— It is commonly claimed that one cannot be a waitress for life. Really? Or is the waiter still in the game?
— Frankly, the writer doesn’t know anyone who sees waitressing as a lifelong career, yet acknowledges it as a strong step into the restaurant industry. Think of it as a pathway: to become a restaurateur, one starts from the ground, learning the kitchen and the service from inside out to deliver top-notch hospitality.
A friend began working at a catering company at sixteen, then the author moved on, while the friend continued. She waited tables for several years, studied restaurant management, and learned leadership. Now she owns a franchise and plans to open her own restaurant in another country.
In general, being a waiter can help prepare someone to run a future dining establishment. Life experience speaks loudly, though the writer remains careful with certainty. There are international competitions for professionals in the field, suggesting some may view this career as a true calling. Yet the author remains skeptical that many will chase more than the job offers.
— Why is that? Is it the stress or something else?
The response is blunt: it is stressful and often unrewarding. Guests can be rude and the work undervalued. Some visitors call out across the hall with phrases like hey there or questions about who is allowed to walk certain corridors. This comes from personal experience. It feels like a relic from another era, even though the service culture has evolved. At least there is no whistling.
Frequently, guests drink too much and misbehave. One incident involved a guest who threw a chair at a bar, creating damage worth 83 thousand rubles. Another person offered to sleep with a colleague after a polite refusal, threatening harm if refused again. Security intervened and removed the assailant.
There was a customer who ordered khinkali and then pricked one with a nail to avoid paying. The staff initially misinterpreted the sign of a manicure that matched the visitor’s nail color, but the cooks did not wear painted nails.
At a company party, a colleague faced harassment from a man in front of his partner. The partner retaliated by grabbing the employee’s hair and directing a threatening action toward the boyfriend.
Women also encounter boundary-crossing moments. During a cigarette break, a drunken woman flirted, crossed lines, and grabbed the worker. The staff member maintained calm boundaries and returned to work to protect a respectful atmosphere.
There are also kleptomaniac guests. One notable example came from a respected venue on Arbat where a guest was found with a bag of liquid soap and expensive jewelry, later confessing a medical illness. Some guests carry items such as utensils, toothpicks, napkins, or towels without obvious frustration.
Overall, guests can be awkward, and staff must strive to please everyone, which does not always work. Usually, guests are calm and sometimes entertaining. An unusual moment involved a guest who requested to heat draft beer in a microwave.
When alcohol is concerned, prices in restaurants are higher than in stores. Guests pay for service, but the question remains about quality.
— The takeaway is that ordering alcohol in bottles is preferable in most public eateries unless the restaurant is exceptional. A bottle of house vodka might cost around 1000 rubles in a restaurant, compared to cheaper options from shops. Wise managers often source from distributors at lower rates, sometimes substituting a well-known brand with a more economical option. Of course, it depends on the restaurant and its owner.
The same logic applies to food. Higher-end venues typically offer better cuisine, though occasional lapses happen. It’s understood that prices rise with quality, reflecting the restaurant’s level and the dining experience offered.
— Do waiters encourage guests to try certain dishes, often the most expensive or items nearing spoilage?
The answer is nuanced. Waiters frequently suggest dishes that were declined by other guests to reduce waste and increase overall revenue. If a salad appears to be past its prime, staff will replace it. Guests are not naive and will seek a change if needed. Expensive recommendations do exist, but many waiters simply share what they genuinely enjoy. The approach depends on the establishment and the individual server.
The broader reality is that waiters aim to increase the bill, whether for personal tips or performance metrics. The writer recalls a standout moment: a corporate party with about 30 attendees in a karaoke setup, which yielded nearly a million rubles in turnover.
To improve outcomes, some waiters even drink with guests. The idea is that shared drinks encourage bigger orders and larger tips. After big celebrations, leftovers sometimes go home with staff, not to waste good food. Behind guests, servers do eat, but after a large event they may take items home to avoid waste.
— Is it possible that cooks or waiters spit on an unpleasant guest? The possibility exists, though it is rare and not officially sanctioned. In about seven out of ten instances, a rude guest might receive a quiet, discreet response in coffee, salad, soup, or lemonade from kitchen staff. A few kitchens even joke that if a guest spits on a plate, they might return again. Chefs may claim this is a kitchen law or a universal truth, but the action occurs only under extreme anger and is not common.
The conclusion remains clear: guests should avoid causing trouble. The staff works for the guest experience and will acknowledge mistakes when approached with courtesy.