There’s enough drama behind the scenes at restaurants to inspire countless reality shows. And from work romances to fistfights, customers behaving badly, and more, the stories are equally as wild.
“People work in the restaurant industry for fast cash and fast money so they can do whatever they want,” Zay, a server for five years, told Travel + Leisure in an interview for the YouTube series Travel, Unfiltered. “They want freedom. They don’t want stability, they want chaos.”
If there’s one thing almost guaranteed in the restaurant business, it’s chaos.
“It was my first day at a new spot in New York. We heard a huge, loud commotion up in the mezzanine, tables flipping, people screaming,” said Dean, a server for six years. “Two of the busers had gotten into a fist fight right over somebody’s food. It was a mess. Both of them got fired that day. They were both sleeping with one of the managers at the restaurant—I think, allegedly.”
What Really Happens When You Leave Your Number
Ever wonder what happens when you leave your number for the flirty waiter on the back of a restaurant receipt? The answer to this question depends partly on how you do it, especially if you’re out with a group.
“If it’s a group of five guys and they’re like, ‘oh, it’s the guy in the green jacket,’ I’m like ‘Ok, got it, I’m not going to text him because he wasn’t that cute.’ But if he is, then I will,” said Anna-Katherine, a server for just over two years. “But if they just leave the number with no identifying factor, it’s like ‘you just lost. Like snooze, you lose.”
Of course, restaurant staff are no strangers to patrons leaving their number. “We do get hit on a lot, and a lot of times by people we don’t want to get hit on by,” said Abi, also a server for over two years.
Sometimes, it’s more than a date people are after. David, a server for six years, told T+L about the time he was propositioned by a pair of customers looking for a sperm donor. David declined the request, but added “it was the best compliment I’ve ever received.”
Learning On The Job
While certain customer requests aren’t always welcome, the lessons the job teaches generally are.
“This job has taught me a lot about human nature, I think in a really beautiful way and also in a crazy way,” Dean said. “It’s taught me about kindness, about patience, about humility, about humor. And then it’s also taught me that there are just some people in this world and that nothing you say will get through to them. And you kind of just have to put on a smile and suck it up.”
Ultimately, service can make or break a restaurant experience. “People may never remember what they ate or what they drank,” said Jake, a server for eight years. “But they’ll always remember how you make them feel.”