Today, I started a new job. It went fine. It was right up the street at an Italian restaurant. It may have been my easiest shift EVER as a waitress. This is not necessarily a good thing in the food and beverage industry. If you go home feeling like you didn't have to work very hard, than chances are, you didn't make any money. It's a business where you have to hustle to make money, and I'm a hustler when I'm at work. There was a Christening party for about 50 people in the main dining room. Other than that, there were only 3 other tables for dinner... that's not good. Also, I felt like the standards of what the owner expected of me and the rest of the staff were... well, non existent. It was so laid back that it made me uncomfortable in a way. It would be one thing if it was a sports bar, and they were trying to show a laid back casual, fun atmosphere. But the menu is a little pricey, in my opinion for what they offer, so you would think that service would be the big thing.. not so, or at least it didn't seem like it to me.
The owner is a little crazy, which is actually pretty typical for restaurant owners and/or chefs. But this guy seemed a little too out of touch with the reality of his restaurant. He sat in his office in the back of the house office- just off of the kitchen, chain smoking cigarettes. It's not a good feeling going out into the dining room knowing that I'm smelling like smoke.. It wasn't a little smoke, it was ever present smoke. It was during the height of the party that the 3 other tables came in for dinner. So as they entered, I sat them and took their orders and what not. The usual. Nothing complicated about it. As I was typing the orders into the system, the owner came up next to me and said, "huh.. I never let the trainees take tables, but you just jump right in, huh? that's good...." Oy. yes, i guess I'm THAT good.
There was only one other server today/tonight. His name was Joe. Good kid. Graduate student. He's worked there for a few years, and pretty much runs the place. Very sweet kid.
When the shift came to an end, Joe took $30 out of the tip jar and said these exact words to me: "He's (the owner) never tipped anyone who's supposed to be training on their first day before.. but he told me to give you this.. I guess he likes you?"
I'm thinking that this isn't going to be the job that helps turn things around for me and helps to pay my new college tuition bills that will be rolling in soon. But I'll stick it out and see what comes of it.
On the positive side, while I was at work, the seafood restaurant that I had a good feeling about called and left a message for me to call them tomorrow to see about training for a bartending shift there. So that's good. Something will work out.
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