Restaurant Culture

[Rachel-K]

Our story covers one long double shift on the last day of a chain restaurant, and it is so closely observed, that we feel every detail of the working life described here. How do you describe the relationships that have evolved here? The hostess and the waitresses? The wait staff and the kitchen? The manager and the rest of the staff?

Do you or have you ever worked in a restaurant? Does this novel ring true to your own experiences?

[Jessica]

I'm one of the few people I know who never worked in a restaurant. So if you have, I'd love to know some of your restaurant stories, and whether or not O'Nan got it right. (I know I felt like I was working at Red Lobster throughout...)

[Librarian]

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Jessica wrote:

I'm one of the few people I know who never worked in a restaurant. So if you have, I'd love to know some of your restaurant stories, and whether or not O'Nan got it right. (I know I felt like I was working at Red Lobster throughout...)

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Hi-----I've never worked in a restaurant. But my daughter waitressed when she was going through school. She has given me the scoop on proper tipping for good service, My son, who has a college degree in nutrition, manages a Mexican restaurant. He had worked there when he was going through school. He has also started his own security business. He's a workaholic with a strong work ethic about proper food and service. Believe me , the job , if done properly involves a lot of responsibility. Often, food and beverage establishments that go out of business don't have a strong manager presence. There are many great workers, but even just one employee who doesn't care can be bad for business. I think O'Nan got it right for this story. I wonder if he researched it or had his own experience in this field?

Librarian

[malinpgh]

O'Nan dedicated the book to his brother John and others who work the shifts that no one wants. That's one connection to shift work at least.

[dghobbs]

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Jessica wrote:

I'm one of the few people I know who never worked in a restaurant. So if you have, I'd love to know some of your restaurant stories, and whether or not O'Nan got it right. (I know I felt like I was working at Red Lobster throughout...)

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Jessica, I hadn't thought about that - I also have never worked in a restaurant. In my youth I did plenty of low-wage service sector jobs, but never in a restaurant. I now feel like I have missed out on a great learning experience!?? doug

[Jessica]

Doug,

Right? I know so many people who have worked in restaurants at some point, and while they complain about the pay and the late hours, they also have these grand, nostalgic stories to tell about managers, customers, and co-workers. There's definitely a sense of pride there, even though they profess to have hated the job -- as if they had all gone through hell together and could now enjoy their survivor stories. I do kind of envy that...

dghobbs wrote:

Jessica wrote:
I'm one of the few people I know who never worked in a restaurant. So if you have, I'd love to know some of your restaurant stories, and whether or not O'Nan got it right. (I know I felt like I was working at Red Lobster throughout...)

Jessica, I hadn't thought about that - I also have never worked in a restaurant. In my youth I did plenty of low-wage service sector jobs, but never in a restaurant. I now feel like I have missed out on a great learning experience!?? doug

[dghobbs]

Jessica, In addition to my wife and her brothers, I have a brother who worked as a busboy. He can get the rest of us in hysterics when he talks about his experiences. Doug

Message Edited by dghobbs on 03-21-2008 09:01 AM

[dghobbs]

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Jessica wrote:

Doug,

Right? I know so many people who have worked in restaurants at some point, and while they complain about the pay and the late hours, they also have these grand, nostalgic stories to tell about managers, customers, and co-workers. There's definitely a sense of pride there, even though they profess to have hated the job -- as if they had all gone through hell together and could now enjoy their survivor stories. I do kind of envy that...

dghobbs wrote:

Jessica wrote:
I'm one of the few people I know who never worked in a restaurant. So if you have, I'd love to know some of your restaurant stories, and whether or not O'Nan got it right. (I know I felt like I was working at Red Lobster throughout...)

