Of course I am of the philosophy that every day is WaitStaff day. My personal history in the restaurant business began the summer after I graduated from High School - bussing at the now defunct Sassafras House in Georgetown, earning my waiter stripes by the end of that first season and returning at vacation time regularly during college. The first summer Great Oak went from being a private club to a public restaurant, I was there among the waitstaff, along with the now famous Andy Goddard. (or perhaps she might say "infamous"!) After graduating from college with a BA in Sociology - which I have been using ever since, being that Sociology is the "Study of Human Relationships" - I supplemented my part-time teaching with a job at the Valley Inn in Greenspring Valley. I worked for Mr. Hatfield for a year before I took a job at The Country Fare Inn in Owings Mills, which is historical for the direction in which this move took me: I met Kevin there. The building which housed the restaurant has since been demolished, but we remain in touch with many our co-workers from that era, and built many of our business ethics upon the model demonstrated by the energetic men under whose watchful eyes we worked. Kevin's mentor at this time was Roland Jeannier, or "Chef", who Kevin still credits for much of his kitchen ideology and skills.
I basically have never stopped waitressing - from Owings Mills to San Francisco, Fair Hill to Annapolis, even to Kent Island (Remember the Poseidon Inn? Believe it or not, Kevin and I both waited tables there.) Along the way I leaned a lot about how to do things and even more about how not to. In 1986 all of this varied experience led me back to Kent County and the rest, as they say, is History. Aside from a few short stints at using my Secondary Education teaching certificate, I have barely done anything else with my life. And I can't imagine doing anything else.
For the majority of servers, income is derived from the tips received from customers. Whether we like this system or not - and I have gone on record of wishing there were a better way - that is how they make their living. If a server is good, and enjoys it, the living is a fine one, with relatively flexible hours (mainly being the opportunity to work nights and weekends!) and a chance to be a part of the crazy world that is Restaurant Life. Many in the Life maintain that a law should be passed requiring that every citizen be a front-of-the-house employee for at least a part of their work experience. If that were to happen, we can be sure that every day would be National Wait Staff Day!
Here's a Cheer for the Wait Staff at Brooks Tavern! We couldn't do it without you!
I basically have never stopped waitressing - from Owings Mills to San Francisco, Fair Hill to Annapolis, even to Kent Island (Remember the Poseidon Inn? Believe it or not, Kevin and I both waited tables there.) Along the way I leaned a lot about how to do things and even more about how not to. In 1986 all of this varied experience led me back to Kent County and the rest, as they say, is History. Aside from a few short stints at using my Secondary Education teaching certificate, I have barely done anything else with my life. And I can't imagine doing anything else.
For the majority of servers, income is derived from the tips received from customers. Whether we like this system or not - and I have gone on record of wishing there were a better way - that is how they make their living. If a server is good, and enjoys it, the living is a fine one, with relatively flexible hours (mainly being the opportunity to work nights and weekends!) and a chance to be a part of the crazy world that is Restaurant Life. Many in the Life maintain that a law should be passed requiring that every citizen be a front-of-the-house employee for at least a part of their work experience. If that were to happen, we can be sure that every day would be National Wait Staff Day!
Here's a Cheer for the Wait Staff at Brooks Tavern! We couldn't do it without you!
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