Every so often, articles come out showing a distinctly nasty side of the restaurant business.  You’ve seen them talking about what happens to rude people’s food, supposed secrets of the business.  Well, stuff like that happens a lot less than you’d expect because the vast, vast majority of restaurant staff have some self respect or, at least, a fear of getting caught at something.    The first clue that there’s some spin is when the article does not use industry jargon.  In the comments below, note servers are called waiters.   “Waiter” is deemed sexist so the generic word server is used.   But, I kept the word waiter here because that’s what they used.  See if you agree with my comments.

1.  Waiters are not allowed to express personal opinions about food and drink they like and don’t like.  They spout the company line about what to push, especially high profit items.

 Jerry: Well, restaurant operators are not idiots.  Of course, we are going to recommend items which make the business money.  But, we also realize that the items we push must be well prepared, of good value and will deliver the promised experience.  What good does it do to push something you won’t like and won’t want to come back and buy again?  So, yes, Freedom of Speech stops when waiters clock in.  Come on, do you really want a 22 year old college student who has the depth of experience in travel and cuisine of a 22 year old college student to recommend their personal taste?  These kids think Olive Garden is really upscale!  

2.  On holidays, waiters spin up tear jerking stories when asked why they are working on a holiday to rake in more tips.  As in, “my brother is in Iraq and I’m saving up for a phone card so he can call Mom.”   Or “My car broken down and I can’t get to class without it”

 Jerry:  Well, waiters are not idiots, either.  It kinda boils down to – if you ask a stupid question….   Of course, the waiters are here to make money.  Don’t you go to your work to make money.  The big difference is that waiters only make money when people come in the door.  You go fishing when the fish are biting, don’t you?  The national average in 2008 for a server was $8.12 per hour worked.  That includes tips and wages.  And they only make that money during a 2 to 3 hour shift at breakfast, a 2 hour shift at lunch and /or a 3 hour shift for dinner time.  The rest of the time they are setting up their kitchen area, polishing silverware, filling salt and pepper shakers…which is called sidework.  And there are hours of sidework.   So, don’t be surprised at the answer when you ask why someone is at work.

 3.  When you look around for your waiter and another waiter tells you he’s getting something out of the stock room, you can bet he’s out back smoking.

 Jerry:  Extremely doubtful.  Unless you have paid and left the tip, your waiter will be paying attention to you.  Are there waiters who forget you are there and simply wander off.  Yes, there are but every waiter understands that most of his money comes from you.  And, I am astounded at the number of people who apply for a waiter position and just don’t get how we make money.   You know, being nice to people and bringing people what they ask for.  These people last a few days or a few weeks until the managers figure that out.  And, these people are very good at telling managers a tale of woe about the mean customers who did not really ask for the sour cream the server did not bring.  The chances are, if you waiter disappears, she/he is one of the servers who float in  and float out.  Don’t wait till they come back, ask another server for help. 

 4. At some restaurants, there is a big tray of desserts and we all sample the food all night long using the same fork every time we dip it.

 Jerry:  Now, what operator is going to keep something they sell available to waiters to freely much on.   Tostada chips and salsa?  Maybe.  They slip a chip and dip now and then but most food is very tightly controlled in kitchens.  There is a big dividing line between the cooks and the waiters.  Cooks view waiters with distain and servers view cooks as over privileged.  Cooks are very likely to tell the manager on waiters who eat in the kitchen.

 5.  If your dessert says ‘Homemade’, it might be true but it was made in a shop 5 miles away.

 Jerry:  Well, now ya got me.   Descriptive phrases such as ‘Homemade’ have pretty loose definitions….  It could be a Homemade recipe vs actually being made in the restaurant’s kitchen.  Phrases like House made or House Recipe are clear indicators that the item was developed and is prepped in this kitchen.  I once contracted for a series of cakes and pies for our  Sunday Champagne Brunch.  They were produced in a certified and inspected kitchen in that person’s home.  So, I did say those desserts were homemade. 

 6.  If you send your soup back   because it’s not hot enough, we run the spoon under hot water to fool you into thinking the soup is hot.  Sometime, customers get burned.

 Jerry:  Horse Hooey.  Waiters do have access to very hot water, usually from the coffee maker for hot tea service.  But, sticking a spoon in even hot water will not heat the spoon sufficiently to induce a burn by the time it gets to the table.  Now, the waiters might believe that but it won’t work.  We always preheat the china bowl and sometimes boil the soup and still get comments from people who send their soup back.  Most of our customers have to wait to allow the soup to cool before they can eat it.

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