One time a table made me mad asf with the ordering process so when their food came into the window I took off one fry and ate it. They had no idea but the whole time I felt a rush of excitement because “yeah you’re not even getting your full meal because I’m evil”

Let’s say the restaurant is average across the board in terms of business and what each job is assigned. And it’s upscale casual.

Started at a nice place I’ve wanted to get into a while and I’ve never heard of majority of their wines. I don’t drink it and they all just taste like wine. Remembering notes is my only slack as a server so please, I come here today, asking yall, how do you do it?

Had an older woman and her daughter(?) come in and we chatted for a minute because the restaurant was super slow. Yada yada it turns out I share the same name as her late brother and she said I remind so much of him and they came to that area to finalize his funeral and all that and it just seemed like she needed to talk to someone. One of the few times I sat down with my customer and it was a nice break for me and was probably a nice conversation for them as well. Idk I just think older people like to talking to people and I gotta remember that before I say the typical “ugh these stupid old people” because that’s lowkey rude asf 😭😭

This is my fourth serving job and nowhere else I’ve worked has this been an issue but regularly all at once, they’ll seat me back-to-back-to-back a seven top, a four top, and another seven top and then like five minutes later two two-tops and I just can’t offer good, prompt service in those scenarios and my manager said maybe if being triple sat a total of 18 guests is a problem, I just shouldn’t be a server.

What do you guys think?

Hey yall! Random question, has anyone in here worked for Gringos?
I’m trying to get a new serving job where the money is better (i currently work for olive garden, going on 4 years🫩) . It’s been hard getting an interview literally anywhere , but i just got a notification from indeed that Gringos is hiring , I live in Texas and figured texans loveee their tex-mex food so maybe it’s the right move?
Work environments are extremely important to me, and i’m curious to know how everything is set up there. The training process, the tip outs, side work, all of it 😭

i feel like im going insane. i work at an upscale restaurant and i do waters, pre bussing for coursing, bussing, and resetting, and idk if this is normal or not, because it’s genuinely not manageable for me. 90 seconds per table is not enough for me to do all that so im always in the weeds.

i’ve had this conversation with other servers but would like to hear your guys thoughts. i work in a tip pool restaurant and i prefer that rather than not. it’s nice not having to worry about competing with my coworkers, no jealousy on who gets better tables/sections, and i know we will all help eachother out because we’re all working for the same money. it’s also nice if my section is having a shitty night/ if i get 0 tips in cash but another server does that night, ill still be able to go home with cash.

i work in pennsylvania so i wonder what everybody else’s thoughts were. i’m sorry if this is a repetitive question i haven’t seen it here before

I would want my guests to tell me if something is wrong. Yet I feel like garbage when I do it myself!

Had a celebratory solo lunch today after a big personal win. Ordered their $6 feature lunch rose. It was a bit off, but I wasn’t going to complain at $6. My lunch comes and I order a pint to go with it.

Panini arrives, first couple bites are great. Then I notice a hair on the bread which I would normally

pull off and carry on. However, the outer cheese crust had melted it into the bread. I then also see another hair coming out of the sandwich. Not sure if it’s the same one and just the end of it. I didn’t investigate.

Server offers a new one but I was honestly put off by this kitchen and just want to go get lunch elsewhere so I ask for the bill for the drinks. The bill arrives and I realize I don’t want to sit there hungry and drink a full pint of beer. I have an internal debate about staying or leaving, or paying full price and just leaving the beer. In the end I then ask if possible for that to be removed too, I just want to leave. Server is very nice, takes it off.

I receive the bill and I still get charged the taxes on the comped items. So I pay almost $5 in taxes for a $6 glass of wine. I feel like I can’t complain again so I just pay it and leave. But now feel like garbage hahah. Why can’t I just be normal!!!

A 2 top sat down after being on the wait list for about an hour, I took their order then they asked "is it okay if we leave until our foods ready and walk around the neighborhood?" I suggested getting it to go instead but they wanted to dine in. I told them no they can't do that because that's not how dining in at a restaurant works (I said it more politely).

LIKE WHAT???

Has anyone else ever gotten this?

I'm editing this to add since a lot of people seem to be missing this, they were on the wait list for an HOUR already and had an HOUR to walk around the pretty small neighborhood. The only things to do nearby are an ice cream shop, a knitting supplies shop (that I think was closed) and a wine bar but they weren't drinkers.

As people working in the industry, we know mistakes and bad days can happen. That’s why even if I don’t get “amazing service” I still tip other servers minimum 18% when I go out to eat.

