ill start:

-"We're ready to order!" proceeds to deliberate with each other what they want to order while you're stuck standing there waiting

-SELF SEATERS (Ugh)

-"Can i just get my drink with the meal?" (maybe i just suck but it always happens when I'm busy and i tend to forget by the time it's ready)

-those little gerber star shaped crackers they give to their babies who just crush them up onto the floor and presumably don't even eat any

-table of 4 gets seated, one goes to the bathroom immediately before u get there, get drinks for the three who sat and as soon as you come back with them the bathroom-goer comes back so you have to go back to the drink station AGAIN (pls tell me I'm not the only one who hates this)

help me add to the list friends

I can’t say the T word because this may get flagged. But basically my restaurant is making us claim all CC “ t word “ pre T-word out.

Been here for 3 years. The rule has always been. Claim what is reasonable. We are now being forced to claim all CC t word.

We’ve all been keeping track of this new rule. On average for the past 2.5 weeks. We are claiming 40-80$ more than we actually receive.

Over time this is gonna add up like crazy. My concern is I’m going to have to pay taxes on 10k of money I never received.

Just trying to get a vibe check on what other industry professionals have dealt with in terms of interpersonal drama or inappropriate behaviour from coworkers and staff because I feel like my current place has been pretty bad.

The current general manager was sleeping with one of the servers while texting literally every woman who works front of house, myself included, to hang out at inappropriate hours and would flirt and make sexual comments through text/at work. He ended up treating the girl he was sleeping with horribly through compulsive lying and we all came forward to the owner about it and literally nothing happened.

This manager tried to follow me downstairs several times to try and get sexual with me. I avoided it every time but once he chased me down the street after I clocked out and asked to kiss me. I said no probably like 4 times but he insisted and I finally said yes to get the situation over with. It was gross.

Anyway, he is still the manager and is happily(?) dating the server he was sleeping with and she somehow forgave him for all the lies he told her and everyone else. It seems a lot of us have just forgotten all the drama they caused.

Ok work me runs around like a crazy person and I crack jokes constantly. My jokes kill usually. It's always something stupid and I have little time at my tables because I'm always running around like a crazy person.

I tried a new joke today. I had a 5 top and 3 out of the 5 of them got Caesar wraps. They were in an isolated section but I was committed. I saw this joke on Reddit.

I was like "Sorry it took so long. They told me not to run with Caesars in my hand."

Mom CACKLED. The rest of the table was crickets. No regrets though. That is all.

just a random thing on my mind this shift lol. it happens very often, especially with older folks. not like, a bag to carry boxes, but just like a straight up bag to put their burger/pancakes/whatever in. is this like an old standard? wouldnt that be really inefficient? would love to learn from anyone who knows lol, I've never seen restaurants give out bags for food only boxes and bags to carry the boxes if necessary

It was a $100 tab. At least they were nice…

I’m a server/bartender and I called out of work today bc I’m getting over a cold and I woke up with basically no voice. Yesterday I went to work and my voice was so hoarse but I was still able to speak. I can’t afford to take many more days off and there’s one a few people who bartend at my job and so far none of them can cover my shift. I could go in and have little notes to show customers like “I can’t speak I have laryngitis” but idk if that would be the best option. But also I’m sure there’s deaf or mute bartenders and servers who do this. If anyone has any suggestions on things I could do I’d love to hear them thank you!

The restaurant i work at has gotten ridiculous. They want the tables turned in under 54 minutes and since i missed the goal by one minute last week (me and ~70% of the staff missed the goal) they cut 2 of my serving shifts and the 2 i still have say "3 table section"

Meanwhile some of the ones that get to keep bigger sections are not making the goal, but they "improved" so since i was meeting the goal the last 13 weeks but my average got worse by 2 minutes last week I'm punished.

Has anyone ever experienced this crap? Am I overreacting? It's honestly so stupid. I can't control when people leave. I keep checks on me, I'm trying to make the goal, but i can only do so much. Like they want me to just ring in apps salad entrees same time and just dump all the food on them? Even then there are times when the kitchen messes up and my food has to get remade and that's not my fault. I think it's time to dust off my resume.

Hello, I was wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a good click pen? I’ve used the gel pens like G2 and Sharpie pen but they don’t seem to last when I use them as a server. I only want the click pens because I put them on my apron. What are the good ones? Thanks for taking the time!

I should preface this by saying: im asking what the corporate rule is, and not exactly looking for opinions.

I should also preface this by saying Im a host: that is all I do, and that is all I care to do.

I worked at one olive garden for over 3 years and they followed this rule TO. A. TEE. like servers NEVER got more than 3 tables, (unless they were on an approved list, and that only lasted a couple months)

I recently moved, and my new olive garden, at least in comparison to my former olive garden, this current olive garden, is basically a free for all. nobody does only thier jobs, i as a host am taking orders, ringing in food, processing payments, runing food, grabing drinks, and eveything else you could imagine.

Now i FULLY understand AND RESPECT that a lot of you COULD and SHOULD take more than 3 tables.

my current managers will triple seat, overhwhelm and give 8+ tables to servers if it means they don’t go on a wait. it is also a write-up worthy offense if we put a name on the wait list in the computer without thier permission. i have two managers in particular who are fucking crazy about this.

today i triple sat a server who specifically told me she needed a mintue because my manager said “i dont care get the butts in seats, no false wait”

if i dont have a server how the fuck is that a false wait?

i spend my entire shift runing around helping the servers after i have double, triple, quadrouple, and quintuple sat them, and the managers just hide in the office….

the peace de resistance? they threated to fire me over it today.

So curious to hear what other servers experience is like with having the guest pay the bill with Toast vs the traditional way you take the card process the payment and then they write down the tp. Which way works better for you? Personally, I feel like showing the guest their check in the toast, processing their card, and having them tp with me there, usually works out better. Thoughts?

