Open Letter To Those Eating Out In Restaurants… You Must Chill

I've said it a million times...... Before I got into the world of radio, I worked in the kitchen industry. As a musician, it's a staple form of employment. No matter where you go, you'll always have a job. That's what my grandfather taught me. People always want to eat, so there will always be work.

And then the pandemic happened.

The pandemic definitely changed that rule a bit when it was first creating lockdowns all over. The only restaurant folks that kept working were the ones in the world of takeout. But during the lockdown, a lot of restaurant folks re-evaluated their time in the industry, and many opted to move on. "Why?" you ask.

Frankly, the long hours, for little pay, with no vacation time typically, and benefits like insurance were a unicorn in the food biz. Fast forward to where we are today, and the whole landscape has shifted. And of course, that's not sitting well with folks who've been cooped up and want to go out.

They are not second-class people here to do your bidding.

The level of entitlement that's taking place in the chairs of restaurants right now is appalling. I've been seeing posts left and right from friends that are still in the biz. And practically all of them are going home in tears at the end of their shift. Why? Because entitled folks who think they're the only ones in the restaurant are being awful.

Just to see what I'm talking about, check out this post from a restaurant in southern Maine.....

Yes, wait times are longer. Yes, restaurants are short-staffed. Yes, they are trying their best. But sadly oftentimes, customers are not. In fact, friends of mine are being yelled at, stiffed on tips over things that aren't their fault, and cooks are deciding all over, that it's time to try a different job because they're just plain old tired.

Maybe try putting yourself in their shoes.

Some folks have been unemployed for over a year, and this is their first time back out working. Maybe think about how scary that might be for some folks. Or how they've probably not been properly trained, because they're so short-staffed. If you were in your job day to day and treated like this, you just might run screaming into the night.

It's time to show service workers of any kind... restaurants, retail, whatever... that we care about them, that we understand. Maybe we could just keep showing them how much we need them. If we don't it's only a matter of time before places just start closing because no one wants to come to work and listen to you yell at them for nothing.

Let's just be better, huh?