Like many college students, I have to work to pay my way through school. After working two seasons at Frankenmuth's Christmas Wonderland, Bronner's, I decided to finally become a server like I have always wanted to try. I applied and was quickly hired at Bavarian Inn Restaurant of Frankenmuth. From past experience working in Frankenmuth, I knew how busy this town could get.
Working in a tourist town means you rarely get a weekend off. Weekends are typically busier for most businesses but double or even triple that business when you are in a tourist town. Some weekends are packed open to close. My first weekend after training was Memorial Day weekend, which was also Dog Bowl (doggy olympics). From Friday evening until Monday afternoon, the restaurant was packed. I spent from 11:30 am to 12:30 am there Friday night. I have never been more exhausted and my feet had never hurt so bad. I was ready to cry by the end of the night purely from exhaustion, but then I looked at how much I made and I really couldn't complain.
Although weekends are expected to be busy and week days are typically slow, you could get hit hard on a Tuesday morning just like that. A big thank you to bus groups mainly for our random weekday business. Bus groups take tour buses all over the state and sometimes even further. Frankenmuth, along with other tourist spots such as Mackinaw City and Island, get hit frequently. Usually these groups are of senior citizens who just adore the Bavarian atmosphere of Frankenmuth. While it can be crazy being so busy out of no where, its pretty great to see how happy and excited these people get about the town.
In a tourist town you also need to know the town pretty well. I've yet to have a single day of working that someone didn't ask how to get to a specific shop or the express way. Along with directions, people expect you to know plenty of fun facts. Tourists love to ask questions and even if you're a little off, they love it when you have an answer.
Being in tourist town can mean seeing hundreds of new faces daily but it also attracts a lot of regulars. So many people come every year for Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holidays alike. Lines are out the door and the staff is basically full for those days. You're sure to have a busy day and tired feet but these people are so happy to keep this tradition alive. It's nice to see such smiles on their faces, and the tips tend to be nice too. I once had a customer tell me they come to Frankenmuth to celebrate their anniversary, because Disney World is too expensive to go to every year but Frankenmuth is the next best thing. People love Frankenmuth!
Working in a tourist town can definitely be exhausting and time consuming. You're going to be crazy busy sometimes. You're going to need to know a lot of things to answer the millions of questions you will have. But I promise you this, it's definitely worth it. The smiles that light up a room, the fun filled atmoshere, and I'll be honest, the money is great too. Working in a tourist town is something everyone should try once if they have the oppurtunity to.
