Most nights I come stumbling through the door at 1 AM smelling like a weird mixture of sour cream, soda, and buffalo sauce. As I walk through the door to my room and crash onto my bed, almost immediately succumbing to sleep, I start to question the decisions I have made that have brought me to this point. You see, I work at Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill as a host and have for about a combined 4 months at this point. I’ll be honest, this job is not for everyone. But, being a host as taught me a lot of things and I’m here, writing today, to answer a simple question that everyone ask me. “Derek, why do you work Applebee’s?!”

Stacks on Stacks on Stacks

Now I’m only starting my discussion with money because it is initially what attracted me to Applebee’s in the first place. Like many high school students, at the time I started working I was desperate to make a quick couple of bucks before I went off to college. As a college student money is even more of a priority than it ever was before and thanks to Applebee’s, I make quite a lot of it. Now, I am not saying that I would ever try to make a living off of being a host but the extra money I make there is perfect for a college student. However, one thing to take into consideration is that only a part of my income is a fixed hourly rate, the rest depends on how busy the restaurant is. Even when there are slow nights I still end up making about minimum wage when I add together my hourly rate and my tip share. But, on busy nights I can easily walk away with anything from ten to twelve dollars and hour, with a majority of that money being handed to me in cash. As a host, making ten to twelve dollars an hour isn’t a bad deal.

Employee Discount

The good old employee discount has made me one of the most popular people in my friend group. As an employee of Applebee’s my meal prices get reduced by about 50% which means when I’m off and want cheap but decent food Applebee’s is the place to go. My friends love taking advantage of this discount and I easily get asked to go out to four times a week. Admittedly after a while the food gets a little old, but that’s just what happens when you eat at the same place to many times. As college kid trying to save up money, cheap food is pretty much the staple of my diet. I cannot stress how great having this discount is, especially because it works at any Applebee’s I go to and not just the one I work at.

Somethings Always Different

As I’ve grown up one of the things I have realized about my life is that I cannot do the same thing day in and day out. I get bored extremely easily and I hate falling into mindless routines. There is no such thing as a routine day at Applebee’s. Every day is a new challenge, whether that challenge be sitting a party of 26 in the restaurant or devising a way to maintain a server rotation while the restaurant is completely slammed. Being a coordinating host, the host who decides which table you’ll sit at and the server who will take care of you, is like constantly trying to solve one big ever changing puzzle. Each time you think you have the perfect solution something will throw a wrench into your plans. For someone like me who enjoy being challenged mentally and hates a routine, hosting is a perfect job. No day is ever the same and that’s fine by me.

(Just a Quick Disclaimer)

Before I get to my last point, it is only fair to tell you that there are times that I absolutely hate my job. Some days I do just think about walking out and never turning back and I think that it a common sentiment that many people have in many different professions. There will always be those days where everything is working against you. I have had plenty of those days at Applebee’s, but I had plenty of those days in a lot of jobs. No job is perfect, there will always be things that we wish we could change. I am not trying to paint this utopian view of Applebee’s because it is not without its flaws. Working there is not for everyone, especially if you don’t have a thick skin and a short memory. However, even with all of its flaws, I am happy I ended up at Applebee’s.

The People

This is the most important point on my list and one that outweighs all the other positives put together. When I walked into Applebee’s on my very first day, I thought that I’d be just another job with just another group of people. In my previous jobs my coworkers and I had said maybe three words to one another during a shift and then got on with our lives, never to see each other again until our next shared shift. I had never had coworkers who I had wanted to hang out with outside of work, until I came Applebee’s.

The other workers there have become some of my best friends and often times when I reflect on my summer my favorite memories were ones I shared with my coworkers. I will never forget going Pokémon hunting every night after work at 2 in the morning. I will never forget the endless strings of good natured jabs and jokes we throw at each other during work. I will never forget the midnight adventure we took to Long Island to get food at a diner. More importantly, I do not think I will ever forget the people I work with at Applebee’s. Each person I have met there has welcomed me in warmly and has made me feel like I belong, something I can’t say for many others in the world. Sure, to you these people are probably just the ones who bring you your food, sit you at your table, or sing you happy birthday. But to me, these are the people who I most enjoy being with. They make me smile without trying, the have my back during weird Pokémon almost muggings, and they laugh and joke with me as if we have known each other for years. Without the people at Applebee’s that I have come to know and love, I would have left months ago.

To all my Applebee’s friends reading this, know that if you bring any of this sappy stuff up at work I will triple seat you without hesitation. Also know that you are amazing people and no matter what you go on to do in life I will always be there to help you, the same way you have always been there to help me.

Thank you for reading and remember to tip your servers.