First of all, sorry for the delay in my posting, I have been very busy lately with some real life projects and as such, have neglected several of my side projects, including this one. This post is about 3 stories summarized and posted in one long post so I can make room in my head for more stories.
As you all know, I hate corporate restaurants like one hates syphilis, and now I have even more disdain for them. Last week, in addition to having 0 weekend shifts scheduled, 3/5 shifts were closing shifts and 1 opening shift. While most people would welcome the opportunity of an extra hour of tables without having to share with the rest of the staff, closing where I work is a right pain in the arse. Basically, we close the entire restaurant, from the dining room, to half the kitchen -- all for $2.63/hr. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not that lazy, but still. I resent having to clean up after 15 other servers, and then the kitchen as well. They get paid more than we do, so let them do the physical work. It's bad enough they are all treaded like gods anyway. Which reminds me...how did we get to that system in our industry? The SERVERS make the restaurant money, so why are we always the ones shafted? Opening is just the exact reverse....we have to do more than any other restaurant I've ever worked at to open and close...all so management and the kitchen can be lazy. God, I need out of this business fast!
One of my closing shifts was a Monday....slow, easy, long. We had the entire restaurant closed down and ready to walk out the door at 10:30....except for two douchebags who came in at 10:25 wanting to eat dinner. I kid you not. I also get the pleasure, thanks to some bullshit corporate policy, of being forced to stay at the restaurant until ALL servers are finished...even if I have done my bit, cashed out, and am sitting down ready to leave...I cannot until everyone is done. So now, after having all our crap done, we all get to stay for another 45 minutes because some assmaster decided he wanted some spicy shrimp late at night. I've said it before, but I'll say it again...I'm going to start writing names down off credit cards...finding out where these assholes work, then pay them a visit 5 minutes before they are scheduled to leave...and then keep talking or hanging out for 30-45m after they close....just to see how they enjoy being stuck at work while some idiot customer runs them around for refills.
The next day was dead as hell. Most were cut and gone by 8, and those of us in the middle sections were going to be cut within the next 10 minutes. I had all my tables clean, my silver ready to be polished (yes, im sneaky like that), and was generally planning on leaving within 15 minutes when one of our dumbass hostesses (I'm sure they are out to get me) decides it would be cute to sit the next table in my section....fully knowing I was about to be cut. No big deal I thought as I saw them waddle to their table, I'll just get one of the closers to pick it up and it will all be good. So after bribing a closer to take the table, I start polishing my silverware, as we had just been officially cut. Minding my own business in the bowels of the restaurant, I hear the asshole manager calling my name. I poke my head around the corner to see what was going on, only to get my ass chewed out for giving my table up. "We don't give tables away without asking a manager first here" I was told. "It can mess up the rotation for the closers" I nodded and went on my way, but under my breath I was saying "WTF, it was the ONLY TABLE in the entire restaurant!" But as I dont want to get fired quite yet, I bit my tongue and moved on.
Which brings me up to last night. For a friday, we were slow. The state fair is in town this week, so nobody is really expecting much business, and to top it all off, those that did come in were all cheap assholes. I'm not talking about ordering the cheapest entree, but these cheap asses who come in and order 1 appetizer and 2 glasses of house wine, on happy hour pricess no less, then split the check up so they don't have to pay more than $5 each. Go to mcdonalds cheapass. Anyway, I'm punching in an order for one of my tables when asshole manager comes up to me and said 'I haven't seen much of you at the window today" to which I replied "Um...yeah, I was up there quite a bit." "No you weren't" he said as he walked off. What a fucking dickhead. Calling me a liar in front of other people -- the fat lazy motherfucker. All he does is walk around and flirt with the ladies sitting at the bar. When he does work, he is obnoxious, condescending, and all around unpleasant. Maybe that fat fuck could get off his high horse and run some food to a table. It certainly wouldn't kill him...it may actually help him. Too bad he is the managing partner :(
I guess the silver lining is that I have an interview with a company outside the industry (in IT, to be exact) sometime next week, so hopefully that will be my ticket out. I don't know if I will quit altogether or just reduce my availability to 2 days a week, as I do enjoy the money, but one thing is for sure, the end is near!
