The scariest part of any project is the first stage. You have to take those terrifying steps into the unknown, in order to find a groove and see where it leads. That said, I have taken the first few steps toward creating my solo performance based on women in the restaurant industry. I have the money and the people. Now it's time to make things happen!
The first interviewee is a friend who has worked at the same restaurant for the past year. She was a hostess there previously and is now a server.
The thing that stuck out most to me from her stories was the "family" mentality of the employees, particularly of the servers. This surprised me, as it presents a stark contrast to the machine that is the restaurant business. From her interview, I have constructed a family outline of her restaurant.
THE FAMILY:
Managers are the parents. Male and Female. There are two "nice" parents (the two males) and a "strict" parent (the female). This family is a matriarchy.
Servers are the children. Males and Females. The older ones (long-term employees) look out for the younger ones (short-term employees). They are assigned daily chores, and they play games to make work fun (competing to see who gets the best tips).
Kitchen staff and busboys are the Uncles. Males. Helpful, good-hearted, but sometimes too friendly.
Hostesses are the distant cousins. Females. Loved but usually out-of-the-loop. They don't have to wear uniforms like the rest of the family.
If outsiders (Customers) threaten this harmony, the Family sticks together.
Although the money is not great, this particular interviewee said she is staying at the restaurant because of the people--that is, the family. If she were to quit, she would betray the family's trust and be disowned, essentially. I find it both fascinating and unsettling to think that the line between professional and personal life is often so blurred in restaurants.
This gray area bleeds into customer relations as well. The interviewee said that many men who dine at her restaurant understand that her being friendly is part of her job. She also said that many men do not understand this and instead think she is interested in them personally. She often receives telephone numbers/messages left on receipts or is verbally hit on by male customers. One patron went so far as to say, "I like to watch you walk." But as the interviewee pointed out, playing along with these advances (giving a performance) is part of doing her job well.
It seems that some male patrons use the customer role to empower themselves over women--that is, the female servers. The interviewee repeatedly said that many "mean" customers like to "bark (her) around" when she is waiting on them. To them, she wishes she could say, "I am a server, not a servant."
