Caught up with a high school friend recently and we caught up with each other’s lives. We also compared notes on careers/work environments. Maybe this is a grass is greener on the other side situation, but let me ask fellow Dopers - what do you perceive is a better work environment: an office or a restaurant?
Also, a question for those with restaurant experience - do most managers really work 10 hour days six days a week on a routine basis, or is that more of a sometimes thing?
For me personally, or in general?
Personally, I’d rather work in an office, no question.
In my limited experience with restaurant environments(a summer as a busboy/janitor), I’d say that office work is far better. You’re not on your feet all day, there’s generally not much in the way of getting accidentally dirty/wet, and most importantly to me, your schedule is pretty much fixed (8-5, M-F), while restaurant work is much less locked down- your schedule can be all over the map with long stretches of work with no break, or weird hours or whatever. And in offices, there’s not a lot of chance of getting sent haring off to do random shit jobs like scraping gum off a sidewalk in the August sun, or cleaning out things like the icemaker drain pan which nobody has ever cleaned before.
Of course, if you’re a restaurant manager, those issues may be less of a big deal than if you’re a little lower down in the weeds.
It depends on the person and on the work. My wife was a sous-chef in a very upscale New York restaurant, and she loved it - she claims that if you’re good at what you do, and can handle the pressure, then there’s nothing like it.
Well, I’m sitting here in the air conditioning, wearing my own clothes and reading stuff on the Internet…:dubious:
On the other hand, sometimes I remember fondly
Nah, I can’t do it.
My friend’s biggest beef with the restaurant management gig was the long hours. I guess I don’t understand why such close/prolonged supervision is required, as compared to an office gig like mine. How are those 10 hour days spent?
i’ve done both for 10+ years each and there’s no way in hell i’d go back into a kitchen. the hours suck. working every weekend night and holidays. imagine every time you’ve had fun in the last few years. how many of those times was in a restaurant, club, bar, or someplace where people served you. now imagine being the person who is missing out on her friends’ outings to work her ass off for generally low, unsteady pay during all the funnest times of the year. no thanks.
there is some satisfaction in putting out 100 beautiful plates a night, but the satisfaction of being at my kid’s soccer games and friend & family gatherings is way higher.
Restaurant work is a lot of fun. Well mostly fun. Actually just a little fun, and that’s after the heat and the grease and the smell and pranks that get you burned and cut and everyone going a little nuts and screaming when the orders are backed up. But when it’s all over you can take your meager pay and go spend it all on drugs and alcohol so you’ll be ready to do it again the next day.
OTOH, I’ve worked in offices where they could have had the motto "You don’t need to take drugs to work here, but it helps.
Still, sane people would prefer the AC, the better hours and better pay.
I can’t answer the “how” question, but based on what I’ve been told by mulitple people involved in restaurants, that the surest way to kill a restaurant is to not have close, responsible supervision.
I don’t know if its the nature of the work, or that quality in food and service can easily go downhill fast (and thus lead to customers who never come back), but it seems to be a given that the owner or the manager needs to be there, and be involved, all the time.
I’ve worked in both, as of a few weeks ago. Well, not a typical restaurant, but a hospital kitchen, and we did tickets in the short order cook style. I absolutely prefer my office environment more, although one thing I really miss is being able to walk a good portion of my day. I liked the little bit of exercise, and all the Pokémon eggs I hatched. Since it’s getting so chilly out, I can’t even go out walking over my break. I plan on joining a gym that’s right around the corner next month though, so I can get at least some exercise in, and not gain weight.
Tried to edit my last post, but apparently it took me too long to type. Sorry for the double-posting.
