Have you ever seen a show where the waiter or waitress comes walking down the aisle while smiling and carrying food? That is not what it’s really like, at least based on my experience. At home, I have worked at a local bakery for the past two years. Now it may sound cute, a small local coffee shop with pastries and a place to hang out, you know like the TV show Friends. But let me tell you, for the people working there it is not as cute as you would think.
1. Learning customer service is not easy
One of the hardest things about working in the food industry is customer service. Some people are great at it and some not so much. Usually, the people who are great at customer service are extroverts. Just being an extrovert, however, doesn’t mean that you are going to be set; it just may make it a little easier to talk to people. One of the hardest parts of customer service is when a customer gets mad at you. Many places have a “customer is always right” policy. This is the most frustrating thing. People will come up to the counter and blame you for anything and everything. Prices too high? Your fault. Food too hot? Your fault. Food too cold? Your fault. It’s frustrating not being able to then yell back at them “I have no control over this!” It can be extremely demanding and tiring. As tough as it is, there are moments that make it all worth it. Many places will have those regular customers. You get to know the people and their lives. Many of the regulars have had an interesting life and love to tell you about it. You can really learn a thing or two from them.
2. The weight gain
This may seem obvious, but you really don’t know how it will affect you until you are in the situation. At my bakery, we had free samples going through the entire day from open to close. When we would cut up samples for our customers, we were also cutting up samples for ourselves. You slowly start to eat a lot more when you are bored. One perk of this is to counteract this increase in calories you magically become motivated to go to the gym!
3 Free food and baked goods
The real perk of working at the bakery? FREE FOOD. I cannot tell you how many times I got texts from friends and family members asking me to bring home some bread or muffins. This is honestly the best. Once you get fresh baked bread there is no going back.
4. Understanding the stress of a chef
After working at the grill in my bakery I never complain about the wait for food. The back is hot, stressful and probably really loud. Each order is different. We made breakfast sandwiches that had only three things: bagels, meat and eggs. However, throw in 21 varieties of bagels, three types of meets, people just wanting eggs and a long line out the door and it is very stressful. Next time you are out for dinner, think about the people back there.
5. FRIENDS
The best part of this crazy job? The friends you make. I still keep in touch with everyone from my bakery and when I visit everyone wants to know how I’ve been. The stressful environment oddly brings people together to form a beautiful and lifelong friendship.