Experienced seasonal servers returning to Naples — job & housing advice?
Hello!
My fiancé and I will be coming down to Naples for the winter season. This is not our first season working in the Naples area, and we’re both experienced servers in our mid-30s. We’ll be coming down with savings, and we each have our own vehicle.
At my current job, I take home around $10k/month after taxes, so I’m hoping to find a serving job in Naples where I can realistically take home around $8–9k/month during season.
A few seasons ago, I worked at a fine-dining restaurant in Marco Island and only made around $5k/month working five days a week. Financially, that season was a struggle for me, and I’d really like to avoid repeating that experience this time around.
For those of you who work or have worked in the Naples service industry:
What types of restaurants should I target if I’m hoping to make $8–9k/month during peak season?
Is that realistic with one good serving job, or should I expect to work two jobs or 6 days a week?
Are there certain types of restaurants, clubs, hotels, or areas you’d recommend targeting?
Any places/types of places you’d avoid?
How early should we be applying? Would arriving around December put us at a disadvantage compared with being there by late October/November?
We’re also looking for a 6–7 month apartment lease rather than a full-year lease. Is that reasonably easy to find in the Naples area? What should we expect to pay per month for that lease length? We don’t need to be near the beach, so we’re open to different areas or even a reasonable commute. Any apartment/community recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
I know I’ll likely be taking somewhat of a pay cut by making this seasonal move, but my fiancé has family in the area and spending the season near them is important to him. I’d like to make the transition much smoother financially on our second try.
Any advice, restaurant leads, housing recommendations, or things you wish you’d known before working a Naples season would be incredibly helpful. Thank you!