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Have you ever worked at a restaurant?

posted 3 years ago by enriquesingh (1812)
31 replies | jump to latest

A 16 year old cousin got a job at an Olive Garden, she begins in about a week.

She is going to be a dishwasher and will be making $3 more per hour than on her previous job.

She used to work selling cell phone cases and accessories sitting in a cart all day at the mall, would just ring people up and that's it, no lifting anything heavy, no leftover food-grease, no water splashing, etc.

I think she made a mistake and the extra $3 is not worth it... I wish her the best but even though I've never washed dishes at a restaurant I don't think it was a good decision.

So my question is how physically demanding is being a dishwasher at a 'restaurant volume'?

EDIT *Thanks for so many replies, vastly different experiences. Hopefully she will be able to manage it.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Extremely demanding. I worked as a waiter at a few restaurants when I was younger and I always felt really sorry for the dish hands. Not only was it non-stop physical work but they also were regarded as the bottom rung of the restaurant hierarchy and often got treated appallingly by the notoriously grumpy chefs.

A job’s a job I suppose but I wouldn’t do that sort of work unless I was absolutely desperate.

[–] enriquesingh (1812) 3 years ago

Thanks. I imagine it must be physically demanding being on your feet the entire shift spraying pressured water.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Yeah it may have changed now but back when I was working in restaurants the dish hands weren’t just washing dishes, they also seemed to get all the shitty jobs like carrying and stacking boxes of stock, cleaning the kitchen… most of the time being screamed at by stressed-out chefs and managers!

[–] robocat893 (16257) 3 years ago

When I was about 16 I worked as a dishwasher for an Italian restaurant. There was no automatic dishwasher so I had to wash nasty greasy plates, glasses, pots and pans, etc. by hand. It was disgusting and very hard work. I lasted about one month until I earned enough money to buy a new skateboard then I never returned.

[–] enriquesingh (1812) 3 years ago

Thanks for sharing... hope you have great memories of that skateboard =)

[–] SilenceByWolf (1868) 3 years ago

Yeah, when I was 15. I ended up getting fired. I hate fast-paced environments.

[–] Who (5146) 3 years ago

Bussed tables for a few months. It was night work so I could ski all day.

[–] AndyKing1967 (39867) 3 years ago

Yes, in my teens, before being upgraded to a waiter. I think they should do it; a great life lesson learned.

[–] Connie93 (826) 3 years ago

lol

[–] 102000 (6350) 3 years ago

Hey - she's 16 - what better age than that do do something physically demanding? I'm assuming at her age it's not a 40 hour a week job, so she will be fine.

Good for her for looking at ways to make extra $.

[–] nyctc7 (44116) 2 years ago

^This

[–] Mustang (5571) 3 years ago

I have had various restaurant/cafe jobs. Washing dishes was awesome as you don't deal with customers. You just have to keep up with the dishes being taken to you and ensure the dishwasher is being unloaded for the next round. It is tedious though.

I got tired of the pots and pans and threw a few out.

[–] samoanjoes (58618) 3 years ago

Washing dishes was awesome as you don't deal with customers.

100%. That's why I liked working there so much.