Jessica, I hadn't thought about that - I also have never worked in a restaurant. In my youth I did plenty of low-wage service sector jobs, but never in a restaurant. I now feel like I have missed out on a great learning experience!?? doug

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Jessica, I agree - when my wife and her brothers get going about their restaurant experiences, I know I have missed out on one of those life experiences that are so important to learning about people and situations. doug

[Jessica]

My husband tells this great story about a French restaurant he once worked in. One of the managers, who was actually from France, used to curse out anyone he felt deserved it ... but his English was spoken with a heavy French accent, and many people couldn't understand him. When he'd get really mad at a waiter, he'd yell, "He is a penguin!!" (emphasis on the "pangWAHN") and storm out of the room. (They had to wear bow ties...)

Everyone was entertained.

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dghobbs wrote:
Jessica, In addition to my wife and her brothers, I have a brother who worked as a busboy. He can get the rest of us in hysterics when he talks about his experiences. Doug

Message Edited by dghobbs on 03-21-2008 09:01 AM

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[dghobbs]

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Jessica wrote:

My husband tells this great story about a French restaurant he once worked in. One of the managers, who was actually from France, used to curse out anyone he felt deserved it ... but his English was spoken with a heavy French accent, and many people couldn't understand him. When he'd get really mad at a waiter, he'd yell, "He is a penguin!!" (emphasis on the "pangWAHN") and storm out of the room. (They had to wear bow ties...)

Everyone was entertained.

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dghobbs wrote:
Jessica, In addition to my wife and her brothers, I have a brother who worked as a busboy. He can get the rest of us in hysterics when he talks about his experiences. Doug

Message Edited by dghobbs on 03-21-2008 09:01 AM

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Jessica,

What a funny story. I wonder if anyone has tried to put these anecdotes together in book form...it would make a great book, something like "All I needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum. Doug

[Jessica]

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dghobbs wrote:

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Jessica wrote:

My husband tells this great story about a French restaurant he once worked in. One of the managers, who was actually from France, used to curse out anyone he felt deserved it ... but his English was spoken with a heavy French accent, and many people couldn't understand him. When he'd get really mad at a waiter, he'd yell, "He is a penguin!!" (emphasis on the "pangWAHN") and storm out of the room. (They had to wear bow ties...)

Everyone was entertained.

---

dghobbs wrote:
Jessica, In addition to my wife and her brothers, I have a brother who worked as a busboy. He can get the rest of us in hysterics when he talks about his experiences. Doug

Message Edited by dghobbs on 03-21-2008 09:01 AM

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Jessica,

What a funny story. I wonder if anyone has tried to put these anecdotes together in book form...it would make a great book, something like "All I needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum. Doug

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Oh, there are several:

Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter by Phebe Damrosh

Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg 

And this summer a book is coming out -- Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip: Confessions of a Cynical Waiter. It's based on a a blog by the same name. I've seen a galley of it; it's hysterical.

[dghobbs]

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Jessica wrote:

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dghobbs wrote:

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Jessica wrote:

My husband tells this great story about a French restaurant he once worked in. One of the managers, who was actually from France, used to curse out anyone he felt deserved it ... but his English was spoken with a heavy French accent, and many people couldn't understand him. When he'd get really mad at a waiter, he'd yell, "He is a penguin!!" (emphasis on the "pangWAHN") and storm out of the room. (They had to wear bow ties...)

Everyone was entertained.

---

dghobbs wrote:
Jessica, In addition to my wife and her brothers, I have a brother who worked as a busboy. He can get the rest of us in hysterics when he talks about his experiences. Doug

Message Edited by dghobbs on 03-21-2008 09:01 AM

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Jessica,

What a funny story. I wonder if anyone has tried to put these anecdotes together in book form...it would make a great book, something like "All I needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" by Robert Fulghum. Doug

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Oh, there are several:

Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter by Phebe Damrosh

Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg

And this summer a book is coming out -- Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip: Confessions of a Cynical Waiter. It's based on a a blog by the same name. I've seen a galley of it; it's hysterical.

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Jessica,

Thank you fro the book recommendations, I appreciate it --Doug