Arriving Feb 1 and already interviewing with two East Side groups; I’m seeing CDC ranges at $70–85k base with pooled tips and 50–55 hours expected, with sourcing leaning on Lone Star and Farm to Table TX… If you’ve landed recently, are stages leading to offers right now, and who’s opening Q1 versus quietly freezing hires because of slower covers?
I landed my CDC here by asking for a paid Fri–Sat trail plus a Monday ordering block so I could meet the Lone Star and Farm to Table TX reps and see how the “pooled tips” pays out; if they won’t do that in Q1, I’d treat it as a soft freeze. Are your East Side groups open to a two-shift paid stage around Feb 1?
I’d ask to do a quick costing exercise during the stage — build one app, one mid, and one entree off their current order guide with a yield test, then stack it against their labor matrix. It’s a fast peek under the hood and shows if the base plus ‘pooled tips’ really offsets the hours; some places here pause CDC offers until after SXSW, so get timelines and a 90‑day review in writing. Which groups are you meeting — MML or Emmer & Rye?