I’ve worked in both - spent about 7-8 years in a hospital kitchen, and 3 months doing customer support (and now a few weeks in a much better office job). Well, not a typical restaurant, but a hospital kitchen, and we did tickets in the short order cook style. I absolutely prefer my office environment more, although one thing I really miss is being able to walk a good portion of my day. I liked the little bit of exercise, and all the Pokémon eggs I hatched. Since it’s getting so chilly out, I can’t even go out walking over my break. I plan on joining a gym that’s right around the corner next month though, so I can get at least some exercise in, and not gain weight.
Going into a little more detail…
I loved having my music on blast at the restaurant. Obviously most places probably wouldn’t allow this, but I worked back of house, and the food we made was sent to patients upstairs. So we were allowed our music and pretty loudly. Now I mostly don’t have music, although I do have Pandora playing softly right now.
I LOVE having a space I can customize! I can put up photos, a corkboard, keep my coffee mug here, post it notes, Avengers action figures, etc. Assuming I don’t put anything offensive out (don’t plan on it), this space is entirely mine to do what I want with.
We even have an adorable little coffee bar here! Although at the hospital I was allowed free pop/water/coffee while working. Now I have to bring everything I want to eat. Which has both perks and downsides.
Having to make lunch for myself every day sucks. At the hospital, it was super easy to buy a cheap lunch, and make something quick to take home for dinner. Here I can drive out for lunch, but not for as cheap, and I’d rather not stay longer to make up the time. So I’m slowly getting used to making dinners that can be saved for lunch the next few days. I’m learning how to cook better (guys, I bought ROSEMARY yesterday!!), which is nice.
I’m making better money now. Unless you’re a highly professional cook, your average office job will still probably pay better.
Weight gain was one of the things we discussed. I work in an office that has several grandma types who are always bringing in things that they baked at home. While this is a tasty treat, all the calories plus sitting on my butt all day has contributed over the years to a serious spare tire. I thought maybe working around food all day might have that effect, but my friend at the restaurant is on his feet much of the day and it shows.
The problem with your question is that restaurants are probably more similar to each other than offices are in terms of work environments.
In general, I would prefer any job where I don’t have to deal with customers directly. So office work is my choice.
I think it depends on your lifestyle. When I was a student, I was more than happy to spend my weekends working in a bar - it was like having a paid social life. Now I’m in my 40s, with a nice home and a nice wife I like spending time with, the idea of working all my nights and weekends sounds awful.
My wife spent a few years in retail until recently, and really started to feel depressed about the weekend working - you’re working when everyone else is off and having a nice time, you have to work all the holidays (Christmas is particularly awful), and you’re on your feet ALL DAY.
Office means 9-5.30, in a comfortable air conditioned office, with free fruit, coffee and biscuits, yoga classes on a Wednesday morning, and I never have to work a weekend or a bank holiday.
Working since my first part-time office job in 1970, and my current place of employment is the first where free coffee and tea are available. But food? Yoga classes? It is to laugh!!
However, I’ll take it over any restaurant job. I’d hate for my livelihood to depend upon having decent tippers. And we’ll not even address what jerks some restaurant patrons can be.
This. My ability to tolerate the general public is sorely lacking. My few “customer facing” jobs ended spectacularly and quickly.
The main reason I worked so hard on college was because I wanted to get out of food service. Random schedules, low pay, high stress, what’s not to love?
Now I work in a nice office with free coffee in every office and a company cafeteria and coffee bar where one can get good cheap food or a free latte. I’ve heard rumors of a juice bar being added, but haven’t seen any signs of that happening. While we do have a masseuse come in every Wednesday, we have to pay for his services ourselves. It takes a real emergency to force me to work overtime, holidays or weekends.
One major factor is that restaurants, especially fast food restaurants, are often an entry-level job. The restaurant industry is far more willing to hire people with no work experience than most industries.
This means that a significant number of employees are learning, quite literally on the job, HOW TO BE employees. They’re learning that (in general terms) the work world expects to you be on time for your shift, to call in if you’re not going to be there, etc.
That’s one significant reason why close supervision is so important.
I left out the free wine and beer on a Friday afternoon.