I Noticed Lately No One Wants to be a Waiter

I haven't blogged very much lately. February was very busy and the time I have had off I spend it with the kids and wife. Last weekend I finally asked for a Saturday and Sunday off and the kids spent an overnight at a friend's place so the wife and I went out for the evening. A dinner and a movie.

I started thinking about how few times the wife and I have actually gone out the last few years. Then I started to think about the restaurant business in general.

Really what person in their right mind enjoys working weekends and holidays. The business is a relationship killer. If you work in the business better hope you meet someone where you work or your social life is going to be lame at best. No paid vacations , holidays , sick pay or benefits. You work at less than minimum wage and hope the guests leave you something and the slow times are good enough to get you through.

So is it any wonder no new recruits are coming in through the door to be a waiter anymore. You see dishwashers and busboys coming to get hired as well as the occasional cook but wait on tables. C'mon!

Even up to just a few years ago you use to see people applying for waiter jobs. Now you see little and the people that are hired only want to work sparingly. They have other preoccupations.

I don't see anymore someone who just wants to wait on tables. They have other part time or full time jobs. Even those of you who work in the finest fine dining rooms do you see young people coming in wanting to learn the waiting trade?

Or are they all working as drive thru order takers at McDonalds doing the night shift?

Once the old crowd of waiters start retiring who is coming through to replace them? All I know is one thing and that in a few years managers are going to be dropping their jaw when someone comes through the door asking for a full time server position. Available on weekends and holidays. Are you kidding! They will be an instant hire!

They say the hospitality industry will be short many employees in the future. No kidding. Although you will still find the person who will work as a server. I mean what job other than that can you find with little or no education. Oh yeah I forget Tim Hortons and Wal-Mart.

As my wife and I say to our kids, you are going to follow your dreams. Get an education and specialize in something where the benefits and money will be.

The good thing is they already know being a server is out of the question. Just ask them when Dad is out every night.

I Felt Like a Millionaire

Last night it was really busy. I am about to give the check to this table and I pull out a bill fold on the pile. In it there is $10.

There was no one around so I decide to put the bill into my wallet for safekeeping. The evening continues on and no one has yet to bring up this lost $10 bill.

So I am on the point of sale machine when I ask this other server how her dinner was last night cause she had dinner with her partner and I was the server. She says it was great but she wishes last night was tonight.

I ask why and she says one of her tables had left her $10 and it was gone. Immediately I pull out my wallet and hand her the ten dollars. The expression on her face well you might have thought I handed her a winning lottery ticket. Needless to say she was very thankful and I felt pretty great as well.

That was one moment in time when I felt like a millionaire.

The Time We Were Told It Was Just a Power Failure

The actions of the Costa Concordia captain brings to mind something I experienced when I worked on a cruise ship. It was about 9:30 at night when I was upstairs working the dessert buffet when all of a sudden the lights went out and we were without power.

The ship was drifting and over the loudspeaker the announcement came that there was a power failure and everything would soon come back to normal.

We must have drifted without power for over an hour when suddenly the lights came on and there was a sense of relief amongst the passengers and crew.

Little did we know that we were coming very close to coming aground on a nearby island before the power came back on.

Not only that it wasn't until the next day we found out that there was a huge panic in the engine room because a huge fire had broken out. At the time all the officers were down there putting this thing out.

As it turned out everything was okay but it could have been a really bad situation.

53 Years and Counting

Today I am 53 years old. I have the day off and just going to do a lunch with the wife.
The only difference I find with waiting on tables now compared to let's say 20 years ago is the morning after. I am not as limber getting out of my bed as I used to be. Other than that I am doing pretty good.