Working at Chili's makes you realize a lot about the restaurant world; some you may be happy to experience, others not so much. It definitely has/had its ups and downs, and you always had the days you really just never wanted to move from your bed to go slay for some people.
It really is a love-hate relationship.
Negatives
Host/Hostesses.
We all love waking up at the a** crack of dawn to go in and be the first one in with a manager to go and roll silverware for countless hours when in all reality the servers complain about it anyway. You don't like the way I do it? Well, roll it yourself.
Floor plans/Rotation.
Rotation is key to the host life; it's one server then the next, etc. But, when you get busy on a Friday or Saturday night, you can say goodbye to the rotation and move forward with throwing people in this section then the next because you can bet your butt if they wait over 10-15 minutes they are mad, and so is management. You also can't forget about the servers who complain because we quit using rotation. Well, I'm sorry, but you have no tables. What would you like me to do now?
Hey bartender.
Not only does this bartender have the whole bar, but usually a couple of tables in the lounge as well, plus they are making drinks for other servers' tables. So be grateful, be nice, and tip your bartender nicely even if your Texas cheese fries took a little bit longer to get to you than normal. They are doing their best. Oh, and the drunk at the end of the bar that never seems to be happy.
Servers/Cooks/QA need a little love too.
Yes, the servers always seem to get all the heat, but they are only needy because they are the ones with the customers. The customer complains about something, so they go running to the cooks, the cooks look at the QA ( the person who puts food o the plate and makes it look pretty) then the QA goes over to the manager. We really never give the server enough credit, especially the ones who work at Chili's. With dealing with four to 12 tables, a ton of side work and a billion table guacamoles to make, it is a never-ending process.
Postives
Regulars.
They are the reason we love coming to work and doing our job. Seeing a regular come in makes us happy, not only because you make our lives easier (most of the time), but you know how much time and energy we put into the restaurant and represent the best that we can.
Corner!
If we are all being honest, yelling corner while walking around the corner can be fun and a stress relief at the same time. It gives you a reason to yell something loud enough for others to hear you, and sometimes it becomes a funny situation.
St. Jude create a pepper.
We are all so happy we are able to help with such an important cause that affects many individuals on a daily basis. Whether it be selling t-shirts, wristbands, peppers you can write your name on, or a pepper for the kids to color and hang up, it puts a smile on our faces knowing how many people come together to support such a huge burden on many families.
Ohana means family.
These people you see on a daily and weekly basis become family! Some closer than others, some you wish you could get rid of, but at the same time, you wouldn't change them for the world. These people will always have a place in your heart and pop into your mind by seeing the pepper, or some inside joke you had at work.
Whether you still work at Chili's or went your separate ways, there always seems to be at the very least one person you were sad to leave behind and still come around to see every once in a while.
