Vignettes From Restaurant Life
Presented by Western Paper
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By Erin Boyle
What Needs To Change
THE REPLACEABLE, IRREPLACEABLE.
I’ve worked almost every single day for five weeks. At least 12 hours a day, sometimes 15. I missed my grandmother’s funeral. Owner: “You can go, but I don’t know if your job will be here when you get back.” I want to work here. I love the mission. I have given up everything to work here. And I am completely replaceable.
THE GAP.
Restaurant owner to me: “I like to hire women and minorities, they will work harder for less money.”
THE BUSINESS.
Head chef to me: “The women here are so different. I’d like to fuck them all. That one,” points to a server friend, “she’s so hot and full of herself. I’d hate-fuck her.”
THICK SKIN IN THE GAME.
Me hiring another female: “Do you know the difference between jelly and jam? I can’t jam my fist in your ass.” The woman kind of laughs. I add, “I had to tell you that joke to see if you would get offended. If you get offended, you shouldn’t work here.”
FOR GENERATIONS.
Eight year-old daughter of the owner walks down the line slapping everyone’s ass saying, “Good game.” This is what she has been taught as ‘normal coworker behavior.’
FOR SURVIVAL.
The restaurant’s slammed, and the line is having an awful time. A server brings me a drink from the bar, because the night is so awful. I drink during service. And know more drinks will come.
OUR REWARD.
It’s 5 p.m. and I really need to pee. I’ve been at work since 7 a.m. and haven’t gone since I got in. But we’re really close to service and I’m not done with prep. Going to the bathroom is my reward for finishing prep.
OUR SUSTENANCE.
Any day in the restaurant I have food in my pocket. A broken square of shortbread that I wanted to eat, but haven’t had time. Or a handful of nuts. No bag. No napkin. Food in my pocket that I hope to have time to eat before we get busy.
TASTING A NEW DISH.
No plates. No silverware. No napkins. Grabbing a piece, using the other hand as a napkin or eating over the trash can. We don’t have the time to wash plates for the staff.
What We Need To Keep
MY TEAM.
One of the servers is also a yoga teacher, she teaches for free after brunch on Sundays.
MY REASON.
It’s 7 a.m., I'm scheduled at 12 p.m., but go into work early because I’m so excited to learn a new technique.
CLOSING TIME.
It’s after closing time and most folks have gone home. A guest comes to the kitchen to thank us for staying open late to serve him. He tells us how great the food is, how his day was awful, and that eating with us changed his day.
THE DANCE.
The way it feels like a ballet when the kitchen works well together and they’re all in the flow.
THE CLEAN-UP MUSIC.
Loud and varied. Easily move from Marylin Mason to Toby Keith to Brittany Spears.
BEING A REGULAR.
The staff know my name and face. They know what I order. They remember to put the mayo on the side without me saying so.
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I am Erin Boyle, Executive Director for CHOW, friend, sister, wife, daughter, duck and dog momma, potter, reader, crafter, walker, nanny, and chef. I trained to be a chef at the Culinary Institute of America and have worked in San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York, and Denver. After almost two decades working in the industry, I transitioned to teaching and love it.
CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach Wellness) is an organization of individuals employed in the hospitality industry who support each others’ mental wellness through shared stories, learned skills and available resources. CHOW hosts weekly discussion meetings and offers free mental health and recovery training to all currently or previously in the hospitality industry.
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Best Served. To achieve our mission of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing a variety of viewpoints across the industry.
