If you’re considering a career in the restaurant industry, this is a must read. And even if you’re not, I hope you still find the following intriguing on many levels.
It’s been just over three months since I left the industry. This “industry,” a.k.a. the restaurant industry, the food and beverage industry, the hospitality industry, whatever you want to call it, is how I’ve made a living for the past decade.
I’ve worked my ass off in every position in the front of the house (everything but culinary). I’ve been a greeter, a host, a barista, a server, a co-owner, a bartender and a manager (not necessarily in that order). I’ve worked in corporate environments, family-owned restaurants, seafood restaurants, wine bars, steakhouses, private event venues, sports bars, live music venues, corporate hotel restaurants and I’ve co-owned two California themed restaurants with friends in Santiago, Chile.
Pretty solid resume for the industry I’d say.
After a few months away from the industry, I’ve been asking myself, “Why did I last so long in this industry? What was it about this industry that put a smile on my face every day?
I have the perfect personality for it. I am, first and foremost a people pleaser. Not only am I friendly and outgoing, I honestly enjoy helping others and I thrive on bringing people happiness. God. That sounded like the most cheesy hospitality interview answer of all time. But there you have it. I genuinely feel that way and it’s one of the key factors in making anyone successful in this industry.
Think about anyone who is negative and unhappy. Consider that demeanor in a restaurant environment. This type of personality will never make it in this industry. We’ve all had those servers or managers (and if you’re an industry person like myself you’ve worked with plenty them), who just looked like they absolutely hated their jobs and quite possibly their lives. If someone like this were your server, why the hell would you go back and request that server or want to return to that restaurant. You wouldn’t. That’s why encompassing that true people pleaser personality is so important.
Which brings me to my next point.
You have to be a great actor as well. Why do you think so many actors are servers before they snag that first big role? It makes perfect sense. As much as I can say I’m a positive person, there were days when I was down. Really down. But I’d never let the guest know. That’s rule number one. Or I suppose it could be rule number three or four. It’s up there anyway. I can recall numerous times when I’d be standing in the side station almost in tears over a friend moving away or devastated about a death in the family. But I’d pull it together, shake it off and act like my normal happy self when it was time to serve the public. You have to. It’s your livelihood. And obviously, just as important, when a guest would be rude or obnoxious, you can’t show any sign on your face or in your tone that you think they’re a total douche. But if you wanted to, there’s a restaurant named Dick’s Last Resort that would be perfect for you. There are so many people I can think of who wore their emotions on their sleeve. These people were not successful and, in my personal opinion, should not be in the industry at all. If you can’t act, get out now.
A true people person is fascinated with all walks of life. This industry will allow you to connect with them all: the rich, the poor, the hipsters, the hippies, the family-centered, the loners, the humble, the jerk-offs, the do-gooders and the mobsters. And I’ve realized after working almost a decade in this industry, clearly not everyone is as enthralled as I am.
I embrace the weirdos, the eccentrics and the people who make you stop, look twice and whisper, "Oh. Em. Geeeeee," to a fellow co-worker. They are unique. For years they’ve provided me with a great amount of unbelievable entertainment (most of which you can read more about in Serving Humanity... duh). I remember one day when an old guy walked into my restaurant, who looked like a guide from Jurassic Park, with a huge red parrot on his shoulder. Freakin' fantastic. I remember a time when an old skinny geeky guy asked for a “table in the shade” while he pointed inside the restaurant. Amazing. And I’ll never forget the visor wearing, salt-and-pepper haired guy I waited on for years in two different restaurants who came in religiously every Sunday – wasted! - and made inappropriate comments to me and practically every female in his sight. Most servers hated waiting on him but I found him hilarious.
I embraced the high-maintenance pricks too, even though they totally sucked to deal with at the time. Because at the end of the day, you’d find out who you truly were and I found that quite rewarding. I can recall countless occasions when guests would actually compliment me on how I dealt with some form of tyrant at the table next to them. They’d say things like, ”Wow. You handled that well.” And I’d think, “Yeah. I did, didn’t I?” I’ve known countless servers and managers who consistently were unable to deal with rude or demanding guests. And guess what? They didn’t make it long in the industry, decided to work in the back of the house (a.k.a. the kitchen) or continued to live a miserable existence because they weren't ever suited for that position in the first place, but for some reason, wouldn't leave it either.
All of these people-driven personality traits are what you need to be successful in this industry. If you embrace all kinds of humanity at the core, if you love helping people, if you’re a people pleaser, if you’re a natural actor, if you’re generally a happy person (and logically, loving the art of food and drink is advantageous), then I’d say you have the right personality to venture into a career in the industry.
Consider it on the flip side of the perspective… If you are anti-social, generally hate people, see the glass half empty, don’t look forward to a nice meal out and don’t drink alcohol at all, this industry is not for you. And even if you possess just one of these characteristics, you still might want to think twice before filling out a job application at a local restaurant.
~ HK ~
~ HK ~
*** I knew I was going to write a closure piece since the day I walked out of that last restaurant. Looking back at what I just wrote, it’s interesting how my brain dove right into the topic of personality traits suited for the industry. That’s not what I intended to write about when I first cozied into the couch with my iced coffee and laptop. Perhaps it stems from my frustrations with the last few months of my tenure where several people above me (rank wise) did not fit the restaurant personality standard and it bugged the hell out of me. There's a high possibility I will expand on that topic one day in ‘Closure: Industry Insights. Part Three (or Four or Five...), but for now, I’ll leave that subject alone.
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