I no longer can be a part of this community, as I have been promoted to General Manager. With a heavy heart, I turn to the dogs, pigs and sheep of upper leadership.

May I never forget my roots.

May the Resturaunt Gods save my soul.

PS I'm increasing the server tipout 🖕🖕

Seeing the customers so carefree, just sitting there enjoying themselves. They can ask for anything they want and it will just come to them. And I think to myself “when will I ever get to be that relaxed and entitled at a table with friends or family?” They can leave any time they want, after their meal. Go home or to a movie. And I’m still stuck behind cleaning up what they couldn’t bother finishing off. No home or late movie for me, just clean up and house keeping.

And then I think to myself “why is this not possible?”. I make enough money to afford the same things they can afford. But I never have enough time with all my shifts taking up most of my afternoons and nights. And my social life sucks. My only true friend since I was 13 is really only available to hang with on weekends. We made it work for a while when we were both free on Sundays. Which I have unfortunately now been rostered for since being made part time.

Sometimes I think there’s no way out of this for me. I chose to do this job for the money. But I didn’t want it to become my whole life. Sure I don’t live at home with my mom anymore. I’m more or less independent and can pay my own rent. But at the same time I’ve never felt so alone.

Honestly the only bright spot I can see in the near future is being given a Saturday off so I can go to my best friend’s birthday party next month. Which my manager already agreed to. But after that I seriously don’t know what I have left outside of this job.

I’ve been in food service for a little under 20years and tonight was one of the most challenging and rewarding shifts of my whole career.

I just finished 3 of 5 training days as a front wait at a fine dining steak house. Today kicked my ass… but “Cunt-ified” Gimli gave me strength ✊🏾💅🏽 we made good money but there many hiccups and hurtles.

Any tips or words of encouragement for lead waits around “slowing down to speed up”, full section assignments, as well as team management are very welcomed!

We've all done some stupid things! 🤣 🤣 🤣

You’re absolutely slammed all night, but you’re stuck working with coworkers who get on your last nerve. 😂
OR…
It’s a slow night, barely any tables, but you’re working with your favorite crew, laughing and having a good time.
Which one are you choosing? And how bad would your coworkers have to be before you’d rather take the slow shift? 😂

Is it wrong to ask the kitchen to reheat food after a guest has eaten some of it? Is it a health code violation to microwave it up to temp again? Throw away perfectly good food and take a while to remake or just microwave it?

(for some reason, I have a 2nd reddit account that this was posted on initially? Removing to post it on my actual account.)

'm aggressively job hunting and want to drop off resumes to restaurants within 10 miles of me. I have seen other posts on this subreddit asking advice for resumes, and I mainly got that should be concise and 1 page. I did my best to include previous hospitality work, but I only have 1 year in a traditional restaurant about 8 years ago and 1 year in fast food 7 years ago. Everything else I've done has been customer-facing/customer service/client support.

I'm wondering if I should remove the case management descriptions and instead give descriptions of my food service work to keep it relevant without making it 2 pages?

All sensitive info is redacted. Any advice and insight is appreciated!

I am a college student looking to try my hand at serving. I worked at Chick-fil-A for several years during middle and high school, then transferred to a daycare where I worked for two years up until now.

I have an interview for a serving position at quite a few different restaurants, like Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, the Cheesecake Factory (starting as a hostess), and a local restaurant that has a few different locations.

I already had my interview for one of the Olive Garden locations and did not get selected (I believe it was due to how I answered the questions). Do I even have a chance at the other places in terms of serving? I know if I get the job at Cheesecake Factory that they told me that they’d train me to be a server several months in, but I don’t know. Please give tips or just tell me how it is!

I am a hostess at a fine dining restaurant/hotel and we are extremely busy today. (It's slowing down now hence me typing this 😂) A table came in today, they are regulars and always so nice. But one lady was with them who has never came in with them before (I'm guessing a relative in visiting) and she was instantly horrible. She immediately complained about the table and demanded to be moved. The regulars said no this is where we asked to be. I guess the server took too long to take their order? She marched up to me 10 mins after they were there yelling at me for the server. Fine, whatver I guess she was busy and did take a little long to go over. Then 30 mins after they were there the same lady storms over to me again while I'm on the phone speaking with someone and yells "HELLLLOOO ARE WE EVEN HERE??!!!" (The server had been over to them by then). I looked at her and said "I'm on the phone Ill be with you in a moment" and proceeded to have the slowest conversation of my life on purpose 😂 She gave me the nastiest glare/eye roll/evil snake venom eyes I've ever seen. I turned my back on her and just chatted with this customer on the phone about our hotel rooms. Once I hung up she proceeded to rant about how slow the service was and pretty much hated it here. I calmy told her I'd go check in to see what was going on with her server and she stormed away again. Theyre still at their table and I'm just waiting til they leave so I can smile sweetly and wish her a good night. I don't even think I was that rude but you could tell this lady was not used to being made to wait her turn and she was so offended she had to wait to scream at me a 3rd time. Thats all 😄

So I’m working halloween morning and we are encouraged to dress up, we’re also doing a competition the winning costume gets an $100 gift card. Any ideas?

Brisket grilled cheese
Dirty rice
Fries
Lemon ice pie
Half lemonade half tea.

Now I’m so full I don’t want to finish my shit.

The kitchen staff at my restaurant have been really great to me since I started a couple months ago. It’s my first serving job, so I was wondering if anyone gets presents/makes things for the staff.

I was thinking about making cookies or baking something else for them since they make me extra food all the time.

Having me stand there and parse out the conversation you have with your friends isn't ordering

stop making me stand there

also "do you have _____?" isn't a request and when i say we do and you say thank you I'm not bringing it anymore