It’s well-known that servers largely rely on customers’ generosity to make ends’ meet.
Because tips make up a large portion of their income, the competition to stand out can be fierce. So it’s no surprise that many servers often have tricks up their sleeves. There’s an art to upselling. And garnering sympathy from their tables can make all the difference.
For this Cheesecake Factory server, memorizing orders through mental imagery has helped him earn higher tips. He says his technique has landed him the No. 1 sales spot at his location.
What Is This Cheesecake Factory Server’s Method?
“I’ve been working at the Cheesecake Factory for four years now, and I want to tell you something you can start doing today, whether you work at the Cheesecake Factory or any restaurant, that will result in higher tips,” Cheesecake Factory server Wesley Twiggs (@wesleytwiggs) begins the video. “I am No. 1 in sales where I work, and I have been for a while.”
Then, he uses an order from a recent shift as an example.
“Yesterday, I had a table of 12. And every single one of them got cheesecakes,” he says. “Starting from the left all around, they got Godiva, Red Velvet, Oreo, Strawberry, White Chocolate, Pumpkin, Oreo, Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry, Tuxedo, S’mores, and Salted Caramel.”
Instead of pulling out a pen and notepad like a typical server would do, he says he formed a story in his mind. “I just created a little story, like a visual thing that I can carry with me long enough to get them from the bakery and hand them out,” Twiggs explains.
How Does It Work?
Essentially, he connects the cheesecakes with concepts using imagery. “So, I think of God (Godiva) dressed in velvet (Red Velvet), and he’s rolling an (Oreo) into a (Strawberry) field. In that strawberry field is Snow White (White Chocolate), and she’s singing into a (Pumpkin),” he says. “Out of the pumpkin flies an Oreo and lands on an antler of a moose (Chocolate Mousse), [who] eats a strawberry, and it gets on his tuxedo. Then, he sits down, he roasts some marshmallows (S’mores) and puts some salt (Salted Caramel) on it.”
To master this technique, the content creator recommends memorizing the menu. “You should take the menu home and just come up with preset images for a lot of different items,” Twiggs says. “So, you just associate, create a story. That’s all there is to it.”
What Do Viewers Think Of The Technique?
Twiggs’ video accumulated over 5,000 views. Those who already knew the trick shared how they successfully applied it during their school years.
“This is how I used to study for tests,” one viewer shared.
“I literally passed all of my college exams with almost all 100%’s using this method lol and still remember the things I learned bc of this!” another echoed.
“I too memorize [by] using association!! It’s helped acing my boards exams and now common day things like remembering names,” a third revealed.
@wesleytwiggs How to remember restaurant orders@The Cheesecake Factory #cheesecakefactory #serverlife #memory #cheesecake #fyp
The Psychology Behind The Trick
This is rooted in a form of psychology called associative memory. According to Very Well Mind, associative memory is the ability to remember relationships between concepts using visual and verbal information. Since there are several forms of this practice, Twiggs used the story method. As its name suggests, this method uses names or objects to link together to weave a story. The studies are mixed on whether memorizing orders maximizes tips. However, practicing any form of skill, like the types of associative memory, strengthens synapses in the brain, sharpening memory and recall, per Very Well Mind.
UPDATE: Twiggs credits fellow memory champion, Nelson Dellis, for teaching him this method. Memorization along with being good with names and numbers has resulted in a significant increase in sales, Twiggs told BroBible.
He shared via TikTok direct message, “Being great with names has also been great for all the regulars we have. With practice this has improved my general memory, yes. I’ve learned to basically make turning data into images my default way of thinking.”
He continued, “I have a PAO system for every cheesecake, and at least one person and usually one object associated with every menu item so I can store them in a mind palace or a story linking method with the preset images and not have to write it down. This has 100% resulted in increased tips.”
Twiggs believes everyone can improve their memories with this method.
“A very important thing I want to bring to people’s attention is that anyone can improve their memory. I have a naturally terrible memory but I learned these methods like the story method, PAO system, mind palace, and getting better at names, from Nelson dellis and his YouTube channel,” he said. “I just made the decision to improve my memory and it gradually got better and better with this kind of training. If I can do it then absolutely anyone can.”
BroBible also reached out to Cheesecake Factory via email.