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Those not in the service industry don't realize what a tough job it is to be on the wait staff at a restaurant or bar. Long hours on your feet and little pay, except for tips earned, make this vocation one that can eat up the weak and wimpy. Thanks to National Waiters and Waitresses Day, held every May 21st, patrons every type of dining and drinking establishment have an opportunity to recognize the work these servers do day in and day out.

It is standard protocol to leave a tip of 15% for service in a restaurant and preferably 18 - 20% or more if the service was better than norm. Some people don't bother paying the tip which is unconscionable considering that wait staff doesn't even make minimum wage. On National Waiters and Waitresses Day, it would be a nice gesture to leave your server a little something extra along with a smile - something they don't get often enough.

Here's another tip; a fun way to celebrate this day of "dishing it up" is to dress up in a waiter or waitress costumes. Dress up in a waitress or waiter costume and "serve" dinner in your own home, imagine the surprise of your family when they order from printed up menus and are tended to with your impeccable manners and service. Hopefully, they'll turn the tables and do if for you next year.

Waiter costumes run the gamut from casual to formal. The most stereotypical waiter costume consists of a starched white dress shirt, black pants, a black bow tie and a white half-apron tied at the waist. A little, pencil-thin mustache and haughty attitude would add a dose of humor to any event. In October, scary Halloween costumes premised on waiters are popular including a men's waiter costume that features a head on a platter!

Costume ideas for waitress costumes range from kitschy, retro-diner inspired costumes. Inspired by the character Flo on the 70s television show "Alice", a diner costume features a uniform-looking, collared dress with an apron. Wear sensible shoes, a huge bouffant wig and smack on gum! Don't forget to bring along a little notebook for taking orders and stash the pencil behind your ear. You could also don roller skates and be a car hop waitress. Another popular womens costume is to dress as a barista in a coffee shop. Fashioned after the apron-look of employees at the most ubiquitous coffee shop in the country, this barista costume puts a sexy spin on selling coffee!