Was reading through a few awful waiter/waitress stories and man. Call me “triggered” but have to share this now bc it’s on my mind.
Used to work for a big restaurant chain (Hint: “The Meesecake Mactory”) and i opened, which is a 6am shift but i’d come at 5 because the prep was nearly impossible. you had to cut the tops off about 30 containers of strawberries, and glaze them in that horrid goo. make freshly squeezed orange juice that was gone after 8-10 cups no matter how much you juiced. then stock the cakes.
you go into this slim freezer with your personal winter coat, and try to pull 25-30 cakes from the shelves. they could be anywhere from the bottom to the top rack (about 5 levels, and yes you’d have to climb physically up the rack) then place them on a wheelie cart, stock the display case and then the back room accordingly. this was extremely difficult because all of us were 5’0-5’5 tops and you almost never finished this task. you were just supposed to “finish in between customers”. idk if you caught my drift earlier when i named this place, but you are NEVER without a customer. you’re alone until about 9-10am, handling online orders, dining in orders, to go orders, and people who just want to come in for a slice.
on this dreaded day my open was not complete as usual, cakes are everywhere in the back i’m running out of plates, cups, the entire shabang, but can’t afford to walk away because i’d fall into the weeds. every server waiting on their order is standing there waiting (a good 8 people) like a cult. instead of idk, helping? maybe going to get plates? going to get cups? nope. just “are you almost at my ticket?” in a snarky tone.
FF to dinner rush. it’s around 6pm, i haven’t eaten a thing, might’ve had a kids cup of sprite. haven’t used the bathroom yet either. oh! and my night shift person called out! woohoo! i said fuck all of this and leave to go to the bathroom. i decided to stop and ask about having a break / possibly getting out early (10pm) because i’m exhausted. i am BERATED in the back (in front of al the dish people, anyone on break in our non existent break room, and the chefs little opening) by the manager on how i’m not being a team player, how dare i leave my team empty handed, i can have a break when it dies down etc etc etc. i saw red and EXPLODED. i told him i had been there since 5am. that is completely unacceptable to mandate me here due to a call out and tel me i can’t even eat or piss. i said his ass should be back there working, that’s what MANAGERS do. argument ensues. this was the beginning of the end for my ass for sure. i go back out, he comes running with an apron suddenly and asking what i need. he actually finally SEES how bad it is and shocked pikachu face ensues. 2hrs later things are as calm as they can be for a Sat night at a fancy restaurant. i finally clean up and head out around 1-130am.
i asked for a dollar. i was making $11/hr and wanted 12. just a dollar. i kept getting the run around and told a bunch of bs. fine. i was due to open that friday and saturday and told them not to expect me if they can’t give me that raise. and they did not, so i did not show up. Laid in bed smoking a blunt feeling immense relief, while they blew up my phone nervously asking where i was. still good friends with a girl from there, a few months later she tells me the GM wanted her to tell me “they were going to give me the raise.” SURE YOU WERE.
Fuck the meesecake mactory, they had roaches and all their cakes and bread are frozen.