People sometimes look at me like I’m crazy that at 24 years old, I still waitress at the same place that I did in college and manage having a full time job and then a part-time job on the weekends. This September will mark five years at my restaurant. It’s a statement that shows my loyalty. I can’t even imagine working anywhere else on the weekends.
I’ve worked on Saturdays since I was 15. That’s almost a decade now. When I have Saturdays (and now even Sundays) off, I constantly am looking for something to do. I guess how some people may run every morning, I feel I need to do something everyday. I get this 110% from my father who is always working.
That gives you a little background on me but this post is about “why I waitress.” There’s plenty of reasons but the main reason is that I like people. The restaurant is one large extended family. Like my own family, I love the people that work there and even the people that come in every week. Like a family, we’ve also been through the good times and the bad times. This past year alone, we lost three people, one being my favorite person who had worked at the restaurant for most of her life. This past Saturday, we celebrated three kitchen workers graduating high school with a huge cake and applause. It mirrors life.
Sometimes when people come out to eat, they like to socialize with waitstaff. I’m not just serving them food but giving them a chance to talk about them or listen to my story. *I don’t talk to every customer! You have to feel out the situation first!* This is a great way to find out more about people who you see every week.
For one of my customers, it’s a great break for her from her busy life to sit, read her book, drink her wine and socialize with the three of the regular Saturday morning waitresses. She is one of my favorite customers. During Christmas time, I’ve picked up her lunch as a gift to her and even bought her a paperbook for her birthday. This past Saturday, I found out she has stage four cancer. I haven’t seen her in two weeks. I can’t describe how sad I am to hear that. Just one regular Saturday morning conversation is something I look forward to.
It’s not just me that feels this way. You begin to know your customers, their orders, their personal lives and they can impact your life. In college, I read Ernest Hemingway “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” and it’s always stuck with me, how people need a place to come and escape for a little. As a server, you should provide the best service you can.
In talking with people, you always find out more about them but you both can benefit each other. For instance, one of my regulars was having trouble with her oil heater, I explained to her my dad’s business and gave her his number. My dad solved her problem, she loves him and is recommending him to all of her neighbors! It was a great business for my dad and I helped one of my regulars solve her problem.
There’s also other connections too. I once showed a younger co-worker a college tour of my school with Chris. That young worker now attends our college. I also volunteered to me a “color-model” for another co-worker and got amazing blonde highlights as a result. The connections don’t end at the restaraunt but extend past the doors.
So yes, I’m crazy for working a full time job and spending my weekends watiressing but I do love it. I love the people, the extended family and just the experiences overall. The free foodand great tips aren’t that bad either!
Tags: family, waitressing, weekends
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