STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

sephorablue · Marc Jacobs

need help... waitressing?

shopgirl82 · Chanel

i almost think a chain restaurant would be better. my sister always goes home and just goes to the nearest chain and they start her the next day. i feel like with a small place they may have more invested and really care who they're hiring and how long you'll be there. my experience with chain restaurants is that they're busy, they're used to people leaving, and they'll hire you in a second with no experience. plus, the whole hiring process is fine tuned.

whatever you do, i would not disclose that this is temporary.

Hermes

well, you can hit the restaurants you're interested in and ask if they are accepting applications for wait staff (or servers.) You will want to do this around 2:30-4:30 during the slow time.

typically, they want experience, even if they're small... you can make good money waiting tables, but it's not pleasant work IMO.

you would be working nights and weekends, you get sick often because you are handling dishes and utensils used by random general public (I learned to NOT touch my face until my hands were well washed), you will have food under your fingernails, food and crud permanently encrusted on the soles of your shoes, and your hair and whatever you wore will reek of the kitchen after your shift. You also have to swallow your pride when serving people, you will be treated like a servant at times, and not get tipped. You will not receive a normal hourly wage either, and probably won't get a paycheck at all after taxes based on 8% of your sales (most common, but not across the board.) You will rely solely on tips. If you work lunches, you won't make squat, the money is in dinner. If you work your way into fine dining dinners, you can make halfway decent money. In NY, fine dining server jobs are traditionally given to men (antiquated, but true.)

The tail end of my server career (in conjunction with finishing my undergrad) was spent in fine dining. I vowed I would never do it again. BUT, if in a pinch, I would...

Some things you need to know as a server are providing a prompt greeting, timing the cadence of food delivery, up-selling through time appropriate suggestions, and being cordial with random people (some can be nice, but some are not), while juggling several tables, and saving your steps by getting as much taken care of in the kitchen while there, and taking care of as many people as you can while in the dining room before you go back to the kitchen.

HTH

jrhampt · Kenneth Cole

I actually had better experiences cocktail waitressing during college than food waitressing. It's easier and the tips are way better. I used to just go into a bar or nightclub all tarted up (this is the one type of job interview where you want to look sexy) and ask if they were hiring. If you look cute enough, they usually are. You can also check the classifieds online or in the local city paper to see what bars/clubs are hiring.

blink · Coach

shopgirl82 wrote:

i almost think a chain restaurant would be better. my sister always goes home and just goes to the nearest chain and they start her the next day. i feel like with a small place they may have more invested and really care who they're hiring and how long you'll be there. my experience with chain restaurants is that they're busy, they're used to people leaving, and they'll hire you in a second with no experience. plus, the whole hiring process is fine tuned.

whatever you do, i would not disclose that this is temporary.

I agree with all of this. I worked for two different chain restaurants (Applebee's and Outback Steakhouse) in the mid 90's, they both have good training programs. I really liked working as a waitress. Chains are more likely to scrutinize about serving experience if you are young, if at all. Mostly they just want friendly and ethical people who they can trust to show up on time for their shifts, handle cash and multi-task. It's an easy job. You make the most money if you get closing shifts, as that shift gets the best section all night. Otherwise, sometimes managers stick new hires in their slow sections, so the money can be disappointing at first. New hires are best off sticking their neck out and offering to pick up extra shifts in order to make it worth it.

I only worked at a small family (Lebanese mob!) owned restaurant once. The money was really good right away, it just wasn't much fun for me...not a lot to talk about with the staff or with the customers.

Liz · Kenneth Cole

I think cocktailing moght be a good fit for you. I've only cocktailed at a nightclub, but i think a nice relaxed bar would be a good way to make extra money without too much stress or needed training.

Cocktailing at a nightclub:

Pros:

Good money for short shifts (80-170 dollars for a four hour shift after tipping out)

Unless you are working tables, if the customers are not tipping/giving you a hard time you really don't have to serve them

Cons:

Most drunk people are jerks. (expect to wear a lot of drinks, complaints about how the drinks are too weak/taking too long)

A few drunk people are scary. (fights can and will break out every now and then)

A lot of drunk guys are pigs.

Where I worked there was a weird contention between servers and bartenders

Some of the other servers will be not so nice if you're making more money than them

*For me cocktailing in a club was not worth it. I would try cocktailing again, but only in a nice bar/lounge or even a sports bar where the vibe isn't so "meat market" and people aren't trying to get as drunk as possible. A friend of mine works at a sports bar and makes pretty good money ($180 dollars for 6 hours). She likes it because the guys are just there to unwind after work, hang out and watch a game not to hook up or get stupid drunk. Plus, a lot of the people there are regulars so they tip her well.

I currently work for a local restaurant chain and agree with the other girls that the best money is the dinner shift most of the time. (I work graveyard and make just as much if not more because a lot of the people that come in are servers who have just gotten off work) Plus, chains are always having a high turnover rate so most will always be hiring.

I like my job, but a lot of the time it's very stressful. People can be extremely rude when they don't get what they want, when they want it. They will not care that you are new, on your 8th hour of a 10 hour shift, have ten tables besides them, and are two cooks short in the kitchen- they want their coke, no ice, extra lemon, RIGHT NOW. If you have a short temper or can't take people treating you like you are sub-human at least once a day, this is not the job for you.

On the bright side, the money is usually good and a lot of the best people I've ever met are/were my co-workers. Plus, sharing customer horror stories is so fun over a beer (or three) after work!

-- Edited by Liz at 18:06, 2007-01-05

Suasoria · Chanel

I went on a grand total of two interviews for restaurant jobs in my teens, and both had policies that they started people as hosts/hostesses for a few weeks while you learned the ropes. (I got neither of these jobs, by the way. I don't do "pleasant and cheerful" very well.)

I do eat out a lot, and to me it's obvious that a good server and even a mediocre one works his or her tail off. (D., your post scares me!)

But hostessing at a French bistro looks like a blast...you dress up, make small talk, pretend to lose some jerk's reservation, send over a drink to a cute dude, etc.