Thinkin about doin it to help pay for Grad School. Never done it, so was gonna ask and see what your take on it was. Thinking about trying to get into Outback, Olive Garden, etc. places like that. All waiter and waitress opinions welcome.

1/22/2007 4:50:31 PM

If you are about to go to grad school and have never waited tables before, now might be a bit late to start. Also, Outback and Olive Garden are more high end. They will probably require some form of experience waiting tables. There is a lot of competition for the better waiting jobs, I'd assume.

1/22/2007 4:54:25 PM

i work at red robin in cary, its not top notch, but the money is decent, lots of rich cary familes eat there and tip decent (most of the time) i work 3 shifts a week and bring home 225-250, also ive heard on the border is pretty awesome they were on a huge wait last WEDNESDAY.... ale house is ok, lots of college customers but i heard servers dont make that much money.... i used to work at ale house as a runner and money was pretty shitty....... good luck,

1/22/2007 4:58:02 PM

also forgot to mention both ale house and the robin are hiring....the robin usually gives everyone a chance at serving...

1/22/2007 4:59:50 PM

2 words.... waffle house

1/22/2007 6:17:14 PM

Little late to start waiting tables. Any place you can make good money waiting tables is going to require experience.

That being said...you never know. Might as go around to a bunch of restaurants and see if they're hiring. Tell them you've never waited tables before, but you're a quick learner and a people person. Some restaurant managers like people who haven't waited tables before because they know they don't already have bad habits and they can "mold" them into the waiter they want at their restaurant.

And try to stay away from places that are frequented by college students...99% of them don't tip for shit.

Waiting/bartending are the best jobs to have in college/grad school in my opinion. The least hours for the most amount of money. Its possible to have my law school paid for just from bartending.

[Edited on January 22, 2007 at 6:41 PM. Reason : .]

1/22/2007 6:40:18 PM

IMO avoid waiting tables on Sundays, especially at lunch time ... when I worked that shift, it was the hardest shift and the shittiest tips. Always got hit with the church crowd, who, ironically enough, were almost slave-drivers with their demands yet seemingly never satisfied. On more than one occasion my "tip" was a pocket Bible or a religious flyer of some kind. Other times I'd get like 25%, but that doesn't mean anything when they only spent $6 and sat there for an hour and a half.

1/22/2007 7:01:48 PM

Ruby Tuesdays is hiring at Crabtree. They'll give you a chance even if you don't have experience. I work three shifts a week during school and make around $240 a week. It's a fairly good location because of all the walk-in traffic from the mall.

1/22/2007 7:03:36 PM

thanks for the advice. i'll keep it in mind

1/22/2007 7:40:35 PM

If you are doing a PhD, you should bust your ass your first year and seek a fellowship / assistantship. If you area doing a Masters, you should be looking for an internship, coop, or some sort of work related to your field. Also, graduate students can qualify for up to 18,500 a year in loans. Not sure where you are going, but that should help with a good part of the bill. Not saying being a waiter is bad option ... I'm saying consider your alternatives and MUCH better options may exist.

[Edited on January 22, 2007 at 7:57 PM. Reason : .]

1/22/2007 7:57:26 PM

i'm a waiter at a fine dining restuarant in raleigh, and it sure is a job that can kick your ass some times. i mean, i don't really know what you want to know. i think waiting tables is really only worth doing if you do it at a nice place, otherwise you bust your ass waiting on rednecks and walking with $75 on a friday night, or something equally absurd. that said, this past saturday i made $240, but on sunday i made $43...so whatever.

i enjoy it at least...i've become a way better cook as a result. you will work with some pretty dumb people, though.

1/22/2007 8:16:47 PM

I work (as a hostess) at Outback Steakhouse on Capital Blvd, and I must say from seeing what the servers make, you're gonna do ABOVE decent. I know in a given night, they are walking away with like $195 on a Saturday alone. The managers at my OB are wonderful and aren't as strict as some that I know, and the clientele (sp?) is usually very good and tip excellent. PM me for further details.

1/22/2007 8:22:05 PM

My roommate over the summer got a job at Olive Garden with no previous experience with any kind of job, so I'm sure they're looking for anyone regardless of wait experience. Ruth's Chris also hires hosts or hostesses with competitive rates, and you get a free meal with every shift, there was a thread about it either in the Lounge, or Classifieds a while back.

1/22/2007 8:24:49 PM

check and see if 518 has any openings!
I'll ask my fiancee when he gets home if they need people

1/22/2007 9:41:40 PM

if you want to give half of your tips away, work at somewhere corporate.

