The majority of us twenty-somethings and over have worked in the hospitality industry at some point.
A lot of teenage ‘summer jobs’ consisted of collecting glasses in the local pub, or waitressing in a nearby restaurant.
If I had my way, I would make it compulsory for every millennial to be put through their paces for at least 6 months in a waitressing job. It is character building stuff.
Restaurant work is not something that is easy to forget. The unsociable hours. The tips (or lack of them). The burns. And of course, the plate juggling…
Here are 10 things that you now carry through life that proves you’ve worked in a restaurant.
1. You always tip.
You were there once. You know how appreciative waiting staff are of tips…
And you also remember how much you disliked the people that didn’t.
2. Tricks of the trade.
You can balance numerous plates at once. Remember a list of drinks without writing them down. Carry 9 wine glasses by placing them between your fingers. All of which are life skills that you could now not live without.
3. You never complain about food. Ever.
It would have to be a completely dire situation in order for you to make a fuss over a food issue. Bad service is one thing, but you are all too aware of how temperamental chefs can be.
You would never give the individual waiting your table the task of taking your meal back to the kitchen. You will eat that medium rare steak. And you will like it.
4. Clear up.
You have the plates stacked before the waiting staff get over to the table. In fact you begin to stack plates and clear up before everyone at the table is finished, because you remember how awkward table clearing can be. And you’re an angel.
5. “It’s not on the menu”
You never ask for anything that is not on the menu. Ever.
It really embarrasses you when someone in your company does, (so you apologise to the person taking the order several times more than necessary).
6. No sitting on.
You always leave a restaurant as quick as you can because you hate sitting on, especially at the weekend.
You know all too well that sitting around waiting for people to leave is soul destroying.
7. Uniforms repulse you.
Never in your life will you be able to put on a pair of black trousers without identifying them with working in a restaurant. Uniforms, or anything that looks remotely like a uniform, repulses you.
Also, because you socialised many times in your work attire you hate uniforms a little more. “Lets go for a drink” only ever leads to one thing… out for the night in our uniform. Classy.
8. You hate going into a busy restaurant.
Anyone that has worked in hospitality, knows that between the hours of 6pm on a Friday and 8pm on a Sunday, there is simply no place quite as hectic as a restaurant.
That is why you try to avoid them at all costs. Tuesdays, however, now you’re talking.
9. Never change an order.
You’ve just ordered a dish and realised that there is an ingredient that you don’t like, or you’ve spotted someone else’s food at a table (food envy) that you liked the look of, but you’ll never change your order.
10. You HATE bad service.
There is simply no excuse good enough.
