After the highschool I took a gap-year and decided to work for a couple of months to ‘get the feel of it’. Decided to apply as a waitress in the small downtown restaurant-hotel. Maybe 10-15 tables inside and the same amount in the terrace.
My work day started at 5:30, preparation for breakfast buffet for hotel guests and general help in the kitchen. ~9am cleaning up and some time after lunch would start, it was the worst as mostly all tables were busy. I had several breakdowns and had to serve all puffy with runny mascara. In the evening there wasnt too much of visitors only at the bar, that I also had to look after. Kitchen would leave at 8pm but I had to stay until bar closed aka until all customers leave. It would be sometimes at 10pm sometimes at 3am. So I would see the same customers during the breakfast and 16+ hours after when they would have a drink to finish the day.
Bonus:
* I was working alone, so being responsible for the buffet, lunch, bar, cash register, coffee machine, toilets, drinks etc etc
* Managers wanted me to work 3 days in the row
* Kitchen would sometimes sleep overnight in the changing room
* Parking was paid or 10min away from the restaurant
* Was getting minimum wage (~2.5eu)
I never want to work in the restaurant/bar industry ever again, especially as a waitress. Work culture in my country is extremely toxic and abusive. Tips were nice tho and I stole gave myself a bonus bottle of rum on my last day