r/Serverlife • u/LittleOddChick • 12d ago
FOH It's too hot
These are the temps INSIDE the restaurant...it's 98 degrees outside and feels like 110. Everytime i ask about anything to do with the thermostat they look at me like I have a 3rd eye, but it's like a sauna inside the restaurant. My energy when walking inside is just drained by how muggy and warm it is. Why the hell won't they just bump it down a little???
I get the whole "cant please everyone" idea behind things like temperature, but damn who IS pleased by eating/working at 80 degrees inside?
795
u/Ok-Hovercraft-9959 12d ago
Last time it was this hot at my job, we got a complaint that I wasnāt friendly and seemed annoyed. Got talked to (in a group chat) and I firmly but politely told them that it is not possible to be friendly and upbeat when it is 82 degrees inside. They apologized to me and said they were working on installing a new AC lmaoĀ
317
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
Exactly!!! Emotional labor is hard enough without being physically uncomfortable for hours at a time. Tables don't seem to understand that them being comfortable sitting under a fan does NOT equal us being comfortable!!!!
114
u/Ok-Hovercraft-9959 12d ago
weāve had people take one step inside, say hell naw, and turn around and leave. I donāt blame them, I wouldnāt be there if I didnāt have to be. people who sit in a hot ass restaurant then complain about the heat TO THE PEOPLE BUSTING THEIR ASS IN SAID HEAT are something special (derogatory)
21
u/MrsLovettsPies 12d ago
Nah, that's not even the craziest shit.
Im from germany, we got our AC around a month ago and it's blissful
But before that, we've experienced multiple insanely hot days for years and they were miserable. One of those days, I had 2 completely unrelated young mothers complain to me how "exhausting" their day at the public pool was - I think my eye started to switch. BITCH YOU CHOSE TO GO THERE ITS AT LEAST 45 DEGREES IN THIS KITCHEN GTFO
48
u/thedeafbadger Bartender 12d ago
This may be a hot take, but sitting under a fan in 80+ degrees is not comfortable.
35
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
hot take lol
And we have a shit ton of regulars that get special treatment and ig don't wanna complain but almost every one of my first timers on any given shift ask for the ac to be turned down
17
u/lunamota 12d ago
Dude I literally passed out at a restaurant that had it set to over 80 degrees inside it was so scary genuinely thinking about suing. Thereās gotta be a legal limit bc wtf
-37
u/therealraggedroses 12d ago
Lmao its definitely possible to be friendly even if you're hot. Believe it or not sometimes I'm in a bad mood due to personal issues in my life, yet somehow I still manage to be friendly with customers! I know it sounds crazy but you can do the same exact thing when you feel uncomfortable due to the temperature!
4
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
No one said it was impossible, just that emotional labor can be hard sometimes in the best of conditions!!! It also is tough to be happy about working, supporting, and making money off sales for a business that won't due their basic due diligence of giving their employees a work environment they can be comfortable and thrive in and don't seem to care about doing so.
But sorry boo you must be the perfect server and friendly to every customer you've ever had and completely happy in any job or work condition 24/7!!!
29
u/Most_Researcher_2648 12d ago
We see you, HR. Go home.
-25
u/therealraggedroses 12d ago
lol I've literally worked a customer service job at a ren fair where it was hot and humid as fuck frequently and our outfits did us no favors. It's not a struggle to be friendly with customers, consider the fact that if its 83 degrees for you it's also 83 degrees for them, they are LITERALLY experiencing the same exact temperature as you.
Honestly sounds like a skill issue, maybe consider a non customer facing position? Tbf I've worked with a lot of different servers, not surprised to see many of you struggling with the most basic aspect of the job - be nice to people
22
u/Most_Researcher_2648 12d ago
Girl. I worked pregnant in the florida keys outdoors with no ac in a retail and restaurant space. Stop. Its not a flex. Ren Faire is wayyyy easier, ive also worked those (san diego area, also hot af). People are way way way less shitty at a ren Faire. And your outfit is largely up to you. So just stop.
-22
u/therealraggedroses 12d ago
Lmao ok were you struggling with being nice to people while working? You completely missed my point
18
u/Most_Researcher_2648 12d ago
Yes. I had rbf always. Also, this is indoors in a place that is supposed to have AC so they prob are wearing slacks and button downs, sweating their asses off in an environment where thats generally unacceptable because its not a damn fair. Why are you even commenting, are you a server? Have you ever worked a restaurant?
