For all the comments...
I do claim my tips, I do like my job, I am good at it so I won't quit. I work maybe 30 hours a week, have flexibility, insurance and alot of time with my kids. I don't have to wait until Friday to have the weekend off or kiss %#$ to get a promotion at I job I already hate. The only point I was trying to make was that people can be demanding, cheap, and very rude. To make the money I make I will not quit and work in a factory because I am kind to my guests and I take care of even the demanding, cheap and very rude because I don't have a bad attitude. You are right. Some people are NOT cut out to be servers and I have worked with my share of them. But that should fall on the managment staff. If they aren't good..Get rid of them so people have good service. But good service doesn't mean a good tip or any tip at all.

Actually...teacher2b...you should probably take another class on tax rules...because, yes, gross receipts can affect the tips reported...

"As an employer, you must ensure that the total tip income reported to you during any pay period is, at a minimum, equal to 8% of your total receipts for that period.

In calculating 8% of total receipts, you do not include nonallocable receipts. Nonallocable receipts are defined as receipts for carry out sales and receipts with a service charge added of 10% or more.

"When the total reported to you is less than 8%, you must allocate the difference between the actual tip income reported and 8% of gross receipts. There are three methods for allocating tip income:

Gross Receipt Method
Hours Worked Method
Good Faith Agreement "

I hope you don't intend to teach tax law....

Wow ! This is a hateful site! Let me try to not get yelled at here! I work,pay bills and have a family of 6. That's not cheap.We dont get to go out to eat very often for obvious reasons. I heard of the Denny's thing well before it happened but didnt go because I knew the wait would be too long.I have food in my house so Im ok. Freeloaders? Kiss my butt ! My family deserves something ,occasionally,that wont put us any more below poverty level than what we already are ! Tipping? I will not go anywhere to eat or order out if I cant tip at least $5. The only reason I would never tip is if the waitress was awful.I have had that many times.I was at a restaurant on Center ave. a few months ago and the waitress did as little for us a possible.She paid more attention to the couple of regulars in there than us. I had to go find a straw for my pop myself !(among other things) Needless to say,she got no tip ! Sometimes food needs to be sent back but I dont see that as the waitresses fault.She would get tipped anyway!

people are amazing, you complain because things are too expensive and finally a business offers up something free and wouldn't you know someone has to complain

wow serentity maybe you should not work in that line of business if all the people bother you. you are the type of person who makes eating out a miserable experience. find a new job that does not deal with customer's maybe you could work in a warehouse where no one has to deal with your bad attitude

Honestly, I think it says a lot about our society that anyone is complaining about a corporation like Denny's giving away a FREE breakfast. Despite their motivation, I think it was exceedingly generous, especially during these tough economic times. Seriously? Less complaining, more counting your blessings.

Serenity381 - You sound like a true professional server. Whining, complaining, rude and ASSuming that I have kids. You sound exactly like the customers you despise. Like the old saying goes, "takes one to know one."
Don't like the job.....QUIT!

Actually, Serenity, by law a server has to report all tip money received and that has nothing to do with the total amount on the bill. How much of that 700-900 a week do you tell Uncle Sam about?

p.s. I used to be a waiter and I absolutely loved it. I was pretty darn good at it too so I never worried about the cheap people because the money I got from everybody else more than made up for it.

OOPS.. I meant to say that "I'm not saying that I don't make good money because I do.

ljs
You are the ignorant person that brings your children into the restaurant and allows them to act like slobs, lets your partner be picky and rude while you sit back and try to decide what is good service. I am a good server. I work the hours I want and I make $700-$900 a week so I'm saying that I don't make good money, I'm saying people are cheap espically when they get a discount or something for free. Servers have to claim tips on the amount of sales NOT the amount of the sales AFTER the discount. we have for each shift worked.. What do you consider a good tip for good service. Lets start there if you don't look at the amount on the bill. You must think $5.00 for two people is great huh...think again. I bet I have waited on you before. I recognize the cheapness.

Actually hannah...

"The word originates from the 16th century verb tip, which meant "to give, hand, pass" and "to tap", possibly being derived from the Low German word tippen, meaning "to tap."[2][3] The modern German term for a tip is the unrelated Trinkgeld, literally "drink money."

The word "tip" is often inaccurately claimed to be an acronym for terms such as "to insure prompt service", "to insure proper service", "to improve performance", and "to insure promptness". However, this etymology contradicts the Oxford English Dictionary[4] and is probably an example of a backronym. Moreover, most of these backronyms incorrectly require the word "insure" instead of the correct "ensure"."

