Being a waiter yes or no. Why is it a job that you like less and less?

Who did not participate in the quarrels about the lack of wait staff – about the slack waiters and hard work in the kitchen – raise your hand. Many chefs (and even some of the dining room staff) commented on the words of Alessandro Borghese which almost two weeks later bounce off the net.

«I will be unpopular – said the chef and TV presenter – but I have no problem in saying that I work to learn it doesn’t necessarily mean getting paid. I served on cruise ships with “only” approved board and lodging. Stop. I was fine with it: the opportunity was worth the salary. Today there are kids without art or part who do not have the slightest intention of investing in themselves. There is no devotion to work, there is no attachment to the shirt ».
It’s still: “They prefer to stick around on weekends to have fun with friends. And when they decide to try, they do it with the arrogance of those who feel they have arrived ».

Everyone participated in the discussion with their own style. Perbellini he blames the TV and comments that “kids today want a normal life, but ours is not a normal life”; Filippo La Mantia he opened his new restaurant at the Central Market in Milan a few weeks ago using an external catering service because he was unable to find staff: «The first questions I hear at interviews are:” Can I have part time? ” and “Can I not work in the evening”? ” – he told al Corriere della Sera. «The boys have really changed their mentality. Until before Covid it was important for them to find a job, now it is more important to have time. They are not willing to work late at night or on holidays “; Cuttaia with his kindness, he says that chefs should enter the classes of hotel institutions to train young people who do not come out well enough.

The truth remains that at all levels, from the three-star Michelin restaurant, there are no waiters. And there are not a few restaurants that have not opened or postponed their openings due to lack of staff (Cannavacciulo spoke about it just yesterday).

“In the world of catering today there is a lack of both salt and kitchen staff, there are also dishwashers, the crisis affects everything that is bought,” he says. Candida of Elijah by Alma, the international school of Italian cuisine. «Certainly there has been a disaffection towards such time consuming and sacrificing jobs. After the pandemic, those who had changed jobs due to the closure of the lockdowns, found other jobs that in the end did not turn out badly ».

«We at Alma have all the courses concerning catering, from the kitchen, to the dining room, to the area manager. We have always had large numbers of registrations for the kitchen and much less for what concerns the dining room. The reason I believe is that as the figure of the cook has grown, that of the waiter has not grown at the same pace, which is seen as a makeshift job. We have not yet managed to convey the fact that the job of the waiter is a job that is also done at high levels, which requires culture, to speak languages, to know wine, to be able to manage the guest. The fact remains that today the number of waiters is insufficient ».

But how much does a waiter earn on average? «There are many differences, in the restaurant industry he earns around 1,800-2,000 net a month and then there are tips. In addition, most of the restaurants – except for some situations in the city – have a “staff house” for the accommodation of staff who eat their meals at the restaurants. The great criticism that everyone moves in recent years is that too many hours of work are required from the children. Serious consideration is being made to understand how to organize shifts and ensure that the work is not so tiring, many restaurants are deciding to close two or more days a week, or not open for lunch or dinner to allow more time to rest, perhaps hoping for a tax deduction to support the activities “.

“The crisis exists even if the number of registrations to Alma remains constant – continues Candida D’Elia – But ours is a private and paid school and gathers motivated people, with us as in other high-level schools, children always have a great passion. I believe that in reality the other waiters are disappearing, those who worked to pay for their studies or were the waiter as a passing job. What is certain is that we also receive 10 phone calls a day from restaurateurs asking for help in finding staff, but our kids are all busy as soon as they graduate. I believe that being a waiter today is a great job and career opportunity. There are many enlightened companies that have understood that young people do not need only work but the possibility of growth, in similar contexts then the job of waiter would become an area again ».

But what do the waiters think? “It’s not an easy job, it’s true – says Luigi Prota who works at the restaurant of the Park Hotel Marinetta in Marina di Bibbona -. Fatigue is the hourly commitment, you work when everyone is having fun. But it is not true that the waiters are paid little, at least for the reality that I live: a newly hired waiter can get € 1,400 a month and there is a tendency to respect the eight hours of work, with one day off. But it is undoubtedly true that there is a crisis: the younger generations (rightly) give much more value to their free time, and then perhaps they live in a more digital world than the one where I lived, and are less used to having a frontal and direct relationship with people. Then there is the fact that this work is seen as a makeshift profession and not a noble job. Isn’t it time for the company to reevaluate it? I think it’s a wonderful job, because you are always in contact with people’s happiness and never with pain. Of course everything has changed: when I was a boy you had to work hard to make the season, if you didn’t move in January you couldn’t find anything anymore ».