A Good Night

I may be the only 44 year old who has never waitressed or made a pot of coffee. Well, all that has changed now, people! I have been initiated into the wonderful world of food service!

Tonight was my second night training as a waitress at my place of employment. I've worked the snack bar most of the summer, and spent 3 nights busing tables a few weeks ago as part of the learning process towards waitressing.

The powers that be at work want to train me to do everything, so that I can be the go-to gal wherever they happen to need someone. I told them I need as many hours as possible (since the snack bar will close after Labor Day) and this is apparently my ticket in doing so.

Last night was my first night waitressing so I shadowed the head waitress, and towards the end of the night they gave me 2 tables of my own--both "two-tops" in dining lingo, meaning two people were seated.

Tonight I did more shadowing and learned more about the prep process. They entrusted me with 4 two-tops tonight.

Ok, so this maybe the phrase that comes back to haunt me, but the bussers at our lodge work a lot harder than the waitresses. Waitressing is a lot about paying attention to the details, and timing things and staying organized, but busing is a lot of hard work, and a lot more clean up and a lot more just physically tiring. I'm not saying this is the case everywhere, but where I work it is; they give the bussers a lot of responsibilities.

At any rate, I had a pretty terrific night tonight. From the sales on my tickets I should've gotten $28 in tips, but at the end of the night, the hostess handed me $45. All of my tables left me a $10 tip and one left me $15. But the best part was that one customer wrote "We love Lesley!" on their receipt. That made my whole night! I think that I'm getting a lot of "it's only her 2nd night, encouragement tips" but heck, I'll take it! I wonder just how long I can milk the "I'm new" angle though?