospitality expertise as you see fit. Focus on high volume situations, wine experience and a high mastery of the kind of upscale menu offerings often present in the top places, which leads you into a more promising position in any hiring process for top restaurants in LA.
- Network in the Industry: Go to industry gatherings and events in order to become personally connected with hiring managers at targeted establishments, the power of word of mouth or personally delivered resumes cannot be underestimated as they put you at a significantly more advantageous situation over the standard online application.
- Apply at Strategic Hours: Go to apply in person during mid-week off-peak times. That helps the hiring manager spend a bit more of their own time addressing and speaking to any personal interview related inquiries, showing your availability, genuine interest, as well as demonstrating you take your application to such positions seriously
- Nail The Interview: Come prepared with as much knowledge about menus and wine offerings. Be familiar with general service concepts and show high motivation, initiative and most of all flexibility to fit any necessary expectations regarding service operations in an upscale fine dining establishment. Make sure your dress sense and interview conduct conveys seriousness and experience.
Our Criteria for Choosing Top-Paying LA Server Jobs
This list is a compilation using various different publicly accessible avenues for career related inquiries and research data analysis on industry specific platforms and job boards that emphasize high end operations in major urban centers such as Los Angeles.
Industry networking is also a crucial factor, many restaurant groups operate across multiple properties, as such personal contacts often open additional doorways.
Overall the goal was to emphasize high traffic areas with upscale pricing and above normal staff revenue, while maintaining geographic balance in location in this diverse metro region of Los Angeles.
