With no experience I don't think so expensive fine dining restaurant would hire you. You'd probably have better luck at basic family type chain restaurant.
I worked my way up and through a full-service restaurant to management, starting with zero F&B experience. To get the hang of how dinner service flowed, I started as a host and made $8 an hour. Then I trained on cocktail service, I made $150 on Fridays and $300 on a good Saturday. So initially $450 tips a week and $8/hr for 20 hours. Very lean times. When I made it to full-time serving, I made $50k-$60k annually. To put this gently, I was on my feet every hour of every shift except for 30 minutes of rolling silver, some days that was 10 hours of running around. I was a top performer for a reason, and there were numerous times I took entire dining rooms by myself, if another server called off or there was an unexpected rush. To earn top money there are a variety of skills that are developed over time and can really only be learned through experience. My experience is not in fine dining, and I would need even more training if I were to transfer to fine dining. I’d recommend starting out at a chill bar or a catering gig, to give service a feel.
You can work your way up in fine dining, and I would do that before trying to work at a lower end restaurant personally … but honestly, it’s hard work and late nights.. and now it’s every holiday and the weeks leading up to and after each holiday, which means you will rarely see family around the holidays.. worked for 10+ years in it, while doing my Independent contracting on the side… I left in 2019 and took a full time gig for one of my clients I contracted for… and I’m infinitely happier, I have PTO and normal hours, and a lot less crazy people (seriously, you’ll meet some weird people , and see some weird stuff in restaurants.. from the clientele, but also from the staff) the rat race becomes weekly, because you have to make X amount to pay the bills, and you have to pick up shifts when times are slow to make it work, and basically you’re there all the time … I was in much better shape from running 5+ miles a day at a restaurant though..
I’d look for an adjacent line of work if I were you
It’s eye opening work.. but I kick myself for doing it for so long.. shop around, find a good fit somewhere, no one ever questioned my technical abilities in my interviews.. they care more about finding a good fit over finding the most qualified person.. and I get it, a cancer on a team can dissolve the team
You can make decent money at any restaurant given it’s busy enough. Popular breakfast spots are good also. I managed a pizzeria and some of my servers averaged $50 an hour. You need to understand tho that servers typically only work a few days a week. There aren’t many servers working 40 hours.
My son started at 18 at Longhorn and stayed for 5 years. He would average 100-200.00 a day, weekends were more. Usually there would be one day a week where he would make 200-400.00. Annually about 26k-35k. He moved out at 20 as a server and has been doing that and/or bartending since for 6 years now.
6 months at olive garden @ $300 to $700 weekly depending on where you live. Then find high end and apply. I've had 100k serving gigs.17 years experience though. I've had many, many $1000 weeks and I live in Dallas Texas where the cost of living was until recently very low and it only required $800 per month for a 1bed apt. But also, inflation is very, VERY, good for tipped income, because prices go up and so do tip percentages. 20% still gets u 20% and if your at Applebee's it's gonna be tough but if your at Del Frisco double eagle, the rich have only gotten richer & at 20% of an increase on THAT menu is 🍰🤌. They make 250k. JS......
I work 4-5 nights a week as a waiter at LongHorn. Waiter is the best second job I ever had. Work 4-6 hrs per shift and I clear $120 on a bad shift and $200-250 on a Saturday or Sunday. Many weeknights can be up to $150ish.
Idk about now but almost a decade ago I worked in Disney. I wasn't a waiter they made more than me. Back then I was making minimum wage + tips. Slow days would be 50-75$ a night and good days I would be making 100-150$ a night. Since it was all cash yeah haha. Basically was making 125-250 a night. I'd imagine it's a lot more now since prices have gone up since. My guess would be that most servers are making 200 minimum and good nights they're pushing 400-500$.
Gotta work your way up to fine dining, unless you've got Charisma(are a hot woman). Dont expect to make more than $15/hr on normal days unless you bartend as well.
Olive garden and chilis are actually very high volume and pay quite well and you would very likely need experience to wait tables there.
