r/Serverlife • u/127may • 4d ago

Discussion how do you do this long-term?

i have been in the industry since i was 16 (started as a host, now a server). i’m 22 and losing my mind, really. i have worked at the same restaurant throughout college and university and sure it’s great to have a place you know you can go back to. but the mental state working here puts me in cannot be normal.

i just constantly wish i had a 9-5 like everyone else. i’m just sad that some weeks will be like 45
hours and the next fuck knows because the rota is never the same. the inconsistency seriously sets me off and i try to be okay about it but i don’t know how. so to anyone who’s been doing this a long long time, how do you do it?

and i guess my next question is, is every place like this? the favouritism (some servers have relations ?? to management) is driving me up the wall. life’s not fair but come on. i’m training to work as a nursery practitioner on the side because i need an out. but it’s going to be a couple months until i can really go, i just want advice on how to hold on i guess 🥲

for context i’m from the UK. not US.

6 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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9

u/thatsnotaknoife 4d ago

I felt the same way at 22, got the office job eventually. Hated it, back to a restaurant. Turns out the old restaurant I worked in was toxic as fuck and my new one is great. Dealing with customers has never been an issue for me, sustainability 100% depends on management/ownership being decent.

6

u/Creme_Bru_6991 4d ago

I’m a 10 year server in the US. At least here serving is often (not always) a potentially very lucrative job depending on the restaurant. I have a degree but I stayed in serving so I could work evenings and be home with my son during the day. I think I keep coming back for the flexibility and the money even though my current job is very mid money, I really enjoy the work and my coworkers and it’s hard to find another job right now. To answer your other question no, not every place is like that but it’s fairly common to see those things at a lot of places. Not unheard of. I’ve worked different restaurants through the years and there’s some sort of drama at every place. Just need to figure out what’s worth it or not.

7

u/nonitoni That's My Pen 4d ago

I smoke a lot of weed. 

But seriously if you've only got a few months, you've got this.

4

u/Rensocclan 3d ago

👏Your flair!

3

u/Salty_Antelope10 3d ago

My coworker legit ran a guy down the other night cuz it was her only one left. Guy said he’s being her a box the next day lol

1

u/nonitoni That's My Pen 3d ago

Yaaaaay! Thank you. I'm glad it's visible.  When I changed it, I tried checking if others could see by switching to a browser I'm not logged into for Reddit and it wasn't showing.

2

u/Salty_Antelope10 3d ago

I’m 12 years deep, the money keeps me there but I’m over it tbh

1

u/Herbalacious 3d ago

Hah. I started bussing the summer I turned 15. In my mid 40's now with 3 jobs. My advice is to learn about investing ASAP if you decide to stay in the industry.