Red Lobster server’s viral video on how much she makes in tips sparks debate

A young server at a popular chain seafood restaurant has divided TikTok after sharing how much she made in tips for one night of work.

On March 4, TikTok user @jasminepaints79, whose first name is Jasmine, shared a video with her followers about the tips she earned during a single shift of work at Red Lobster. In the video, which has since amassed tens of thousands of views, the young woman gives a straightforward and honest look at what her night was like financially.

“So, I just finished a Friday night Red Lobster. I got here at 4:30. It’s around 10:30 now, so let’s see how much I made,” Jasmine says in her video. “I had 20 tables and my sales are over $1,500.”

She reviews her receipts for customers who paid with a credit card, sharing the totals as she goes. “On $111, I got $18, on $115 I got zero, $83 I got $6.79,” she says, adding other totals that range from a 0% tip up to above 15%, depending on the customer. Her last customer, who left $29 on a $94.29 bill, tipped almost 31%.

Jasmine then counts the money she’s collected over her shift for folks who paid in cash, estimating about $35 in tips from this group.

“Here’s my tips for the night. There’s a bunch of ones in here,” Jasmine says, counting the stack. “Alrighty, after counting all that, I ended the night with $209, which I can’t complain for six hours.”

Reaction to Jasmine’s open and frank discussion of her earnings ranged from support to surprise and even rage, with over a thousand people taking to the comments section to give the server a piece of their mind.

“People suck with tipping! You barely made 15 percent,” said one user on TikTok.

“Whaaaat?! $5 and $6 bucks on $100+ meals? That is insane to me. That’s 5%-6%!” said another commenter.

“Wow, I thought I got tipped bad at my job….this is depressing,” said another user, to which Jasmine replied, “It wasn’t the best night but it’s still over $30 an hour.”

“I work in Healthcare and that’s more than I make in an 8 hr day with WAY more stress and responsibility. I think I need a career change!” wrote another TikTok commenter to which Jasmine replied “You need a raise!”

Even with all of the support, there were just as many calling the TikToker out for their own particular reasons.

“You made 15% what else do you want?” asked one user on TikTok.

“That’s good, I will tip less from now because it is [too] much for that job,” said one (frankly very rude) commenter on TikTok. “Thank you for letting me know.”

Many comments (which are much too colorful to share here) curse and shout at the waiter, asking her why she is “complaining.”

“Another entitled server complaining about the tips….” wrote one commenter, along with the laughing and popcorn emojis. “Expecting a tip is your first mistake. Receiving a tip is a bonus.”

Representatives for Red Lobster did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment.

For 21-year-old Jasmine, all the attention — and derision — on this video came as a surprise, especially since she's shared other videos of her nightly tip hauls on her TikTok account.

“I wasn’t expecting much from a reaction from TikTok,” Jasmine tells TODAY.com via TikTok direct message, adding that she’s worked at a Red Lobster in the rural south for two years while pursuing a degree in political science as a 3rd year college student. “I only work at Red Lobster part time because I go to school full time.”

Jasmine says she expected to receive about 20 likes on her video, but when she woke up one morning, the video had gotten around 50,000 likes and lots of comments.

“I didn’t expect people to call me entitled or a b---- so much in the comments either,” Jasmine says, adding that knows that not everyone is going to tip — that’s part of being a server. “Other servers were angry as well when they saw that I wasn’t being consistently tipped 20% of the tickets.”

Jasmine says that the amount she made that night is a little more than what she typically makes on a Friday night, usually averaging around $170 in tips during the weekend rush. “But trust me, there have been plenty of days that I work where I go in and make $30-$40 for the same amount of hours. So it all evens out I would say.”

For waiters and other workers who rely on tips around the country, the concern over tipping is an issue at the forefront of their finances. This has led to joy, in the case of some who have received generous tips from celebrities and despair for some who served people who aren’t aware — or aren’t concerned — about how make or break tips are for some workers.

“It would be great if I could go in every shift and make $200 but that’s not the real world,” she says, adding that her take home pay is always a guessing game. “I only get paid $2.13 an hour so I hardly ever see a paycheck, and if I do it’s maybe $1-$5 at most.”

Jasmine wants people to know that while they’re not obligated to tip, it’s always appreciated by the wait staff — and if you can’t afford to tip, she recommends ordering takeout.

“I’m not saying that to be rude or disrespectful I’m saying that because most popular chain restaurants make servers tip out on their sales (not their tips).” Jasmine says. “So if a customer does not tip, the server paid out of pocket for them to eat there.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com