I realized I was more than a server the day I stopped and truly thought about all we do in one shift. We don’t just take orders — we run entire operations. We multitask like pros: greet like a hostess, clean like a busser, run food like a line cook, refill drinks like a barback, handle checks like a cashier — all while remembering who needed extra ranch, which table is celebrating a birthday, and how to keep that smile steady even on our roughest days.

And we do all of that to keep our aprons full.

The truth is, most people don’t understand that being a tipped worker is like being an independent contractor. We don’t have the luxury of a steady salary. Our base pay is low, and we earn our income with hustle, charm, speed, and service. We budget our tips the same way others budget their paychecks — but the beauty is, we walk out with cash in hand after every shift.

So yeah… we do make it. We do survive. And many of us thrive.

But I’ll be honest — I got tired of the comments: “How do you make it as a waitress?” “Don’t you want a real job?”

So I turned that frustration into passion and created waitress-themed merch — not just to clap back, but to lift up the women (and men) who already know their worth. I wanted shirts that felt like us — the sass, the strength, the grace, the grit.

Because here’s the thing: waiting tables is honest work. There’s nothing small or shameful about it.

When I designed my merch, I imagined what it’s like when we serve Thanksgiving dinner at home — how we go above and beyond to make it feel special, how we care for our guests, how we clean up with love because we just want them to leave happy.

That’s what we do at work, too. We serve, we connect, we clean up — and our guests come back, not for the food, but for us. We’re not just serving plates. We’re building businesses with repeat clients.

People who don’t serve might never understand that. But we do. That’s why we are not just servers — we are entrepreneurs in motion.

And if I could shout one thing from the expo window to every server out there, it would be this:

Pick your head up and hold it high. Because the same people who judge you will come to you when they need help making ends meet. There’s nothing wrong with serving in a restaurant — people love to be served. That’s why they go out to eat.

And we? We’ll be right there, serving and stacking — because we are more than servers. We are our own brand of boss.

With hustle, grace, and truth, Moe 💛 Founder of Not Just a Server Shop

Earlier this summer, we told you about the very generous tip left for a waitress at Alfredo's Pizza in Scranton. Now, the restaurant owners say they're taking the big tipper to court.

Back in June, the staff at Alfredo's were shocked when a customer paid a $13 bill and left a $3,000 tip for his server Mariana Lambert.

Managers at Alfredo's say they didn't think it was real, but when the credit card charge went through, they were singing the praises of Eric Smith. They say Smith told them he left the giant tip as part of a social media movement called Tips for Jesus.

The staff say they were overwhelmed by his kindness, but now that feeling is turning dark.

"A little over a month ago, we received something in the mail that Eric was disputing the charge for the tip that he left," manager Zachary Jacobson said.

Managers at Alfredo's reached out to Smith in the hopes that this was a misunderstanding. The business had already paid Lambert the money from the tip, and now the business is out $3,000.

"We thought somebody was actually trying to do a good thing. And then now we are, what, three months later? Not even, and there's nothing. There's nothing to show for it at this point," Jacobson said.