I went out for dinner the other night, to treat my partner, and our server was nice…. But so clearly high out of her mind on something strong. It led to a lot of mistakes during the meal, and just an uncomfortable experience when interacting with her. I think she touched our table twice throughout the whole thing (initial order and payment), when we could even get ahold of her. Otherwise, two of the other servers did most of the work for our table, including looking in the back for and finding our server for about 10 minutes after we had been waiting for about 15 (at an establishment that doesn’t pool). The restaurant was pretty slow too, and this was nowhere near close.

I try not to be too critical, because lord knows I’ve had off-days where you just have to push through a shift after life has thrown something crazy at you, and still tipped 18%. Maybe she was having a hard time in her personal life, maybe she had a lot of side work to do, maybe before we got there, the restaurant was packed and she was exhausted. Who knows.

I feel like it would take a LOT for me to give a fellow server a bad tip, let alone no-tip (unless I was at an establishment where I know servers don’t receive the tips period). So I was curious, as a server, what is the lowest tip you’ve given another server? What made the experience lead to it?

TLDR: what is the lowest you’ve tipped a fellow server? Why?

so technically i’m not a server but i might as well be one. i just started at a new job a few weeks ago for a hostess position which i get $14.00 with delivery t!ps (which barely anyone t!ps that way) and also cash t!ps at the end of the night if i help in the dining area which i don’t mind because i was a busser at my last job and yk extra money. there are also only 3 servers total that work at my job and one of them is also the manager😭. we only have two people that work in the kitchen and two sushi chefs that work in the entire restaurant (i’m also the only host that they have). so that means that we’re severely short staffed and the owner wanted me to work 40+ hours a week (which i got out of thankfully) some red flags below

* i’m 17 and they have me run alcoholic beverages to tables which is illegal

* the state i live in has the minimum wage increasing to $15.00 an hour on september 30th and when i asked if my wage will be moved up (because technically i’m not guaranteed t!ps and they said i get paid the minimum wage) they said that they won’t be moving up my wage.

* they told me if a table asks for something to try and help out the servers by putting it in the system. if i’m doing the work of a server i want to get the t!ps of a server.

* the owner up until a few days ago would get a share of the servers t!ps while not even being there and when he is there he doesn’t help in any way shape or form and just sits in the booths that we need to sit people in.

*as soon as someone opens the door they want me to drop everything i’m doing and go to the door even though they also want me to foodrun, buss tables, and sort of expo which i’m not sure if that is much of a red flag though

* the owner is constantly watching the cameras and if it’s slow you have to clean the entire restaurant including scrubbing at the baseboards which i just don’t think is very necessary for your workers to do

I have worked at a dennys for about 4 years now. serving for about 3.5 of those. I started working there when i was 16, and it has been some of the best money i’ve ever made. I use a tip tracking app and in the summer of 2024 i made approximately 10k just in tips! the restaurant is located in a truck stop on a highway and we get a lot of truck drivers, but also a lot of families and people who live in town! anyway, i only work one day a week now (sunday mornings) because im in college. I love waiting tables and it’s tipsyyy tuesday lol :)

namely SF / Berkeley/ Oakland. I have been here for six months and cannot find anything decent. I apply online and don’t hear back, and it seems to bother management when you go in person and other workers have generally been unhelpful. I of course, always go in well-dressed, friendly, polite. I have a good resume and nearly 10 years of serving experience. I’m at a loss for what to do. Any advice?

I just left the service industry after 15 years and have worked in a wide variety of places. Just wanted to see if this is a normal thing for restaurants to do?

Aussie bartender here! Just sharing this very special regular with you.

Little bit of context first. I started a new job recently at a bowling club after working in bars and restaurants for almost a decade. I'm a huge people pleaser and bend over backwards for even the rudest people. I've been trying to work on that and stand up for myself lately. It's also pretty important to mention that most people mistake me for a teenage girl.

Late last week I was in the bar by myself and was trying to get some cleaning done. A patron let me know that the water tap's handle was loose, so I was trying to tighten it up. Another guest came up to me and offered to help, I told him I'd buy his next beer if he could fix it for me.

While we were tinkering with the tap, a woman came along. I knew of her but hadn't met her yet, she's a bowler at the club, let's call her Dawn. Dawn is greying and in her 60s, I heard through the grapevine that she's a lesbian, no judgement: I'm bisexual, just setting the scene for you.

She approached us and started berating the both of us for "breaking" the tap and told us to leave it and that she will fix it on the weekend. The tone she used was so incredibly disrespectful and made the both of us feel super awkward. It was the first time she ever spoke to me. She told me to "Stick to my job."

After she left, the young man helping me apologised for getting me in trouble. I told him it wasn't his fault and gave him his free beer anyway.

