Moody Foods

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people say something along the lines of, “I should just quit my job and wait tables instead” as though working in restaurants requires no skill or previous knowledge. So, for all you people who think you want to quite your job and do mine, here are the things you should know about what it actually entails and how to do it.

Working in restaurants is not easy, it is physically, emotionally and mentally demanding. You have to be extremely organized, remain calm in what can be deeply stressful environments, remember often shifting menus, allergens and specials, all the while presenting as charming and upbeat. You have to be able to manage your money well because there are months you might make ten thousand dollars and months where you will barely scratch three. It can be very fun though, if you are lucky enough to find a good team, management that respects you, and a chef that is passionate about what they do. The reality of working in restaurants is that you don’t get to have off days, you are paid to serve people – which means more than bringing them a the glass of Chablis they ordered, you are stroking their ego, reading who they are and what they need from you. If they are on a first date and struggling to make conversation, you fill in; if they are arguing over what to order, you direct them and make light of the situation; if they have allergies and are nervous about ordering or eating out, you do everything in your power to make them feel taken care of and seen.

If you are someone that is most awake during the evening hours, restaurant work might be a good fit for you. You will most likely work an average of 25-30 hours a week during the Fall and Winter and 30-35 hours a week during the Spring and Summer depending on where you are in the world. There will be nights where you don’t get home until 1am. If you are someone that relies heavily on routine and enjoys your evenings at home, I would not go into the industry. But if you find yourself wanting to be out of the house at night, working in restaurants is a great way to be social and make money rather than spend it.

As in any other industry, you have to work up. You are not going to go from never having worked a day in your life in a restaurant to getting hired as a server in a fine dining restaurant making $50/hr. However, you can expedite the process by working hard and being picky about which jobs you take. It is better to take a job working as a support staff in a restaurant that you really like then work as a server at a restaurant you don’t want to work at. Make it clear in your interview you want to sit down for a review in three months and discuss a plan for you to train either behind the bar or as a server. During your first months of employment, do everything you can to make yourself irreplaceable. Learn where everything is kept, watch the flow of the restaurant, ask as many questions as you can think of and most importantly, befriend the servers and show them you have their back and will do whatever it is they need during service. Play the game, get drinks with everyone after work even if you just want to drink soda water and lime. It is the fastest way to find out the ins and outs of the restaurant when everyone is relaxed and there is not the pressure of having to get work done. A big plus of the industry is that everyone is generally outgoing and social, because that is such a big part of the work. Every industry is about who you know, and the restaurant industry is no different. Often, even if you cannot get promoted at the restaurant you work at because maybe there simply is not room to bring another server on, those working as servers have connections to other restaurants and may be willing to help you get a job if you demonstrate you are a hard worker, a quick learner, and you buy them a couple drinks.

As overwhelming as it is when you are first getting started, if you can learn the basics of wine it will make a big difference in the hiring process. Some favorite tools of mine are wine books like Wine Simple by Aldo Somm and Wine Folly by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack and the podcast Wine 101. You should know the correct glassware for any wine. You should know how climate impacts the basic structure and taste of a wine, for example the difference between a Pinot Noir grown in Oregon, California or France. You will want to know what grapes are grown in important wine growing regions like Chianti, Barolo, Rioja, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cotes-du-Rhone, Mendoza and so on. Most importantly, you will need to know how to pair wines with food.

A good tool to use to look for jobs is a website called Poached, where restaurant jobs are posted in many cities in the US.

Basic knowledge and informed questions will go a long way in an interview.

Common interview questions might include the following:

• Name four gins/vodkas/tequilas/whiskeys
• If someone were to order a martini, how would you respond? (Vodka or gin, twist or olives)
• What grapes are grown in (insert one of wine regions listed above)?
• If your co-worker was very busy and you were not, how would you support them?
• What to you dislike the most about the restaurant industry?
• What do you love about the restaurant industry?
• How do you stay organized when you are very busy?
• What is your preferred style of service?
• What have been your biggest frustrations with previous jobs?
• Why are you a good fit for this restaurant?
• What are you looking for in a job?
• Outside of work, what do you do for fun?
• Most frequently, potential employers will simply start with “Tell me about yourself”

Good questions for you to consider asking include:

• How many covers do you do on a typical weekend vs weekday night and how would you staff accordingly?
• How many tables are in the servers’ sections?
• Where do you source your food?
• How flexible are you with scheduling and how far in advance do you post the schedule?
• How do you schedule? Based on seniority or performance?
• Do you have strict turn times for your tables, how many turns will a table do on an average night?
• What is the tip structure? If it is a pooled house, how much goes to support staff, the kitchen, the bar?
• How long have the managers worked here? Where were they before?
• What is the gender ratio of the staff?
• What are the hours of a typical shift?

Most importantly, have fun with it! If you are positive and enjoy your job, you will be better at it, which is a pretty general rule for most things in life. Find ways to make work fun, become friends with your co-workers. This job, though it can be difficult, should generally be one that not too stressful and that allows you time to pursue other interests and passions (though is can be overwhelming at times, we aren’t doing brain surgery). If you think the restaurant world is right for you, give it a try and see how you feel. It can be very rewarding work. We get to exercise our bodies, brains and ability to relate to others, form connections and build community in a real, personal sense everyday in the restaurant industry. Please feel free to respond with specific questions and your own thoughts on the topic. Good luck!