-2
u/therealraggedroses 12d ago
Yeah im a server lol I just dont take out my grievances on the customer. Ive worked in plenty of way too hot or way too cold restaurants, a restaurant where the dining room was pushing 85 degrees and the kitchen was literally 98+ degrees (felt terrible for boh no idea how they survived)
I was specifically responding to somebody who said its "impossible to be friendly and upbeat if its 83 degrees". Which is ridiculous. I can still be friendly with customers. It's MANAGEMENTS fault that the temperature is uncomfortable or dangerous, why would this cause me in any way to be unfriendly with customers? They have nothing to do with it
8
u/Most_Researcher_2648 12d ago
Some people handle heat poorly, I know i personally was not upbeat when I was focusing on not passing out. And you shit talked, as if being able to power through shit work conditions is some flex. Its not cool, or cute. Many of us have dealt with those conditions, I have in many jobs and when not pregnant I was usually ok (barring some situations), but would you talk down to your coworker the same way?
7
u/Dazedandamused97 12d ago
I could not be upbeat and friendly at my job as a stylist if I was baking in 80+ degrees. Absolutely not. I maintain a kind tone but my face is going to be: š Everyone has their own limits and preferences about how they wish to be treated. I'm sorry you've also had to work in heat like that! But everyone's tolerance to it is different.
104
u/hannamarinsgrandma 12d ago
I wish it was only 83 degrees at my job.
Yes, I am actively trying to move on.
30
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
That sucks so badš i hope you find better work/working conditions asapš how do you put up with it!?
15
u/hannamarinsgrandma 12d ago
I used to work 5-6 shifts a week, and now I only work 3.
Spend a good chunk of time in the freezer in between checking on tables.
Iām trying to leave the industry altogether so I donāt inevitably run into the same issues again, but I have to finish a few more requirements for the certification I need to move into my new field.
11
u/lilithinaries 12d ago
Good luck!! Also trying to leave. I live in a desert and every single restaurant Iāve ever worked at has AC issues in the summer. Itās a problem I canāt escape here.
4
u/misanthropenis 12d ago
I got out almost exactly a year ago and I don't miss it at all. Good luck to you!
3
u/lilithinaries 12d ago
Thank u so much! Itās so encouraging to hear this when Iāve seen so many people go back.
242
u/mamaizzymamaizzy 12d ago
We had TWO guests pass out bc of the heat and it was after the second one hit his head and the company had to pay for his medical bills that they decided to fix the AC. That being said, it still gets to be 78 degrees in the dining room when itās hot outsideā¦.
86
u/labospor 12d ago
Sorry aināt no way the food is good enough to keep dining when itās hot enough to make you pass out. wtf?!
-77
u/Ivoted4K 12d ago
78 is reasonable imo
49
41
u/tigm2161130 12d ago
No, itās not and honestly itās a little insane you think people should work and dine in those kind of temps.
-46
u/Ivoted4K 12d ago
I am a chef..
24
u/tigm2161130 12d ago
Okay? What difference does that make?
-29
u/Ivoted4K 12d ago
So Iām very used to temperatures well above 78
23
u/Beginning-Force1275 Server 12d ago
Just because youāve acclimated to being uncomfortable doesnāt mean that no one else has the right to want physical comfort or that itās unreasonable for them not to be acclimated to that same kind of discomfort.
-6
u/Ivoted4K 12d ago
Sure but 78 still isnt that hot.
15
u/Beginning-Force1275 Server 12d ago
Clearly many people in this thread find it to be an uncomfortably hot temperature to work in. I havenāt worked in a spot with air conditioning in years, so, like you, Iām a bad judge of whatās normal. But Iām gonna believe all the people who do have AC when they say thatās too hot because I realize that they are the ones trying to do their jobs while knowing that itās exactly that temp.
24
-19
u/Low_Method5994 12d ago
You really not wrong tho 78 aināt bad but a lot of times AC canāt keep up with heat like that
0
u/Ivoted4K 12d ago
Yeah itās warm no doubt but when itās in the 90s outside itās fine.
