The Complete Guide to Becoming A Waiter and Waitress

Chapter 1: What Does a Waiter and Waitress Actually Do?

Orienting Yourself at 4:30 PM

Picture a typical American mid-priced sit-down restaurant, the kind with sixty to one hundred seats, a menu that ranges from burgers to pasta, and a bar along one wall. You just walked in the side door, not the front. You're wearing black pants, comfortable shoes with nonslip soles, and a clean shirt usually provided by the restaurant or required in a specific color. It's 4:30 PM, and your shift doesn't start until 5:00. You are a waiter or waitress, and this is where the job actually begins.

Your first thirty minutes are not about serving food. They are about preparation, or "side work." You'll fill salt and pepper shakers, roll silverware into paper napkins for the next day's lunch rush, stock your station with clean glasses, check that the coffee machine has fresh grounds, and wipe down menus that have been handled by a hundred strangers. If the restaurant uses table-top ketchup bottles, you'll refill them, and you'll replace any missing straws or napkin dispensers. This is not glamorous, but it is mandatory, and restaurants will schedule you early enough to get it done. If you finish early, you'll usually grab a booth in the back to eat a quick meal, because you will not have time to eat comfortably again for the next six hours.

The Pre-Shift Meeting and the Tools of the Trade

At 4:55 PM, you join your coworkers - the other