this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2024
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Getting paid every night was pretty cool. It made it really difficult to budget anything though. I never had any idea how much money I'd make in a month. But I was terribly irresponsible with money back then anyways, so getting more of it every day was cool. Too broke to go out? That's fine, just wait until after my shift. Now I'm rich*, bitch!
^(* rich meant I had enough money to drink beer at the bar, or grab a 12 pack and a pack of smokes on my way to a party. I never actually made good money as a waiter)
The most lucrative setup I had was actually not a waiting gig but as a waiter’s assistant (WA) at a fine dining joint where I live. Amazing food. I’d been a waiter at Ruby Tuesday’s and a good buddy of mine helped me out and got me a the WA thing where he was. That’s where I got a real appreciation for good food. I made minimum wage plus a tip out every night. Main duties were to run food, fill water and tea, but the big one was flipping tables. Doesn’t sound like much, but I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. It freed the actual wait staff to spend more time paying attention to the guests.
Friday nights were awesome b/c I worked expo, and didn’t have opening or closing duties. Got to know the head chef well too. That place had the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had, and this mind blowing pancetta gravy that they’d made up one night several years prior when a bunch of the BoH folks were drunk partying together. Soooo glad I got that recipe.
That sounds like a great gig. I have a friend who was making $50k per year in the 90's as a nightclub bartender, working 12 hours per week. I tried very hard to get a job like that, but obviously the people who had them, kept them. He ended up staying there for several years after finishing college, since it was more money than he could make working 40 hours per week. He eventually got burned out and joined the rat race, but that seemed like an amazing gig to me.
I’ve known some career food service folks. Even if the money is good, I don’t think it’s something to stick with long term if you can avoid it. It’s hard to be present for a family and kids when your working hours are often when the kids are home from school. There’s little to no retirement prospects and it’s difficult to set up long term savings for such since it’s all on you (totally possible, but you’ve got to be intentional about it). Plus most restaurants don’t offer things like health insurance. Everything is in the moment with those jobs… nothing is planned for the long term. As such, it’s difficult to grow.
Folks in food service have my respect. I always hope the best ones find a way out eventually (proprietors excluded). Or I hope they find a way up where they can grow and get access to those employment benefits at whatever restaurant they’re at…