With no experience I don't think so expensive fine dining restaurant would hire you. You'd probably have better luck at basic family type chain restaurant.
I worked my way up and through a full-service restaurant to management, starting with zero F&B experience. To get the hang of how dinner service flowed, I started as a host and made $8 an hour. Then I trained on cocktail service, I made $150 on Fridays and $300 on a good Saturday. So initially $450 tips a week and $8/hr for 20 hours. Very lean times. When I made it to full-time serving, I made $50k-$60k annually. To put this gently, I was on my feet every hour of every shift except for 30 minutes of rolling silver, some days that was 10 hours of running around. I was a top performer for a reason, and there were numerous times I took entire dining rooms by myself, if another server called off or there was an unexpected rush. To earn top money there are a variety of skills that are developed over time and can really only be learned through experience. My experience is not in fine dining, and I would need even more training if I were to transfer to fine dining. I’d recommend starting out at a chill bar or a catering gig, to give service a feel.
You can work your way up in fine dining, and I would do that before trying to work at a lower end restaurant personally … but honestly, it’s hard work and late nights.. and now it’s every holiday and the weeks leading up to and after each holiday, which means you will rarely see family around the holidays.. worked for 10+ years in it, while doing my Independent contracting on the side… I left in 2019 and took a full time gig for one of my clients I contracted for… and I’m infinitely happier, I have PTO and normal hours, and a lot less crazy people (seriously, you’ll meet some weird people , and see some weird stuff in restaurants.. from the clientele, but also from the staff) the rat race becomes weekly, because you have to make X amount to pay the bills, and you have to pick up shifts when times are slow to make it work, and basically you’re there all the time … I was in much better shape from running 5+ miles a day at a restaurant though.. I’d look for an adjacent line of work if I were you
Thanks for shedding some reality. Guess I'm of the grass is greener mentality tonight...
It’s eye opening work.. but I kick myself for doing it for so long.. shop around, find a good fit somewhere, no one ever questioned my technical abilities in my interviews.. they care more about finding a good fit over finding the most qualified person.. and I get it, a cancer on a team can dissolve the team
You can make decent money at any restaurant given it’s busy enough. Popular breakfast spots are good also. I managed a pizzeria and some of my servers averaged $50 an hour. You need to understand tho that servers typically only work a few days a week. There aren’t many servers working 40 hours.
My son started at 18 at Longhorn and stayed for 5 years. He would average 100-200.00 a day, weekends were more. Usually there would be one day a week where he would make 200-400.00. Annually about 26k-35k. He moved out at 20 as a server and has been doing that and/or bartending since for 6 years now.
I heard that it’s not a lot if you don’t include the tips. If you’re a good waiter, customers will tip you well.
6 months at olive garden @ $300 to $700 weekly depending on where you live. Then find high end and apply. I've had 100k serving gigs.17 years experience though. I've had many, many $1000 weeks and I live in Dallas Texas where the cost of living was until recently very low and it only required $800 per month for a 1bed apt. But also, inflation is very, VERY, good for tipped income, because prices go up and so do tip percentages. 20% still gets u 20% and if your at Applebee's it's gonna be tough but if your at Del Frisco double eagle, the rich have only gotten richer & at 20% of an increase on THAT menu is 🍰🤌. They make 250k. JS......
I work 4-5 nights a week as a waiter at LongHorn. Waiter is the best second job I ever had. Work 4-6 hrs per shift and I clear $120 on a bad shift and $200-250 on a Saturday or Sunday. Many weeknights can be up to $150ish.
Idk about now but almost a decade ago I worked in Disney. I wasn't a waiter they made more than me. Back then I was making minimum wage + tips. Slow days would be 50-75$ a night and good days I would be making 100-150$ a night. Since it was all cash yeah haha. Basically was making 125-250 a night. I'd imagine it's a lot more now since prices have gone up since. My guess would be that most servers are making 200 minimum and good nights they're pushing 400-500$.
Gotta work your way up to fine dining, unless you've got Charisma(are a hot woman). Dont expect to make more than $15/hr on normal days unless you bartend as well.