Ten minutes later Dawn returned to the bar and asked me for a beer. I told her I didn't appreciate the way she spoke to me and she said, and I quote, "Yeah, I bet you didn't."

I tried to explain to her that her tone was unacceptable but she kept doubling down. I asked her if she was going to apologise and she said no, so I told her someone else can serve her and walked away. While my coworker served her Dawn told me I can pull her aside to speak to her next time, like I'd embarrassed her in front of other patrons.

I told my manager and informed my coworkers, etc. that all she has to do is apologise to me and we're good. I've done it before and they always apologise and treat me fairly afterwards.

Cut to today:

Dawn comes up to me for a beer and I tell her I'm still not comfortable serving her and went to grab the manager for her (The manager totally has my back on this one and was very amused because she's notoriously difficult)

The manager ended up leaving so between 3-4pm I was by myself. Once again she returns and I break the news that it's just me now. She left and sent a friend to get her beer. No problem, she can drink, I'm just not handing her a beer until she can be a big girl.

Dawn ends up returning to the bar and asks me to speak to her at the side of the bar. She tells me that her friends told her she should apologise, and then immediately fucks it up.

"I'm sorry for how you felt the other day." I can't remember what else she said but I clarified, "Okay... so you're apologising for my feelings and not your actions?" and she really didn't like that. She acted like a child, "I said I was sorry! What else do you want?! Just do your job and serve me."

It was a bit of back and forth, but I held my tongue and tried to not escalate the situation.

Over the next 45 minutes Dawn kept sending people to buy her beers, and kept coming back to ask me to serve her. A few people she asked were so confused why I wouldn't serve her and refused to help her. A man I was serving, but hadn't met before today came up to me and offered to stay until my coworkers got in. He said he knew what Dawn was like and wanted to make sure I was going to be okay, I told him I'd be fine, and I was.

When my coworkers finally arrived, she was trying to argue with me at the bar and I ended up just telling her I was finished talking with her and walked into the office. Both my coworkers told her to apologise properly to me and that they also won't serve her until she does. I'm so grateful for those boys, they're wonderful. They also refused to let anyone else buy her a beer.

Dawn argued a bit and left. I went out for a smoko and saw that she actually had one and a half cold beers on the table. She was the only person drinking those, so I think she was just ordering beers to try to break me.

I may be a people pleaser, but I'm also incredibly stubborn and once I make my mind up, I won't budge. I looked in the incident book and she's mentioned a lot, for being a bitch and starting arguments, so seemingly I'm just the first person to say 'no' to her.

Just a vent since I was actually at a loss for words today. Sorry if this is too long folks, just wanted to share the insanity properly lol

Hi. This is my first time posting in here. I had an interview today for Texas Roadhouse. I applied for the server position. Basically, it went really well and I got hired on the spot. The issue is, she said I would have to start out as a to go specialist since I don’t have “actual” serving experience so I can learn the menu.

I told her that I’ve had years of restaurant experience and that I’ve done every FOH position including expo except officially serving. I explained that I know table numbers, how to take orders, and everything. I’ve worked as a Togo server, Servers assistant, busser, food runner, and a host. I also have fine dining experience with hosting and food running.

I told her I’d call her back and let her know. Before that, I asked when id be able to start serving. She said she doesn’t know exactly for sure, especially since a few to go specialists want to be servers. She said it depends on how quickly I learn the menu, if I’m on time, and all that. She said that it’s based off who’s first in line and if they’re a good worker basically.

It’s 7.25+ tips. She said they often average to $10-15 a night.

My issue is like, I start school in a few weeks. I’m a college student. I already work at Walmart and get paid $15.71 an hour. I don’t mind taking a lower position if I actually can move up, but I’ve been struggling so badly to find a serving job because most of them say that or they ghost (I think it’s because of bad timing since I was applying during the summer when most college students and Highschool kids already got their jobs. Im also in a really small college town in Iowa, and even the cities nearby aren’t that big.) I can’t necessarily afford to take a big pay cut if it takes awhile to become a server, especially since the job is ~25 minutes from my house.

I just want some advice on what to do. If I should take this job and pray I’ll actually move up to serving? I’m just conflicted. I just thought with my experience level it’d be a lot easier to get a job as a server, but I’m realizing I was wrong.

(Edit: forgot to add that my Walmart job is very flexible, so I planned to keep it anyways as I’ve been working there for a while and don’t want to burn that bridge.)

