13 Reasons Why Everyone Should Work In A Restaurant | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

13 Reasons Why Everyone Should Work In A Restaurant

You'll learn much more than you think.

201
13 Reasons Why Everyone Should Work In A Restaurant
Unsplash

Working in a restaurant is not the most glamorous of jobs. The hours are tough, the stress can be high and the mess and smells will likely seep into your skin and stay with you for hours. While working in a restaurant is not always easy and not always fun, it is a work experience that everyone should do at least once in their life.

Here are some reasons why you should work in a restaurant:

1. You'll realize that hosts don't dictate the wait times.

Your wait time doesn't depend on the host's mood that night. The wait time is based on customer demand and amount of reservations. That leads to another point:

2. You'll learn to make reservations.

Planning on eating out this weekend? Make a reservation. Reservations ensure happy customers which means happy restaurant staff. If you have six or more people and you don't make a reservation, then good luck to you.

3. You'll learn to cancel your reservations.

If you make a reservation and simply don't show up, you probably caused some issues for the restaurant staff. Your table was held, the server assigned to that table was waiting and you create angry wait-listers who see an open table and wonder why they still haven't been seated. Just call and cancel your reservations, even if it is five minutes before.

4. You'll develop sharp customer service skills.

Working in a restaurant will expose you to all types of people. You'll experience the great people who go with the flow and you will experience the people who walk in on a Saturday at 6 p.m. with a party of eight and wonder why the heck they can't get a table. Your restaurant experience will teach you to appreciate the friendly customers and how to deal with the difficult ones.

5. You'll learn to work in chaos.

Working in a restaurant setting can often get chaotic. You will be forced to multitask, run around and wear multiple hats all while keeping a smile on your face. You'll often go home at night at the point of exhaustion.

6. You'll appreciate comfortable shoes.

When you work in a restaurant you are often on your feet for the whole entire shift. When I first started as a hostess I would come to work in stylish shoes. That quickly came to an end. After my first week on the job I invested in a pair of overly expensive, yet overly comfortable flats. I proceeded to wear the same pair of comfortable flats every single night on the job.

7. You'll appreciate people who tip properly.

But that doesn't mean you feel that you always deserve a big tip. You know when you are working hard for your tip and when you are simply skating by until your shift ends. That being said, there is nothing worse than when you get shorted on a tip that you put extra effort into getting. Working in a restaurant made me a much better tipper.

8. You'll realize how much impact the people around you have.

Your co workers in a restaurant have a huge impact on how your shift will go. There is a huge difference between working with people who are willing to help you out and working with people who are only worried about themselves.

9. You'll reconsider getting to a restaurant within 30 minutes of closing time.

Towards the end of the night, servers get cut, or are set free to go home, which means every table that comes in is assigned to just a couple servers. Servers and hosts are also responsible for side work or housekeeping items they must do before they can go home. When you come in and sit down near closing time, you'll create some pretty angry staff members.

10. You'll stop blaming your server for everything that goes wrong.

Sometimes the kitchen is backed up. Sometimes the chef accidentally puts onions in your dish when you specifically ordered no onions. Your server is just one piece of the supply chain and everything that goes wrong isn't his or her fault.

11. You'll realize that the restaurant staff doesn't control the noise level.

"It's soloud in here," said at least one customer a night. Sorry, the staff doesn't control how loud or how quiet your dining experience is.

12. You'll understand when restaurants are understaffed.

While it shouldn't happen often, there are nights when two servers just don't show up and the bartender walked out mid-shit. After working in a restaurant, you'll be more patient with the server who has eight tables.

13. You'll (probably) get a nice discount.

Most restaurants offer discounts on food for employees. You'll learn the best dishes and might be able to get that nice steak for a fraction of the price.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
man and woman
www.lifefactuality.com

We’ve all dated someone who just wasn’t quite right...but, why?

Here are nine reasons you're probably still too in denial to admit.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Laugh, Cry, and Relate: Chandler Bing's Best Quotes

Because Chandler Bing should be everyone's spirit animal.

86
Chandler Bing
Zimbio

Ah, Ms. Chanandler Bong, or Chandler Bing as he is better known as. For 10 years, Chandler brought us many laughs, many tears, and, well, Matthew Perry's fame. He is, personally, my favorite character on "Friends" because he made me laugh more than any other character on the show and I felt like I could relate to him more than the other characters on the show. Anyway, here are 10 Chandler Bing quotes that anyone can relate to... or graduates can at least...

Keep Reading...Show less
girl
Pexels

In case you're unaware, "resting bitch face" is the term used to describe when a person's natural, expressionless face makes it look like they are mad at the world. Whether they are walking down the street or simply spacing out thinking about what to eat for dinner, it's very easy for others to assume that this person is either upset or mad at them. Because of this, those of us with Resting Bitch Face (RBF), and especially us women, have all experienced many of the same situations and conversations, including:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

The Stages Of A Crush As Told By The Cast of "Bob's Burgers"

We all go through certain stages when we have a crush, Tina just explains it better.

1185
my heart just pooped its pants
Google

We've all had a crush before. Whether it leads to something or nothing, the process has all been the same. The awkward feelings, the stalking, and the stress of trying to keep this huge secret. The feeling of becoming a total spazz is something that cannot be avoided, and the most spazzy family that can relate to this feeling is the Belcher's.

Keep Reading...Show less
you didnt come this far to only come this far lighted text
Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

At the tender age of 18, we are bestowed with the title of “adult.” For 17 years, we live under the rules and guidelines of our parents, school, and government, and to stray from any of those rules or guidelines marks us as a rebel. At 18, though, we must choose which college we want to go to or what career we want. We are allowed and encouraged to vote. We can buy lottery tickets and cigarettes. We can drop out of school, leave our household, and do other "adult" things. At 18, we start down a path of thinking for ourselves, when for the entirety of our lives other institutions have been mandated to think and do for us.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments