Why full service restaurants on GTA World are very scarce

[DLimit]

22 minutes ago, rainbowlarva said:

if you find it to be unrealistic, then knock yourself out. there is absolutely nothing stopping you from doing that

 

there is plenty of business concepts that pay far, far above what is reasonable. ProTech for example pays their security what, 60k? that's extremely high - more than the script pays out your average cop by nearly 20k

Just as a barista, LTD clerk, chef, and waiter can earn $84,000 a week, higher than security agents and Law enforcement, yet they actually want to earn $252,000 a week (Plus tips). A ProTech agent has to be actively on duty to earn those wages, while LEOs have to be on-duty for 20 hours. Seeing that minimum wage is $4,000... security agents and LEOs are earning far less than those who should be earning less, such as baristas. LEOs and security are earning about 6-8 hours of minimum-waged labor, per week. 

But it's not about the money, it's about the RP, right? If it were really about the RP, then they wouldn't need to earn 3x the hourly wage to RP as a chef/waiter etc... it reverts back to my initial argument that it's really not about the RP, then, but about assets. We're slowly devolving into an RPG server, and more suggestions that feed into it. Replacing RP with script and assets, then people wonder why "it's all about the assets instead of the RP" when they push forth these suggestions that deteriorate actual RP.

Those chefs/wait staff aren't even in it for the RP if they need 3x-4x the income to fulfill a minimum-wage position. The more that you feed into it, then the more that it will happen.

Edited December 2, 2024 by DLimit

[mj2002]

One of the things I noticed when going from this thread back to another recent thread. Money loses its value as a motivator, meaning people move around it. In this situation, it means the average character is not willing to work because they already have money anyway. In the other instance, its being circumvented as a goal for criminal roleplayers, they're more interested in weapons and drugs instead.

 

 

I don't have a perfect solution for this, other than coming down hard on the ease at which money flows into the economy. But that's going to be a super rough transition that people aren't going to enjoy.

 

[KostasF]

I feel that finding staff for any legal job is proving a very difficult "task". Restaurants are extra hard to run, I know because I've helped run one for a couple of months. To be fair. Especially being a waiter is hard to the point, that most people are simply not willing to do it, no matter what the "salary" is. I know I was only doing it to help my friend who was the owner. I recall feeling physically exhausted after a two hour shift of running back and forth, and trying to keep track of what was ordered, what was served, who has and hasnt paid and so forth. 

It would be good if we somehow figured out a way as a "server" for people to get back to being:
A: Interested in working the menial jobs, preferably for a realistic salary.
B: Interested in actually RPing an employee properly. I'm tired of seeing bartenders drive around in half a million cars, we've taken the bar way way wayyy too low.

Yes I do feel this is turning more into an RPG style server, rather than a Heavy RP server that its meant to be.

 

Edited December 2, 2024 by KostasF

[KostasF]

Also just to respond on some things I read further above, and no I have not read the whole topic.
No criminals dont earn money more easily than legal roleplayers, quite the opposite. Criminals have way more risk for way less of a reward. Further I feel that most criminal groups actually try to "manage" their members fully, try to keep them in line to be realistic with their characters, though I do admit some do fail indeed.
At the same time no business owner can or tries to keep his employees from buying unrealistic shit, or acting in an unrealistic matter, And I'm not saying thats something business owners should do, but something once again, the whole server should work on as a whole.

[Dino]

Hi everyone,

 

I’ve been actively playing on the server again since last year after a long break, and since then, my character has taken charge of opening a variety of businesses. I’ve managed multiple nightclubs, a strip club, a comedy club, a restaurant, a café, and most recently, Marlowe Vineyards. The struggle to find reliable people who not only show up but also genuinely enjoy the roleplay experience is very real. For every five roles I needed filled to open a business, I often had to find five additional backups in case the original staff couldn’t make it.

 

I’ve never cared much about script money—like many of you—so I often found myself covering costs out of my own pocket just to keep these businesses running. Of course, every business is different and requires a unique approach. With Marlowe Vineyards, for example, I’ve had to deal with similar staffing needs as your venue, Al Dente's: servers, bartenders, security, valet, and so on. The difference is, we don’t get the 4k/hour that you receive, which made it even harder to cover everyone. I wanted to share how I’ve managed these challenges in case it helps others, and to offer some suggestions for improvement.