Wikipedia

I wasn't at the free meal that morning! But i did eat supper there. What i have to say about Dennys is!!! I thought slave labor was outlawed years ago!! I seen 2 waiters training a lady! She was running but off an listening to them demanding her to do more!! Wait on customers, clean tables,an do everything else so they could grab the tips an sit some more watching. Now that i call a easy living.!!!

Moons Over My Hammy.

While I understand the "tip represents the service" comment, I hope everyone understands that wait staff are often paid deplorable wages of 2-3 bucks and hour and management is allowed to get away with that because tips are "expected" to make up the difference. So please understand that this person who is waiting on some totally unappreciative people all day long, might just be having an "off day". You might not leave a big bonus of a tip -- but if you got your food without any major problems - a tip (and yes, based on the usual bill - not a promo or freebie) is simply the right thing to do.

I'm afraid to NOT tip at all. I figure anyone who's crazy enough to give me bad service is crazy enough to stab me with steak knife on the way out.

Beeferer not beefer Hannah. [Slapping forehead.]

There is no rule, regulation or law on what I have to tip. Here is the definition of a "tip"

tip3 
noun, verb, tipped, tipping.
–noun 1. a small present of money given directly to someone for performing a service or menial task; gratuity

If the service I receive is exceptional the tip will reflect that. If the service is NOT, the tip will also reflect the poor service.

Someone Special, I couldn't agree more! I always tip at 25% even if the service isn't great, as long as it is not terrible. I was a waitress for several years and I know how hard it is. Remember, if the cook/chef cooked your order wrong, it isn't the fault of the waitress.

For an hilarious discussion of tipping in restaurants see Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. The scene is at the beginning of the movie.

ljs.. Be a server and see how hard it is to serve people like youself. It's not easy to please people, there is always a trouble maker out there... I think everyone should be a waitress/waiter for 1 year and see hard you real work for your money....

Don't like being a server because of the customers, lack of pay, blah, blah ,blah? FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO !!
I tip based on the service I receive, not the total of the bill.

I sure wouldn't have wanted to work that free breakfast.. Servers make $2.33 an hour.. free meal means free service too. Wouldn't have been me. I am a server and I deal with enough cheap people that pay for their meals. Its worse when kids eat free. Supposed to tip from the price of the bill before the discount. Not to many people understand that. WOW. I feel bad for the servers having to work that madness for crap tips.

whatever happened to lums? why don't we get a sonic? the commercials sure make the franchise look good.

That place must have looked like Andreah's kitchen when it was all over.

SarahB, LOL

So, does it make me a freeloader or a dandy if I buy 2 for 1 specials at Target? I went last night to buy "Space Buddies" and ended up also buying "Oliver." Why? $5 Target gift card. So, I certainly hope all of you are paying full price for everything you buy and/or consume.

When businesses run promos like this, they consider it to be a sucess if they get a 30% return on it. So, if they served 130 Grand Slams per hour for 8 hours, that would be how many Grand Slams boys and girls? Jimmy? Correct, 1040. And, if over the course of the next 6 months, Denny's increased their customer base by 312 over last year's numbers, would this be a worthwhile event? Suzy? Very good. It was a DANDY of an idea, correct.

I hope they gave those waitresses combat pay. And, the cooks too!

Hannah- istead???!?!?!

I ate at Denny's once and they screwed up the order so bad that out of the five of us, 3 members of my family were done eating before the other 2 got their food. And mine, of course, had to be sent back again- wrong food for the third time in ONE visit! The manager came and apologized when I sent somebody else's dinner back for the second time. Then she had an annoying smirk on her face when she said sarcastically, "Come back soon!" I looked her straight in the eye and said, "No." I just left it at that. Our waitress looked at the manager with a puzzled look on her face when she heard her say that to me. I feel sorry for the unsuspecting tourists staying at the Baymont. They get the wrong impression about the restaurants in our city.

one * out of five for food and service. free still ain't good enough.

tjncj, good then you won't read this and you won't find out that no one believes you.

retiredat55; Better check what a freeloader means before you decide to call them out.
Freeloader, - The act of refusing to do work without valid excuses/reasons for being noncontributing to the work being finished.
I went there, paid for my coffee and juice plus I left a $5.00 tip for Judy the waitress and never once felt like I was a freeloader.
Denny's ran a promotion. You did not want to participate so GET OVER IT!

