If You Can't Take the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen.

Servers and the cooks they work with are usually on the fine line between tearing each other’s faces off or laughing about the latest episode of restaurant disaster. Much of this is because many of the people we are serving this food to will tip us as though we actually cook their dinner. As though we take your order then run into the kitchen, throw on an apron, and cook up a little feast. We quickly rip our aprons off and bring the meal we just slaved over to the table for some hungry customers.

Fortunately, it doesn’t work like that.

Only a few weeks ago, I was resetting the dining room when an elderly patron (whom I wasn’t the waitress for either) started screaming across the restaurant, “Miss! Miss! WHAT’S GOING ON? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK MY FOOD?!” After taking a moment to calm myself from this man’s brazen rudeness, I politely told him I would go check and ran to the kitchen. At the time the restaurant was very busy and our cooks were slammed in the kitchen with dozen of tickets hanging in their window. I’m sure my co-worker received a skimpy tip from this man because my fabulous cooks would rather serve him a cooked piece of chicken over something that was still raw and squawking.

Unfortunately, the cooks will never be fast enough for a hungry patron. Knowing that our livelihood often depends on how timely and tastefully the kitchen spits out our orders, servers and cooks butt heads because servers are rushing cooks to make something that just can’t be made any quicker.

That’s why the kitchen is often the great battleground in the restaurant industry. Food and harsh words are flying until everyone gets what they want: servers get fed customers and cooks get an empty kitchen.

So what should we take away from all this? Our jobs are all equally important in creating a fully functional restaurant. Patrons need to realize that although the server is the only person they can voice any complaint to; the server is only but a messenger. He or she did not overcook your steak, take too long frying your onion rings, or force you to go all day without eating so you’re a crazy psycho to the next person you see. However, since we didn’t cook your food we won’t be offended if you don’t like it. Most of us will be more than happy to fix it or get you something else. I know I personally would rather my customers enjoying their meals instead of forcing down a piece of leather. That is more or less all we can do. Please don’t take your frustration out in our tips—it was the kitchen’s fault after all. (Ha-ha I love passing the blame on!)

          Stay tuned for my next post about my favorite and most hated drunken customers ever.