 

As an OOC trait, I absolutely hate making others uncomfortable. Even though I RP an illegal character, I avoid things like muggings and scams, and when running businesses, I prioritize ensuring my staff enjoy their roleplay experience. If they’re not having fun, I try to address the issue immediately. This mindset has helped me connect more closely with people who RP alongside me, making them more interested in sticking around and contributing to my venues. Some of it comes down to luck—I’ve been fortunate to become friends with people who enjoy the type of RP I aim to create—but I also credit this approach.

 

Another big factor in my progress has been my involvement in an OC faction. The faction provides a pool of people looking for work and money, and it creates RP opportunities where members want to impress their superiors. This has been a crucial source of affordable, consistent labor. I know this isn’t an option for everyone, but it’s something that has worked well for me.

I’ve attended your (Al Dente’s) openings a couple of times in the past few months (unfortunately, I’ve only been online for two of them), and I want to say how much I appreciate the events. They’re refreshing, well-planned, and a lot of fun. I always try to support them by tipping staff generously, advertising to friends, and using your catering services elsewhere. That said, I completely understand the challenges you’re facing in finding the right people.

 

In our case, we’ve been trying to turn Marlowe into a legal unofficial faction and apply for a government (PM) budget. This would allow us to pay people properly without relying so heavily on our own funds. So far, we’ve been sustaining operations through private events, but those aren’t a consistent or reliable source of income. For your business, since it relies on so many people to run smoothly, I would highly recommend exploring the same route.

If we’re talking about server-wide improvements to the business system, there’s definitely room for quality-of-life updates. For example, introducing a tier system for businesses with varying /startshift salaries and /openbusiness patron bonuses could make things more manageable.

 

In Summary:

1. Be patient and wait until you find people genuinely interested in working with you.
2. Ensure your staff enjoys roleplaying at the venue and address any issues promptly.
3. PM should provide additional support for businesses like Al Dente that require a large number of staff to function properly (similar to what’s done for Diamond), because the experience they create is among the best on the server.

Edited December 2, 2024 by Dino

[Welsh]

One of the reasons I created HungerHub was to give Restaurants and Fast Food places a passive income, to try and offer some incentive for them to keep opening and being operated. Food RP is a niche that can be done really well, because hardly any places outside of Fast Food places open.

 

Also as someone who has operated various legals businesses, I also emphasize with trying to get regular staff,.that gets to the point that you pay above minimum wage, just to ensure you have staff. 

 

Unless it is a fast food joint, I wholeheartedly agree chefs in the kitchen should be allowed to be NPC, the position is very much mostly just a repetition of /me's and /do's for the sake of creating a virtual meal, the main RP is what is happening out front. That is what people are coming for, not to read in chat about the chef making another burger in a kitchen that they can't even see them. 

 

This would lighten the load on the waiting staff, as they could just collect the order from a container in the kitchen, reducing wait times for food and increasing RP. 

[PunishedCosby]

I feel this. Was part of an attempt to set up a full service restaurant a long time ago. Getting even 3 people on at the same time to open it is really difficult on a regular basis.

[ciccone]

In my opinion, due to the nature of GTA as an action game and the fact that "cops vs. robbers" is generally more entertaining because of the "adrenaline" (if you will) it provides, fully legal RP will always be secondary. Restaurants are an even more specific case, since such environments depend entirely on RP: there's no music playing as in nightclubs or scripted games like in casinos. It's just text-based RP: something many seem uncomfortable engaging with, ironically.

[Parade]

17 minutes ago, ciccone said:

In my opinion, due to the nature of GTA as an action game and the fact that "cops vs. robbers" is generally more entertaining because of the "adrenaline" (if you will) it provides, fully legal RP will always be secondary. Restaurants are an even more specific case, since such environments depend entirely on RP: there's no music playing as in nightclubs or scripted games like in casinos. It's just text-based RP: something many seem uncomfortable engaging with, ironically.

You have said what I've always wanted to say without making it seem like you were insulting illegal roleplayers. I could never seem to formulate words like this. Thank you so much for speaking my mind.

[Fabulous]

It's the tip culture. In USA almost all waiters/waitresses work minimum wage and make it up with the tips because everyone is going to tip something. Businesses shouldnt have to pay so much to this position and at the same time people should be leaving better tips in places like this for these businesses to keep existing.