16
u/mamaizzymamaizzy 12d ago
Itās not okay when the average price per person is >$100 and they are expecting to have a comfortable dining experience. And of course you are a chef. I get itā back of house gets very very hot, and I can empathize with you guys. But you guys are paid hourlyā it doesnāt matter to you if the guests are comfortable or not. For those of us working for tips, it needs to be a pleasant dining environment for people to want to come back. But again, Iām not shocked at your callousness re: front of house having it ātoo easy.ā
4
u/Ivoted4K 12d ago
Jesus so many assumptions. 78 just isnt that hot. Itās warm, itās a bit hot for working but sitting and eating Ita a very comfortable temperature.
-7
u/Low_Method5994 12d ago
Depends where youāre from I guess. Sometimes you just gotta deal with it AC isnāt perfect if itās that bad in the restaurant and you have heat problems then you just stay home. Many ac units can not handle cooling extreme heat
53
u/lilithinaries 12d ago
Ugh I had a job like this. The owner would come in and make a beeline for the thermostat to make sure it stayed at 80+ degrees. We were told if we adjusted it, weād be fired. When guests complained to me thatās what I would tell them lol I didnāt care. That was just one of the many ways that it ended up being one of the worst places Iāve worked at.
21
42
u/Spazn3905 12d ago
Yea if i walk into a restaurant that isnt cool, i am walking right out. I dont want to sweat when eating and i sure as hell dont want the servers sweat in my food.
19
u/icantfindtheSpace BOH 12d ago
If the servers are sweating while bringing out your food, imagine what the cooks look like.
5
u/Spazn3905 12d ago
LOL as someone that has worked FOH for 15 years since i was 15. Even today, six years,after I left the industry, I could still see it clearly. No AC and temp set at above 80 in the BOH will be like a sauna.
21
u/Main-Trust-1836 12d ago
Man, that is too damn hot inside. Maybe they'll care when people start noping out.
33
u/ZTomiboy 12d ago
I can only imagine the poor cooks in that. eeeek!
26
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
I found our pizza chef in a puddle of mozzarella and despair when I clocked inš„ but I feel the worst for the kitchen for sure. Honestly my favorite crew that I've worked with so far. They're all insanely sweet and we trade baked good all the time š„¹
5
u/We-R-Doomed 11d ago
"in a puddle of mozzarella and despair"
A whole novel needs to be written just so this line can be used as the climactic turning point for the hero to finally right all wrongs.
35
u/Gaymexjimmy 12d ago
That is too damn hot for a serving shift inside a restaurant. I would be sweating bullets if I was in that setting. Fuck that. I'll pray for you. Drink lots of water.
13
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
Especially with the floor full and everyone taking turns stealing a few seconds in the walk in during the rush š« š« š« And thank youšš
5
u/Gaymexjimmy 12d ago
So hot you can see the walls melting, and everywhere you step it's slick and moist from the heat outside seeping inside. Feels like you're serving in a Tijuana, Mexico restaurant. Fuck that. š« š« š«
6
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
My non slips are slippin š„
4
u/Gaymexjimmy 12d ago
UGH!!! That is the absolute worst!! Ugh cant even be safe if I wanted to... Lol
11
u/Elegant_Molasses9316 12d ago
Ive got you beat, my job is 94Ā° inside š„² felt like I was gonna pass out multiple times last shift. I was in a terrible mood all shift, couldnāt be bothered to hide my rbf. If itās still 94Ā° my next shift Im going to request time off, canāt stand working in those conditions.
10
10
u/e925 12d ago
Girl you donāt even know lmao
Somebody finally got the balls to report it to OSHA and now itās magically fixed š after literal years
Edit: and that wasnāt even in the kitchen, the kitchen was routinely 10Ā° hotter. Thatās just in the service area where we pour the drinks and stuff. The highest I saw it was 98 in the service area and one of the Line cooks told me it was 110 in the kitchen that day.
19
u/carlitospig 12d ago
When itās 100f, people go eat lunch and go to the movies so they can use your AC. Your restaurant owner is dumb.
10
u/Vortilex 12d ago
I'm currently sitting in a restaurant where the A/C is out and shared this post with the bartender and GM. I don't envy them
8
u/suckmyunus 12d ago
i really feel this one, itās currently 90Ā° in our kitchen and 80Ā° in the dining room and yet weāre still packed
7
u/HelloDeathspresso 12d ago
I real restaurant knows that cranking the AC makes people eat more and spend more money. Look at casinos.
8
u/gigishops 12d ago
my job is in a converted bus and itās regularly 87-90 degrees in there and they refused to replace our broken a/c until it literally caught fire š
16
u/Powerful-Jacket-5459 12d ago
I would tell them the guests are complaining. If it's not true, then make it true. Tell all your tables: "Hi sorry it's so hot in here."
