What Every Server Should Know! Continued...

The First Server Shift: A server reports to work by logging into their account on the computer they use to enter customer orders. The first tasks are administrative and deal with setting the restaurant up for the day ahead. They set up the wine station, organize the walking cooler, clean and polish silver wear, etc.

The Mid-shift: This shift by fair is the most demanding, but makes the most money by the end of the day. During this shift, the server will start at or before 12pm, serve the entire lunch rush and into the night to conquer the dinner rush. The last time I did a mid-shift at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, I managed to pull in three hundred dollars in tips. It was hard work, but after the making three hundred dollars and getting a strawberry milkshake with cheese sticks from Adel’s restaurant, it was all worth it. Overall, this is the toughest shift but holds the most rewards.

During any shift, the server is going to be responsible for sweeping and vacuuming around tables and around the food line, folding silver wear into napkins, assist the bartender with running drink and food, and generally clean up around the restaurant.

The Closing Shift: The closing server shift starts before the dinner rush and works till closing. This shift entails tasks like polishing all silver wear and glass wear, vacuum, refill all condiments, break down the restaurant, and prep it for the morning staff.

Wages and Tips: Servers in some states only make 50 percent of minimum wage because they earn tips. For me, this is complete bullshit and I think it is just another regulation put on people. Besides the point, a server is earning tips and in affect the higher the bill, the bigger the tip. Servers that work in high end restaurants earn more than $800 dollars a week; sometimes bringing in more than $1000 dollars or more. Most servers rely on tips to make a living, so if you’re thinking about becoming a server, you better understand the game.

OH WAIT!!! I almost forgot, if you look closely, most restaurants are managed by males and you wonder why serving is a female dominated profession. So, if you are a dude server, you better have some personality and naturally be good with people.

What Every Server Should Know!

Most of the public many think a server is just someone that takes drink orders, informs on the meal of the day, takes the orders, and checks up on the customers for refills or whatever else the customer many need. Most of the time, people have no idea what difficulties and hard work a server faces while at work. They only see the person doing their job, but really they doing whatever they can to make the customer’s dining experience a great one. What is not seen by the customer is what every server should know.

Application to become a server: Many people trying to become a server at a high end or low end restaurant must take a test in order to determine if they can handle the psychological stresses of serving. Most avid servers at some point in their career either started out as food runner or got their experience in a slower restaurant. If someone is lucky enough, they can apply at a newly opening high end restaurant as an assistant server or expeditor and work their way up to server.

This is my experience in Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s Rustic Restaurant. I started out as an assistant server, then became am expeditor and now in am a server/event captain. After I was a pro expeditor, I became a restaurant server and pool-side server.

Server Training: Once hired, the server has two to three weeks to learn server protocol, do the food-runner’s job, the assistant server’s job, and learn whatever else the lead server requires. After a week or two the server then takes a light some of tables to start. The manager decides, based on performance, whether or not the server will continue as a server. If the server cannot perform, he or she is honorably released from employment. Something to keep in mind about any serving position is if you can’t be a good team player, you shouldn’t be a server. Like a crab fishing boat, Navy Seal team, or restaurant team, overall  accomplishing the mission is the common goal and failure is some an option.