The restaurant business has been going downhill for a long time, even long before covid. Exactly 10 years ago I found myself back in the restaurant business after several years of doing other things as a way to save up a decent amount of cash in a hurry, something that was once very easy to do if you were good at your job. Even then I saw the difference in attitudes. Everyone from management down to dish washers spent more time playing on their phones than doing their jobs. Employees were more interested in hooking up with other employees than serving customers. The customers for the most part have become entitled assholes, each feeling they should take priority over all of the other entitled assholes and most don't tip worth a damn- and the ones with kids just let them run wild.
I found myself constantly having to not only wait my own tables but the surrounding tables because their servers disappeared after taking initial orders, too busy with their phones or trying to "hook up"- even the married ones. Several times I had to jump in and become an impromptu dishwasher after we completely ran out of clean dishes, etc. because dishwashers all decided to take hour long breaks at the same time and the kitchen manager too busy playing on his phone to care (we are talking about a huge, busy restaurant in a large city). Nobody does their side work, hostesses don't seat customers in the different sections equally, management hides out in a locked office, cooks are all illegals and refuse to speak english (and talk nasty shit to employees they assume don't speak spanish).... I could go on for days and days.
I only stayed long enough to save what money I needed and gave notice. Manager begged me to stay and when I couldn't be convinced offered to re-hire me if I ever wanted to come back. After waiting on a party of nearly 40 people completely alone (all with separate checks, that's how they got away with tip not being added automatically) for over 3 hours and only getting a $20 tip in the end I assured her that I would definitely never work in a restaurant again. For many years restaurant work was my chosen profession, these days I'd rather be waist deep in a septic tank!
I found myself constantly having to not only wait my own tables but the surrounding tables because their servers disappeared after taking initial orders, too busy with their phones or trying to "hook up"- even the married ones. Several times I had to jump in and become an impromptu dishwasher after we completely ran out of clean dishes, etc. because dishwashers all decided to take hour long breaks at the same time and the kitchen manager too busy playing on his phone to care (we are talking about a huge, busy restaurant in a large city). Nobody does their side work, hostesses don't seat customers in the different sections equally, management hides out in a locked office, cooks are all illegals and refuse to speak english (and talk nasty shit to employees they assume don't speak spanish).... I could go on for days and days.
I only stayed long enough to save what money I needed and gave notice. Manager begged me to stay and when I couldn't be convinced offered to re-hire me if I ever wanted to come back. After waiting on a party of nearly 40 people completely alone (all with separate checks, that's how they got away with tip not being added automatically) for over 3 hours and only getting a $20 tip in the end I assured her that I would definitely never work in a restaurant again. For many years restaurant work was my chosen profession, these days I'd rather be waist deep in a septic tank!
As an American it's your responsibility to have your own strategic duck stockpile. You can't expect the government to do it for you.
![[Image: m6Lj0Pf.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/m6Lj0Pf.jpg)