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Landlord Michel Péclard pays high wages thanks to revenue sharing. Gastronomy competitor Rudi Bindella doesn’t think so.
The Zurich restaurateur Michel Péclard caused a stir this summer with a new wage model. He paid one of his waiters 16,500 francs in one month. Péclard relies on revenue sharing for the service staff in his restaurants. The top wage was an exception. But his employees would have earned between 8,000 and 12,000 francs a month in the summer – well above the guaranteed minimum wage of 3,750 francs for unskilled workers.
The model is a success: “If someone makes a lot of sales, I earn more from it. Why shouldn’t I pay him?” And the model created a positive climate. “We no longer have any cases of illness,” says Péclard with a slightly ironic undertone, “and we have motivated employees.” Generation Z was encouraged to work independently. “You are not employed by me, but are your own company.”
“Not good for the team spirit”
Now gastro entrepreneur Rudi Bindella junior comments on Péclard’s sales wage system. Bindella runs the largest family-run catering company in Switzerland. It has annual sales of around 220 million francs in 45 restaurants.
There are sometimes arguments among the waiters regarding potentially good customers or areas.
An attempt was made with turnover wages in 2010, but no good experiences were had with it. “There are sometimes arguments among the waiters regarding potentially good customers or areas,” says Bindella.
This was not very conducive to the team spirit, which is why the attempt was abandoned and there are no plans to reintroduce turnover wages.
Guaranteed wages are a prerequisite
Casimir Platzer, President of the Gastrosuisse industry association, is generally open to revenue sharing.
“Sales can give employees a stronger incentive to generate additional sales.” However, companies must ensure that employees with sales wages receive at least the monthly L-GAV minimum wage. This amounts to 3,582 francs.
Legend: Waiters and waitresses often have stressful jobs with low pay. (Symbolic image) Keystone/SALVATORE DI NOLFI (archive)
A wage of over 16,000 francs, like that received by a Péclard employee, is very high, says Platzer. “An employee can hardly achieve the associated turnover on their own, unless they work without Fridays, which would not comply with the law,” he criticizes.
Péclard defends himself
Péclard’s colleague Florian Weber, co-owner of Pumpstation Gastro Gmbh, says that the employee with the “record wage” worked 248 hours in June and thus worked almost 60 hours of overtime. He was actually entitled to 8.5 Fridays, of which he only received 6.5. However, he was able to compensate for the rest later or have it paid out. They behaved in accordance with the law.
Michel Péclard told SRF that he would like to continue the turnover wage system in the winter. He increased the minimum wage for service staff from 3,750 to 4,700 francs. This wage will be paid out even if sales are lower.
Bindella’s path to greater pay equality
Rudi Bindella takes a different approach in his businesses. On the one hand, the tips are distributed among the team, so the kitchen staff also receive something. This system has proven itself for many years. In addition, wages have been equalized: the fixed wages in the kitchen have been increased and kept the same in service.
Or to put it with a gastro bon mot: “The friendship between waiter and chef is something that the guest notices in the end!”
The Bindella company
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It all begins in 1909 with a wine shop in Zurich. Jean Bindella imports Chianti from Tuscany – delivered by horse.
In the 1940s, his son Rudolf took over the business. The family opens restaurants, invests in viticulture and takes over craft businesses.
In 1975, the next generation, Rudi Bindella, followed. He relies entirely on Italianità and is converting the group’s restaurants. Under him, Bindella became a brand with today 45 restaurants in all price ranges: from the Santa Lucia restaurants to the noble Restaurant Terrasse in Zurich or the Chez Donati in Basel to the Kornhauskeller in Bern.
The Bindella Group now has 1,450 employees. It has an annual turnover of 220 million francs. A market power with a lot of capital and real estate in a prime location.
Today Bindella is the largest family-run catering company in Switzerland.