The 10 Worst Things About The Restaurant Industry & 10 Of The Best
The Highs & Lows Of Restaurant Culture
Whether working in it or indulging in it, the restaurant industry is a huge part of our society. The food and beverage scene has a lot of good, but it also has a lot of bad. From tip culture to staff lifestyle, discover what people find the worst and the best about this booming industry.
1. Tip Culture
Particularly in North America, tip culture has gotten out of hand. The expected tip percentage has gone up to 20-25%, discouraging employers from paying their staff a reasonable wage. The tip prompt appears everywhere now, even with counter service. It’s a controversial topic but we can all agree the tipping culture needs improvement.
2. Food & Packaging Waste
It's not easy to regulate inventory and often food gets wasted. Large portion sizes also result in scraping food off of people's plates because they're too full to finish or putting their leftovers in a single-use container. Presentation is important so any ingredients that don't look perfect are thrown away. Take-out uses numerous plastic products and disposable packages. Needless to say, the restaurant industry produces a lot of garbage.
3. Unhealthy Lifestyle
Restaurant staff don't always have the healthiest lifestyle. Every day they're around people drinking alcohol and eating fried food and the temptation is hard to resist. After a long shift, a frothy pint of beer is rewarding and a late-night finish usually means you're ready to party any night of the week.
4. High Stress
Working in the restaurant industry can be very stressful. Customers have high demands that keep the front and back of house on their toes. Chefs and cooks can't always keep up with the amount of orders and bartenders can only make so many drinks at once. People expect prompt perfection and that leads to a very stressful environment.
5. Allergy Risks
Food allergies put customers and restaurants at risk. As a customer, you're putting all your trust on the staff not to make a mistake and know every ingredient in the dishes. As a restaurant worker or owner, you're risking your reputation and liability and are responsible for protecting others.
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6. Bad Customers
Rude or angry customers can ruin your whole day. No matter who's at fault, the type of customers you deal with during your shift can often make or break you. As a restaurant worker, a bad customer can harm your self-esteem or slow down your productivity.
7. Alcohol Risks
Whenever alcohol is involved there are always risks at play. There's a lot of pressure on front of house staff to follow strict rules about serving patrons alcoholic beverages. Drunk customers will often cause issues that can be dangerous and unpleasant for staff and other guests.
8. Working Weekends & Holidays
Restaurant employees work opposite schedules to most industries which isn't ideal if they have friends and family outside of hospitality. Instead of getting time off for the holidays, they work overtime. It's a schedule of late nights, weekends, and working special occasions.
9. Exhaustion
Whether you're in the kitchen or cleaning tables, employees are on their feet for long shifts. If the restaurant is busy, it's common to skip a break or forget to drink water. While customers are sitting down and enjoying a meal, you're running around like a headless chicken with a growling stomach, hoping to snack on some fries when you get a minute to breathe.
10. Front Vs. Back Of House
If you've ever worked in a restaurant you may have experienced a bit of misbalance when it comes to pay. Many will argue that the kitchen staff work harder than the front of staff and vise versa. Either way, the servers and bartenders typically make more money because they're given tips which can often cause tension between coworkers.
1. The Staff
It's not all bad, there's a lot of good too! The best part about hospitality is the staff. As a fellow employee, you make the greatest friends with the most interesting people that become your work family. As a patron, you're usually greeted by a friendly face and someone who wants to give you a wonderful experience.
2. Flexible Hours
Unlike the typical 9-5er, shift work usually means flexible schedules. You can often create a schedule that works around an alternative lifestyle or swap shifts with others. Although time off isn't always paid, restaurant workers usually have a lot more freedom for vacation or personal days.
3. Dynamic Skills
If you've never worked in hospitality, you may not realize how much skill and stamina it takes to work in it. It's not as simple as writing down orders or flipping burgers, it takes coordination, time management, social skills, strategy, and more.
4. Meeting New People
The restaurant industry is the best for meeting new people. If you're working front of house, you're meeting new faces every single day. There's an eclectic group of people you'll find working in the industry and turn over is pretty high.
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5. Fun Atmosphere
Most restaurants want you to have a good time so that you keep coming back. Many venues strive to fill their space with a fun and inviting atmosphere from the decor to their clientele. Many places are just as fun to work in as they are to dine in.
6. Industry Perks
As an employee or employer in the restaurant industry, you obtain a lot of perks. There are often hefty discounts on food, beverages, and events for staff or even free meals. Industry people are like one ginormous family and when you're off the clock, you get treated like royalty at any venue that knows you.
7. Customer Satisfaction
With a few unfortunate exceptions, most of the time restaurant patrons are pretty chipper. They're celebrating a milestone, on a date, or just happy to have somebody else cooking for them. Customer satisfaction is a great feeling for everyone.
Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash
8. Variety
There's so much variety in the restaurant industry, especially in a city. In some places, you could walk down the street and eat around the world. You'll stumble across a Greek tavern, a Parisian cafe, or a sushi joint. The various cuisines is one of the best parts of the industry.
9. Cash Money
If you're in the right place, you can be flush in cash working in the restaurant industry. Employees benefit from tips and the discounts and free food helps them spend less on groceries.
10. Delicious Food
Well isn't the best thing about the restaurant industry obvious? The main attraction is delicious food. Talented chefs create mouth watering menus and people love to eat. From take-out to bakeries, many of us are spoiled with tasty treats and dishes from various places.
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