Almost all of my coworkers were consistently kind and friendly. There is a sense of camaraderie among staff members. When students are in town, evening carry-out tips are consistently good. On an average Friday, you can expect to earn about $100 in tips during a 5-hour shift. I also enjoyed the flexible scheduling, the 50% off employee meal discount, and the managers legitimately care about their staff.
What I wish was different
I always felt spread too thin, having to seat guests, manage reservations, handle carry-out orders, distribute curbside orders, occasionally bus tables, and handle phone calls. The host position has too many responsibilities in different places. This impaired my performance, resulting in each task being completed with less quality than I would have liked to put forth.
Management could have been more consistent with keeping hosts up to date on rules and expectations. There were also inconsistencies between managers about said rules and expectations. This was frustrating, as I would be reprimanded for following the instructions I was previously given. This can also be embarrassing during guest interactions. It reflects poorly upon me, the management, and the restaurant.
Advice
For the type of work that it is, this job was as good as it could have been; it is simply not the best fit for me personally.
This job taught me a lot about myself and my limitations. I am prone to anxiety. The nature of the service industry does not mix well with that. Experienced through the lens of anxiety, a simple guest interaction becomes an evaluation of my worth as a human being. This wore me down over time.
It also made me aware of my auditory processing issues, sensory sensitivities, and social deficiencies.
If that does not sound like you, I would recommend working here! Overall, it was a positive experience. I would be open to returning under the right circumstances.
