Upon Taking a New Job

In sharp contrast to the corporate training I completed last September that took three weeks, I fast-forwarded through this new restaurant's training in three days. They make you wear your own polo shirt until you complete the training, then hand you their logo-ed polo shirt if you actually finish. I received my diploma shirt last night at punch-out.

There was no liquor test, table number test, menu test, training exit interview, blah, blah, blah. Man, it's just serving food. Take a chill pill, corporate. I like the relaxed atmosphere at the new place. I like that the gals who trained me saw little need to micromanage the instruction of a seasoned waitress. I enjoyed the parade of regulars who inhabited the tables; this means there will be business even when the events of the city are slow. I am thrilled that most of the customers are 20% tippers. I am ecstatic that half of what I am forced to tip out at corporate is what is expected here. There are many positive aspects about the place on the avenue.

There also some down sides. Most notable is the added drive time in traffic. I hate city driving. It annoys me. For the chance to double my income, I will make the drive and try not to let myself get frustrated by the red light waiting. I disapprove of the salad-making process at the new place. Why would you not make salads ahead and have them ready? Making salads during the rush doesn't seem like the most efficient use of waitstaff energy. Nevermind that there's no counter space to make them once you ice-bath all of your salad products. Oh well. If this is the worst thing I have to deal with, things will be okay.

The cast of characters at the place on the avenue is pure gold. There's the dining room manager whose name is appropriate for a pet. Let's call her Fluffers. Fluffers has been a fixture in this place for decades, and most of the waitstaff rolls theirs eyes when she speaks. Pretty normal behavior, so I think I'll fit in. The gal who trained me the first two nights might be seen on a women's wrestling show, and the third night trainer was a newly crowned legal drinker who could be a beauty pageant winner. A waitress I hadn't met yet came in crying to tell the manager she had to take a leave of absence for a pretty major spinal problem. Another girl came to work shouting with glee as she entered the back kitchen door. "I got the job! I got the job!" Sounded like a job that could free her from the chains of serving at almost $20 an hour. Several gay men serve there, and a complete cast of others who have day jobs and families. The kitchen guys are laid back. A Spanish guy, an Asian man, and a couple of tall white dudes It is, by all industry standards, a normal restaurant crew.

There's an odd feeling I wasn't expecting in this job change. I feel a twinge of sadness about wriggling away from the corporate home I found. I thought about that for awhile last night. I believe some of that comes from the innate camaraderie that develops in the restaurant business. No matter the differences, we all understand the hell we go through behind the scenes. Diners don't know about the demands we make to ensure that they get what they want, the obstacle courses that exist in the kitchens behind the beautiful dining rooms they frequent, or the aches we live with after carrying those heavy trays that transport those delicious dinners they devour. I'm not complaining because I know every job has its own pitfalls. The knots in my shoulders will be there forever. The typist's carpal tunnel will affect all aspects of chores that require hand movement, the assembly line worker deals with leg cramps and clots from long hours of standing in one place. Servers have commonality that ties us together from the repeated nights of fast-paced service. I'll miss the shared existence with those kids who have never worked another kitchen. But, in truth, they don't know how much better it can be.

I am both delighted and befuddled by another realization as I move over to the supper club atmosphere that suits me better. I actually learned something from corporate. Yep, I have a few new tricks. It's hard to believe that I did learn something new, but I sure did. I would tell you what I learned, but I don't divulge that information. Secrets of the trade, if you will. Sometimes when you go out, you get a waitress who just knows what you need, and takes really great care of you. The whole night seems better because you scored a great server. That's the server I want to be--every single time. So, disclosing my secrets would take away the magic of that perfect night out, wouldn't it? You don't want to know how the magician made the impossible happen. I don't want to disillusion you, either. ;)

The job that was supposed to be three nights a week has netted me six shifts for my first week. This poses somewhat of a problem since the corporate job is still in full-swing too. Whoops. This is what happens when Fluffer has a couple of servers gone and you tell her to schedule you for whatever she needs. It's also what happens when two schedules are done on different schedules. One starts on a Thursday while the other one starts on a Sunday. The crossover makes for a very confused double-booked waitress. I think I may be working 10 days in a row for a couple of weeks until this settles into a routine. Better to have more work than I need than not enough, right?

Stay tuned to see how my adventures at the place on the avenue proceed!