Profiles of a Restaurant Server

Graham and I spent all weekend inside the restaurant for training sessions, and before we go any further, yes we got to eat the food, yes, there was meat on it, and yes, we did eat it. Moving on…

During our training sessions I’ve taken interest in the many different kinds of personalities that are drawn into the hospitality industry. More specifically, I’m fascinated by the different kinds of people that end up waiting tables. We all have our own little back stories…how we got started working in restaurants, what other restaurants we’ve worked in before, and who we know working in other restaurants nearby. It’s how we communicate this information that sets us apart.

Take me, for example. I got started working in restaurants when I was an innocent wee fifteen-year-old at a McDonald’s. From there I worked as a server at a chain sit-down restaurant called Casey’s. In university I worked as a server and bartender at the bar on campus, then called The Wave. After that I worked at a place in Oshawa that was called Tailgate Charlie’s. Then there was Disney Cruise Line. Then there was the Air Canada Centre. Then there was the General Motors Centre. And now Boston Pizza. Phew! It’s quite a list, and not too shabby. Do you think I go around telling everyone new that I meet in the restaurant all about these jobs I’ve had? Sure, I manage to drop them into conversation from time to time but it always flows in an organic way. Someone might ask me where I’ve worked before. It’s only logical to mention a few of these places, right?

One of the most annoying personality types you’ll find in “the business” is the Know-it-All. You’ll realize you’ve met the Know-it-All because he or she will, at his or her earliest convenience, refer to the restaurant industry as “the business,” probably within the first five minutes of meeting you. And dude, that does not sweeten that beer I’m pounding at the end of my shift. I don’t care how many people you know who work at the Keg. I don’t care how many beer reps you know at Labatt. Can you do your job? Will you make mine harder? Will you occasionally pick up the tab on the beers we have at the end of the night? These are the things I care about. Do your job, have a laugh while you’re at it, and move along. That’s it.

The other personality type out there is the Extremely Insecure Over-compensator. This is the new server who is sort of on the other end of the spectrum from the Know-it-All. The E.I.O. is worse than the Know-it-All because he (I’ll use “he” because let’s face it, the E.I.O. is almost always a “he”) doesn’t know jack but has to pretend he knows absolutely everything there already is to know about working in a restaurant when in fact, he knows absolutely nothing. He jumps to the wrong conclusions about how things are done because he’d rather risk making a complete ass of himself than ask anyone (least of all a woman) how to do something. He announces it to everyone when he does anybody a favour and this just makes him seem even more insecure. Plus, he only buys a round of beers when there’s a manager nearby to overhear him, not realizing how little the manager cares.

Then there’s the one who’ll surprise you…the server who gets hired to be a server for the very first time. She has a lot of fun at work, and a lot of people might think she’s silly at first, but that’s just how she gets through the stress of a busy night. When you get to know her you find inside a heart of gold. She’ll help anyone she can as long as the guests in her section aren’t neglected. She really cares about the kind of service she provides and she shares tips and tricks with those hired after her. She takes turns buying beers after work. Before you know it, six months have gone by and she’s practically running the place. This doesn’t affect her attitude, though. She’s exactly the kind of person you want working in your restaurant, and you always hope she’s working on the nights you are.

This time around, there are a few Know-it-Alls, a couple of E.I.O.s hanging out, and my friend who’s surprised me is there too, thankfully, in addition to my husband.

Welcome back, Boston Pizza Bowmanville. You’ve been missed!

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