Thank You To the Restaurant Workers Who ARE Working Right Now

It isn’t news to hear that restaurants are severely understaffed. Restaurant owners and managers have been quite vocal about the difficulties they have had hiring people and what a strain it is for those who are punching in for their restaurant shifts. Ronn, a server at a celebrity chef-owned restaurant in Las Vegas says, “We have one bar back, can never fill call outs, and are being told we don’t have enough staff to reopen for lunch seven days a week. Management constantly berates us for calling out and ‘not wanting to work’ when we are really just being worked to death. I work doubles for them every week, and still get treated like shit.” This situation is all too common right now, but it seems we only hear about the people who aren’t working.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the ones who are busting their asses at the restaurant every single day.

Raise a glass to Luana who is holding everything down at her place of employment. She works in a private country club with two dinning rooms and only two servers scheduled. “I am the only supervisor, bartender and I’m taking tables. 130 covers within 3 hours. Slapped a Post-it on the big boss’s monitor with those stats and wrote ‘don’t ever do this to us again.’” It’s people like Luana who deserve applause, a shift drink, and a freaking raise.

And let’s give it up for Kira who’s in the same understaffed boat and doing what she can to keep things afloat. “We’re one of the only places open in my area with full outdoor seating. We’re running on a skeleton crew with 12 hour shifts each because we don’t have enough people to actually have morning and night shifts.” Hopefully, her bosses appreciate her and the rest of the staff for everything they are contributing to keep the restaurant going.

Restaurants may be struggling to stay open these days, but you now who’s making it happen? People like you who proudly wrap that apron around your waist and go to work every single day. If you are working in a restaurant and flinging yourself to the wolves each shift, you are the true heroes. Thank you to the kitchen staff that is down three cooks, but still banging out plate after plate of food. Thank you to the busser who who is covering the entire restaurant. Thank you to the dishwasher who is probably used to being overworked and alone, but is now being asked do all kinds of extra duties as well. Thank you the servers who are constantly explaining to customers why there are empty tables that can’t be seated. Thank you to the bartenders who lost most of their regulars since bar seating is hardly a thing anymore. Thank you to the hosts who are at the frontlines when enforcing mask regulations. Thank you to the managers who are doing their best to staff a restaurant with a skeleton crew.

I’m tired of the narrative about restaurant workers who aren’t working when we should be focusing on the restaurant workers who ARE working. There are thousands of us in the service industry who aren’t being appreciated for what we are doing to keep the restaurant world spinning. If your bosses or your customers aren’t acknowledging what you are doing, please know that you are seen. I see you. Your coworkers see you. Your family sees you. We all know how hard you are working and you deserve this shout out. From Ronnie in Las Vegas to wherever you are right now: THANK YOU for showing up to work every day so the restaurant can stay open and customers can still go out to eat. You are fucking heroes.