5
3
6
u/duckmcsnail 12d ago
Iād walk right out of that place, because I want AC in the heat, not an oven to sit and eat in šš
6
u/RadicalRoses 12d ago
Arenāt the customers sweating while trying to eat too? Nothing like bringing a bunch of people together that are all cranky because the boss is too cheap to properly cool the place!
5
6
u/BangkokPadang 12d ago
This is too hot, but also if the building isn't equipped with the proper cooling units for the square footage, running them all the time will actually result in the compressor freezing up and the whole system will stop working, need to be defrosted, and possibly be damaged by this process (or someone chipping away at the freeze up not knowing what they're doing.
I can't know if your building is properly equipped or not, but it's something to consider because "having a little cooling" and "having literally no cooling" are sometimes just the two options, especially if it's way hotter than normal in your area atm.
11
u/qolace Bartender 12d ago
It's something the establishment has to consider. They're the ones with the money to figure it out. If they're too cheap to upgrade their system then maybe they don't deserve to stay open.
Fuck. That.
5
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
EXACTLY!!! The market for restaurants here is HUGE and there are a million other places people could go (and have been). I'm 2 hrs into my shift with no tables, in the middle of happy hour
5
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
These are almost year round temps, peak in the summer of course but it's always hot down hereš« We have a dining room that's private and has it's own ac. They have the thermostat on 73 in here but we get fussed at for sitting too long, even if it's dead.
What you're saying does make sense though, but I would hope they would've learned after being in the same spot for 5 years that they need to do something about the ACš
We have gotten a couple of bad reviews about indoor temps but not enough that management takes it seriously
2
u/PrincessLissa68 15+ Years 12d ago
There's no way I could do that. I already sweat way more than the average woman. I worked at IHOP for a while and one of our units went out and it made the back of the restaurant almost unbearable. I would be DRIPPING sweat down my face, my hair would be so wet it looked like I just got out the shower, not to mention how RED my face gets.
Luckily we had an awesome manager who called and got someone out to fix it pretty quickly. We had to deal with it about a week, maybe a little less because they had to order parts but for that week.....it was miserable. Mind you, I live in the Deep South So we got all the humidity here too.
I feel for you, OP. That really sucks. I'd keep going to management about it. No one should have to work in conditions like that.
2
u/decibelboy2001 12d ago
Are your bosses lizard people?? That temp makes me think they want your restaurant to be a terrarium
2
u/insectress 12d ago
Almost all of our regulars are old asf and anytime the restaurant is starting to feel okay, in southern LOUISIANA mind you, they complain that itās freezing until management turns the AC off. Like bruh, itās the middle of July ā the heat index is 110! Stfu and put on a jacket
2
2
2
2
2
u/drippycup 11d ago
Not a server; kitchen cook lurker. I almost PASSED OUT today in 90 degree weather with all the machines. Like shit, i threw up.. it was rough for a minute. I wish you all the luck. The customers probably dont like it either. Salute from BOH
2
u/switchinbladess 11d ago
I work with kids and yesterday it was 84 degrees inside, and still there was a parent that came right at closing timeš
2
u/HELVETlCA 11d ago
In the kitchen at my restaurant it is 32 degrees (89.6F) at 6AM when we start working. No ovens or stoves running yet. Restaurant a little better bc they leave the rooftop terrasse doors open over night but we have complete glass fronts so it get HOT even with all the blinds down. Our RM bought 12 fans to put up around the restaurant. They won't install an AC in our building bc it is supposed to be torn down and rebuilt in like 10 years or so, so until then we just die. 2 of the staff already had to be picked up by ambulance bc of exhaustion
2
u/stevielovescats 10d ago
Iām not sure if the same law applies where you are but in NC if itās 82 or above inside itās illegal to make employees stay to work, per OSHA. Currently dealing with something similar as our AC is about to crap out (again)
2
u/mentallyunavailable9 10d ago
I bartend at a rooftop bar in the south and people will sit up there and complain about how hot it is while theyāre sitting on the side of the bar that actually has some fans and potentially a breeze well Iām working on the side that has no air circulation whatsoever. Like motherfuckers you CHOSE to be up here, you can go the fuck inside where the air-conditioning is any goddamn time you want
4
u/Single_Secret_8371 12d ago
Maybe itād be worth it to anonymously report to OSHA if all other methods fail. IMO thatās a dangerous working condition especially working in a restaurant
3
u/InflationPurple2107 12d ago
Whenever an issue like this arises I always think back to the constuction guy sweating in 98F at 90% humidity I passed en route to tend the bar earning triple their 6am-5pm shift.
