Dylan Colbert considers himself lucky.
Working as a server at Buttonwood Grill in Peddler’s Village a popular destination in Bucks County, the 21-year-old Temple University student said he’s grateful to work at restaurant where his employers treat him well and the customers tip generously.
“I’m probably one of the happiest people in the food service you can find,” said Colbert, who’s been with the restaurant since the end of 2020.
Depending on tips and the fluctuation in pay, Colbert explained, means developing an understanding that some days might be better than others, but it all averages out in the end.
“The difficult part is keeping your head in the right mindset if you have a weekend where you don’t make good tips. But over the course of a year, you’ll end up with an amount of money that you’ll be happy with,” he pointed out.
Colbert’s also had his fair share of challenging situations along the way, but admits he has fun interacting with his customers.
“Sometimes you get tables you can just really chat with for a couple minutes, that you just connect with in a genuine way, and it’s nice. At that point it’s not really about making money, it’s more of a side benefit where you have these positive social interactions,” he said.
But as much as he enjoys his job, he knows not everyone who works for tips are as fortunate.
Like Colbert — most servers, bartenders and other tipped workers in the service industry rely on the the kindness of their patrons in hopes of making a...
On Friday, April 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has agreed to pay just over $17 million to resolve allegations that ...