It feels like restaurant week on this blog! But lately, I guess I have been trying to get out more, and talk to more people in the restaurant business. I suppose this is the second phase of trying to get my name out there as a Professional Foodie.
I try to stay away from doing reviews of chain restaurants. I much more enjoy the flavor and creativity of local places that are doing their own thing with food. However, we do enjoy going to Hops Grill & Brewery (route 200, Ocala, FL), and since we are not originally from Florida, we didn’t know until this past week that it is a chain!
So in light of this phase two, we started talking to our server. She was a great server, attentive and fast with getting our food out. She was also friendly and smiling the whole time. She was very lively and fun and she was teasing me because I ordered a dark beer which surprised her because it is mostly a “guy beer”. So we got to talking and she was saying that she loves her job, but because she is on the front lines of the restaurant she gets treated badly by many overly demanding customers, and since she depends on tips to make her living, it can often be a struggle for her. She told us about people who eat their entire meal and then say they hated it and want their money back. Some people don’t even leave tips.
I am not here trying to say you should tip a bad server. But I think when dining at any kind of food establishment, before taking out your frustrations on your server, stop and think about whether it is something that is in their control or not. Servers get paid an hourly wage that is grossly under minimum wage. The assumption is that they will make up for it with generous tips. If you don’t like your food, but your server was attentive, and helpful, don’t punish them by not leaving a tip, complain to the cook.
People in the service industry, especially the servers have to constantly take the brunt of the customer’s dissatisfaction. But if you like a restaurant and your server is good to you, but the food or something else is off that night, be good to your server as well, by giving a decent tip and treating them like a human being. Most of them are very nice and just trying their best to make your meal enjoyable while juggling everything at once, even things not in their control.
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Glad we live just a quick jaunt away!
Lisa - April 23, 2007 at 7:27 pm
I completely agree with you, and we try to do all this! Usually when the food is bad, we don’t go back to the restaurant, but we do tip the server before we leave.
I love your job description of “professional foodie.” I think I should sign up!
Jenn - April 23, 2007 at 10:44 pm
I think everyone should sign up! I am not sure there really is a job description for what I do, so it was the best thing I could think of!
Diana - April 25, 2007 at 6:45 pm
When I was a waitress boy was I nervous for the day the I would get stiffed…but it never happened! However, this does not sway from your point. I was only in the biz for a short while. Many of my friends have worked in the food and bev. industry for years and have been stiffed. When you are waitressing all of your living expenses depend on your tips. Here in MA a waitress will earn $2.63 per hour. Now compute that poor hourly rate at a restaurant that is only busy at night. You are screwed in the morning or afternoon. Thanks Jenn for defending
the ones who make money not by arguing a point but by having to continuously have to smile and please! Much LOVE!
Jenn - April 25, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Hi Diana,
I should have figured you would have much to say on this topic. For those of us reviewing the food industry, who are on the outside of operations, I think it is important to always have a lens of what the people behind the scenes are doing. We all have to watch out for each other on both ends of the spectrum!