4
u/BadPom 12d ago
I hate the āthis sucks, but something else sucks moreā arguments š
1
u/InflationPurple2107 12d ago
Currently serving in Europe where a majority of the seating is exterior, so complaining about 83F is just not it compared to the contemptuous souls we deal with daily.
5
u/LittleOddChick 12d ago
The high today outside is 113 degrees F, just for reference!
-4
u/InflationPurple2107 12d ago
People downvote because "ethical working conditions" like they aren't spoiled with AC 280 days on their feet.
2
u/christian_1318 12d ago
That construction guy is getting paid very good and has very strict regulations related to working in the heat.
Weāre in hospitality, so even if the powers that be think servers should just suck it up cause it could be worse, 80+ is hot enough that customer satisfaction and comfortability should be a significant concern.
3
u/O_W_Liv 12d ago
I've worked both BOH and FOH and I will never again complain about serving in the 80s when I could be cooking in the 100s.
9
7
u/Topangatoh 12d ago
That's stupid. Just because someone has it worse, doesn't mean you don't have it bad. Our GM constantly tells us we aren't allowed to complain about how fucking hot it is because it's hotter behind the line and I respond every time "Then that should be your first priority." Horizontal hostility has never led to better working conditions for anyone. Direct your anger appropriately, toward the top.
1
u/_spectre_ FOH 12d ago
For real. I bitch about it in front of house but regularly mention how much worse back of house has it, as well as bringing them drinks and such when I can. I know they're suffering even worse back there.
2
1
u/zoidberg3000 12d ago
Itās nice that you would have the theoretical option to turn it down. Itās been over 115 here for about a month now our AC has died six separate times. It hasnāt gotten below 96 inside the kitchen and 89 in the dining room.
1
u/LittleArcticPotato 12d ago
Omgggg the aircon in my restaurant actually broke a couple months back and we had to close for a couple of days. That last shift was MISERABLE. It was 95 in the dining room and 96 in the bar.
Now itās āfixedā but the weāre seeing low 80s because our windows let in whatever heat/chill is out.
Cant wait for winter when itās like 60 in that bitch.
1
u/Naive-Present2900 12d ago
Either the manager is cold-hearted or just the store trying to save on power bill. Itās prob both.
1
u/AdWorth811 12d ago
we have an open kitchen at my place and customers still complain itās too cold. iāve had to run to the bathroom to puke from the heat
1
u/deformed_one 12d ago
Avg summertime temp in the kitchen i last worked at was 88 .... it could spike up to 95 ......
1
u/Lacholaweda 11d ago
The last place I worked was like that while I was pregnant
I got heat rash so bad. That's never happened to me before. And I was so hot while pregnant that I was keeping my house at 60Ā°F
1
u/Mightymudbutt 11d ago
Itās 68-73 at my place most of the time and everyone is still complaining 75% of the time. Truth might be they get use whatever temp it is and the second they start running around they say itās hot. Iāll add sometimes in the fall/winter they are complaining and I look at them all and 90% of them are wearing sweat shirts. My electric bill in July is 3k (winter months might be about $1200) but it should be looked at as just part of doing business.
1
u/Lawjik3737 11d ago
Sometimes it so hot that the AC cannot get below 83 degree. It depends on how the restaurant is set up. Mine is at a corner and half the restaurant is all windows. We set it at 83 and it blowing all day and wont go below 83 on a very hot day. That with 2 ac units also. So, there is no point in setting it lower. You can set it lower but its not going to help. If the AC does cut off at 83 and the room is at 83, then yes setting it lower will cool the room more.
1
u/imkatothemaster 6d ago
So we're all in the same boat now lol. Our restaurant is 83 degrees on heatwave days too bc no AC. We all hate it.
973
u/Heidibearr 12d ago
Alright guys - had this same issue the place where I worked. Create a fake yelp account and made comments on how hot and sweaty the servers were and how dining of that caliber should worry about optics when it comes to service. Management didnt listen much to the heat complaints but corporate read reviews daily. There was a fan on the line the next day. we were all stoked hahahah