Working FOH ( AKA Front of House for those who somehow wandered on to this article) is one of the best jobs out there.
You know you love it – the weird hours, the rush of a full dining room, the camaraderie largely unknown outside of war zones. Working in a restaurant is more than just a job, it’s a lifestyle. It’s not easy, but there are rewards beyond the money. Here are the 5 best things about working FOH in a restaurant:
1) The people.
And I don’t mean the customers (though many are great) – I mean your coworkers. Not many offices have the kind of diverse staff one finds in a restaurant. The cook is a DJ. The Host is a grad student (Carl is working on his Masters of Scandinavian Literature.) The bartender is a rock climber or a cycle cross racer. If you need advice on anything, someone on your staff knows something or knows somebody who will.
2) Running errands during the daytime.
If you work a restaurant floor you have little to no issue with going to the bank, the grocery, the Laundromat or even the DMV. Why? Because when you’re off running errands, the rest of the working world is sitting in offices browsing reddit and pretending to look busy. You rarely have to stand in line for much of anything.
3) You get to laugh at Dilbert.
That Dilbert, always trying to get something done despite his boss and coworkers. Here’s a little truth for you – if you work in an office, Dilbert isn’t funny. Not even kinda funny. It’s less funny than a Family Circus guest-starring Marmaduke making a visual pun about playing Bridge.
4) Eating at other restaurants.
This is the best perk: free food wherever you’re recognized. Somehow restaurant workers can magically recognize each other on sight. It’s like being a Mason without the handshakes or world domination. When you go out to eat on a rare night off appetizers just seem to appear out of nowhere. Plus you have no food allergies! Right?!
5) Last Call.
Last call is the best! Your bartender friend can just clear out all the “normals” and you can get down to drinking with your industry friends in peace – like civilized people.
