both waiting on tables and bartending. We were paid sub-minimum wage plus tips. And we were always fed well. I’m shocked at how many restaurant workers today say that they don’t even get a free meal during, prior or after their shift. Maybe that’s the corporatization of everything in the US. I only worked for independent mom & pop restaurants and staff was fed like we were family. All that free food helped a lot with my budget at the time. I made good tips too, not because I was so technically great at my job but because I developed good relationships with regular customers. I could make them not mind me needing to make several trips when other staff could carry everything in one trip.
I had one boss (the owner of the restaurant) who threw a great holiday party for us and also treated us to a summer barbecue at his house. He served steak and shrimp, not just hot dogs and burgers. And he had an open bar and asked around ahead of time to make sure he had everybody’s favorite drinks. Jack was an awesome boss.
There was no corporate office or regional manager giving a restaurant manager orders and rules to follow. Since he knew us all personally, we weren’t just numbers or lines in the payroll. We were treated like actual human beings.
