Why You Should Work in a Restaurant
For years, I worked as a cook and bartender for a few different restaurants. It was decent money and I enjoyed the challenge of managing (or trying to manage) a chaotic environment. Every shift was different. Some nights everything was clicking and it seemed that nothing could derail it. Other nights, it was impossible to accomplish even the simplest tasks. People from very different backgrounds, motivated by different things were all tasked with creating an experience for other people.
It’s 4:30 PM.
It’s nearing the end of the quiet time between the lunch shift and the dinner shift. It’s actually a really strange time for a restaurant. Too quiet. You have servers enjoying the short break in the middle of their double shift, cooks methodically preparing for the onslaught of orders, managers sitting in their small office reconciling the revenue from lunch, and other servers making their way in for the night shift. There is a silent acknowledgment of the building energy. Servers brew iced tea. Bartenders stock beer and ice. The grill cook stocks steak, chicken, fish, and shrimp. Channeling his inner Vince Lombardi, the manager works out the final kinks of his RA-RA speech. One part motivation, one part expectation, three parts corporate restaurant buzz word bingo.
Then you hear it. The sound of a printer.
“Table #1 … four top. One filet mid-rare, one salmon, one chicken pasta, one burger medium-well.”
It may as well be the equivalent of, Gentlemen, start your engines. One of the most amazing things (also the most volatile) in a restaurant is the chemistry of the line in a kitchen. Grill, expo, pasta/apps, salads, and desserts. With thirty tickets in the window and all stations cranking it was an impressive sight. But … one false move, one errant comment from a server, one missed prep item, and the ship sinks fast.
Behind the bar, the story is similar. Two bartenders. Four people deep all the way around the bar. A beautifully orchestrated dance between two bartenders, the patrons, and the libations. You were only two frozen Grasshoppers away from a one-way ticket to the weeds.
My most valuable lessons came from working in a restaurant. I learned the importance of teamwork, preparation, and hustle. I learned to operate in a chaotic environment that only seemed to gain control when I didn’t wrestle with trying to control it. I fed the system by doing my part and trusting in my teammates. It was a living laboratory in the art of human interaction where failure only meant a dissatisfied customer or a small tip. If you want to get paid for some valuable experience, drop into your favorite restaurant and ask if they are hiring.