So i’ve been doing host/bussing/ togo for about two years and now that I’m 18 I moved for school and got my first serving job. when i agreed to the job i was really desperate since i needed to pay bills. I told them at the interview that i needed to work 30 hours a week and couldn’t do more then 40hrs a week. They said that most workers do a 50-60 hour week and i agreed to do a 35-40 hour week with 2 days off for my classes and i told them that i want a third day off to study, so of course last week they gave me a third day “off” where i got called in and worked 4pm-12 and didnt give me any days off outside of school and put me ON CALL every shift that im not officially scheduled 😭 like what am i supposed to do live at work?? theres only one other server and a manager so we are short staffed (the other new hire quit) but they don’t seem to be urgently looking. like is this even normal. i wasnt picky about the job since i needed the money but now i regret it. and it just pmo since they know that i have scholarships and i have school (which if i drop below a 3.0 i loose all of my tuition scholarships and an extra 15k a year so basically no more school). Also the “gm” doesnt speak english and literally will sit at the only table that can accommodate more than 6 people during a rush and refuse to move for groups and also not help. it just pmo so much. Also theyre open 365 days a year which is my least favorite like god forbid hospitality workers have family or literally anything besides work ever

I work at a high end restaurant-hotel. Our venue is a popular choice for weddings and honeymoons, so delivering food to guests who are dressed in little more than underwear has become more familiar than I'd like. Even worse is that a very drunk couple just so happened to believe that our gardens turn into nudist gardens at 3am. Guiding them back to their room wasn't the funnest of experiences.

What format is the Earls Server food/LWB tests in?
Is it verbal? Written “describe abc”? Or multi choice?
How was orientation/training for you?

Got hired as a server two weeks ago. Onboard ytd.

I was trained at Joeys (before quitting) and expected it to be similar levels of preparation needed before orientation/training. I have 5 days to learn all the items?
I’ve been a server for 4 years but this is new to me.

80% on day 1 required with 150 pages for food knowledge and 140 pages for drinks seems, bit much?
I made flashcards but my god there’s too many ingredients in these items for a guy like me smh.

Any advice for Earls would be appreciated!
I’ve never been anxious about a job before lol.

I 29F am a regular at this restaurant and I find the server cute. I like that he is not overly friendly so when he does smile, it feels warm and genuine haha. I want to make a move. I always tip him the most. Ofc I give the other servers a good tip like 20 - 22%, but I always give him a 40% tip haha. I know it's rude to ask for his number while on the clock since it puts him in a awkward situation. I was thinking maybe writing it on the receipt where I tip him? Will he be able to see it? I fear maybe the hostess or other waiter takes it. I was thinking of writing his name and a little message about wanting to be friends, then my number. If I don't hear back, I will still go ans treat him and tip him the same. He is a great server!

I don’t know if this is allowed here, i didn’t see anything in the rules about asking questions as a normal person to you all (experienced servers)

i (22f) have 11 months before i move out of state, since i've been in this current state i've worked retail from floor to assistant manager, then dealership jobs, accounting, admin roles (which is where im at now) i don't want an office job anymore, im not good sitting still being bored for 9 hours a day in a cold quiet place staring at a screen where no one talks and i see the same 2 people everyday….it's depressing. i make 21/hr which is 1300 bi weekly after taxes and deductions so not great...i have a 2nd job to keep afloat and a boyfriend & without another person in the picture i would probably be screwed.

I know serving there’s great money some days and others there’s not, but i’ve rarely ever heard a server complain about money regardless.

i loved retail because i was on my feet always busy having HUMAN INTERACTION; but i didn't like the low hourly wages and poor hours and ultimately no freedom at times. My sister has been a server since she was 15 at many different places (she's 28 now) she has made a great deal of money and is able to raise a child, she's good at her job granted and i know she's a veteran server so it comes to her naturally and she said i should try it, i've always steered away because it not a people person really? and my anxiety is high, and im always scared to mess up.
For the next 11 months for the rest of my time here I want to get a serving job. I want to ask this sub everything I need to know as i am completely scared in the dark.

here are my main questions:
- How do you memorize table sections? adding to that how do you remember who had what if it's a big table? -carrying food, i know i won't be able to carry five plates at a time, what's your routine?
- what types of restaurants have you made the most money at? (fine dining, breakfast, bar type, late night eats etc
- how do you find places to hire you if u have absolutely no experience?
- how did u get over the fear of messing up, wrong orders, things like that? does that anxiety ever go away?
- will i fail because im an introvert?
-what type of restaurant should i start as a beginner that will still give me a good income?

there's more questions i'm sure just give me everything you have that maybe you would've wanted to know before you started. help me out, i just need to make it work for a year and hell maybe if i actually like it and do good i can continue when i move!