Beeferer- I have two people on the Gazettextra site whoI skip over completely, Hannah and Gazettefan. I have found out they just aren't worth the time or the effort.

Denny's wasn't running a promotion for OUR benefit. (actually, I wasn't there). There's an agenda. They know that not everyone will be return customers. Their intent was to expose people to their restaurant that wouldn't normally or have never gone there. There will be people who will come back for more and they know that. There's no such thing as free in anything regarding business! Non-cable TV isn't free for example! You may not have a monthly bill to pay, but you pay whether you know it or not. If we weren't paying, they wouldn't be putting the ads in front of our face every 5 minutes. It's about perspective.

I have had so many negative experiences at that restaurant that even a free meal was not worth going. From orders that were not placed by the waitress, to orders being completely wrong, to managers screaming at waitstaff to pick up their orders. She was not back in the kitchen, she was on the floor near many occupied tables. One of the fits she had caused me to spill my juice all over when I jumped because she scared the heck out of me. Haven't been back since. Occasionally they announce they have changed management, again, and that still is not enough to get me there. I like their food and will go to Denny's in other cities but the one in Janesville will never see me again.

I was talking about hannah's story. Much of what she said was in response to an earlier comment about tipping.

Waitstaff depends mostly on tips. If something is free, tip on what the ordinary value is.

She also touched on how ignorant breeders pass their ignorance onto their kids.

Beeferer- You are cracking me up today! Thanks!!

I think beeferer is referring to hannah's story. I'm with beeferer. I read the last paragraph 3 times and still don't know what's she's trying to say.

It made perfect sense. Read it again.

Wow. That was some story. At least I think it was. I could not make sense out of it.

I'm not better than anyone else, but, if I can pay my own way and let less fortunate people get in on the free things, I'm going to! I would never wait an hour for a free breakfast. And, with set hours, I'm sure some people who REALLY NEEDED a free meal may not have got one.

BY the way thank you Dennys

It is sad you all have to degrade the human beings. I am not above a freebee once in awhile does that make me a freeloader or dandy? I think not! Then the ones that make these comments are just that. I pray I never get to a point in my life where I think or believe I am any better then anyone else as I am not and neither is anyone else posting here. Something to ponder HOW SECURE is your job, your home. or anything else? We are all just one paycheck away from actually maybe needing a meal or 2. Get off your negative better then thou attitude and look in the mirror. That "FREELOADING DANDY" may be looking back at you !!!!!

One of our locally owned restaraunts had free Thanksgiving dinners to thank the community for their support. I would not go because I figured we make enough $$, eat there often, and wouldn't take advantage of his generosity. I wouldn't do that at Denny's either. Plus, I really don't care for the food whether it's free or not.

when you offer a FREE promotion it is FREE. who cares who took advantage of it the company offered it. do you think denny's was hoping nobody showed up?

I get a kick out of you holier-than-thou types throwing words around like "freeloaders" and "these dandies." Oh wait...guess that was "dandy's." LOL. Y'all are so much better than the people who showed up for a store promotion. Seriously. Pat yourselves on the back. Really really hard. I bet y'all don't even take the free samples offered at Woody's on Saturdays cuz you're so above it and all. I personally think it was a great idea. I'm sorry I missed it. Can't beat the Denny's French Slam.

According to my high school student quite a few skipped or signed themselves out for their free breakfast.

I stopped eating at Denny's when I found out Beefadelphia wasn't a real place!!!

What on earth is that supposed to mean? I had no interest in it but it's just a store promotion, like when Ben & Jerry's stores have free ice cream. It's really no different than using a coupon, they just don't make you bring one.
http://freebies.about.com/

Freeloaders is an understatement. My God. It is a parallel to what happens when the government gives out "free" things. Not for me.

We arrived at 9:30am. We waited an hour, but it was worth it. Breakfast was good and everyone waiting seemed pretty patient. There was a lot of high schoolers there even at 9:30am, so I'm not sure how they were all getting out of school.

I'm not a Dennys fan...never have been.... free meal or not....

Desperate Times lend it self to desperate measures. To wait for 45 minutes or more for a meal that normally costs $5.99 is hysterical. I agree, 80% of these dandy's will probably never be back until the next free meal.

I'm so glad they did this. I hope some hungry homeless people took advantage of it!

continued from my last comment. Will any of these people ever be back unless its free?

This promotion was done to attract future potential customers to come to Denny,s it would be interesting to know how many of these free loaders have ever been there before?

Thank You, Denny's for the free breakfast. The wait was only about 10 minutes for us.