1/22/2007 11:30:00 PM

Quote :

"If you are doing a PhD, you should bust your ass your first year and seek a fellowship / assistantship. If you area doing a Masters, you should be looking for an internship, coop, or some sort of work related to your field. Also, graduate students can qualify for up to 18,500 a year in loans. Not sure where you are going, but that should help with a good part of the bill. Not saying being a waiter is bad option ... I'm saying consider your alternatives and MUCH better options may exist."

1/22/2007 11:33:43 PM

Quote :

"Outback and Olive Garden are high end."

LOL



I work at Carver's Creek and I usually work 3 lunches and 3 dinners per week and pull $500-800 a week (this time of year). During Nov and Dec I'm pulling $4K a month.

take that for what it's worth

1/22/2007 11:57:41 PM

i waited tables during undergrad.

if you really want to be a waiter:

Macaroni Grill in cary is a good as any for a restaurant to work, if you dont have a lot of experience.

they will hire the right person and train them. if you look clean cut and act like you want it.

January is a really slow month, so you might have difficulty, almost anywhere. Valentines day and after it starts getting back up again.

so go work for them any avg-above avg restaurant, work there 6 months, then move to something more high end.

....

that said, i hated waiting tables, and i hope to god i never ever have to do that shit again.

you should look for research or interning in your field.





[Edited on January 23, 2007 at 12:17 AM. Reason : ]

1/23/2007 12:15:12 AM

starbucks!

le sigh.

1/23/2007 12:34:20 AM

I never waited tables but I know a lot of people who did. It takes a certain kind of person, the job is really demanding and can be soul crushing at times. If you can let the bad customers roll off your back, you'll be OK. I always let that stuff get to me so I couldn't do it.

1/23/2007 8:47:25 AM

gotta take the good with the bad

and remember that the meal you're serving them is just one out of the 21+ they'll be eating that week. so if they don't really enjoy it, who gives a damn?

1/23/2007 8:50:02 AM

Quote :

"Also, Outback and Olive Garden are more high end."

haha you silly college kids.

1/23/2007 8:59:45 AM

didnt read the thread, but be sure to whine in chit chat the first time you get a shitty tip. we'll all care.

1/23/2007 9:26:41 AM

just make sure you find a good restaurant that has the fewest blacks and europeans coming through and you should make decent money

1/23/2007 9:46:44 AM

our Europeans come in large groups, so we like waiting on them and getting their guaranteed gratuity

1/23/2007 9:51:11 AM

like everyone else said- Olive Garden and Outback and such places want people with experience.

Try TGI Fridays, Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays (less upscale places that are always busy). Mall restaurants have high turnover and don't always require experience (plus they stay busy).

Or if you're looking for weekend only work try applying for barback positions at some bars downtown. we'd tip out our barbacks anywhere between $100-$200 a shift. You're there late and you need to be able to lift kegs and hustle but it's good money and could lead to a bartending job (which is better money)


i've served/bartended for 8 yrs now in family restaurants, chains, upscale, formal, sports bars, dive bars, etc...

1/23/2007 10:13:23 AM

^ wrong, outback and olive garden hire lots of people without experience.

1/23/2007 12:14:27 PM

black people and red necks dont tip

1/23/2007 1:21:01 PM

Try working at the RBC Center. I know they hire servers with no experience based on some of the ones we've had. But seriously, I think they do lots of banquet/catering type things which are a good way to ease into waiting tables and see if you like it. A lot of the restaurant jobs end at 9 or so, and you can stay and watch the remainder of the game on the Club Level.

If you are quick, coordinated and have a good memory, try to get into bartending. I liked that much better than serving food, but it was just a better personality fit for me. So it was more financially rewarding as well. Good luck!

1/23/2007 1:45:08 PM

we call the black people canadians


funny thing though, one of the best tips i got was during the stanley cup playoffs when an entire team from the CBC (canadians) tiped me like 30% on a $1500 bill. god bless those canadians.

1/23/2007 3:36:37 PM

Quote :

"black people and red necks dont tip"

Most Europeans don't either. I've had one group of French people leave a big tip at a bar once...and I think that was because there was one American woman with them who made them tip 20%.

Food and Bev people tip the most. I'm lucky to be working in a bar now that is not only popular with people around town...but a big food and bev hangout. It's nice looking at sales at the end of the night and knowing you're going to get at least %25 in tips.

1/23/2007 3:58:04 PM

I don't tip black waiters.

1/23/2007 4:46:14 PM

restitution

1/23/2007 4:50:52 PM