"I used to have dreams about a wall of people trying to get in. [nods her head] And we're trying to seat them all, get them menus, take their order...

It's stressful. I have to meditate before I come into work."

--Waitress at Pastis

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There's different ways that restaurants divide the tips. In some places, whatever the table leaves, the waiter gets, but in others, it's a pool. So all the tips come together and everybody gets a split.

It's a better system because it cuts down on all the competition for customers, and believe me, service is better.

Here's D. talking about the work at his place in the Village. He's from Asia, so he has a bit of an accent.

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I'm not sure how they do it at the big restaurants. At a small restaurant like this, I think the pool is the best way. Because you don't have to bribe the maitre d. 'Cause if you're the host, you can give the shitty customers to the waiters you don't like. You can always tell, the shitty customers, the cheaper ones. And that's not fair and it's bad for the restaurant.

Honestly. I don't like waiting tables. The older days you got benefits but not now. I would rather make less money and get benefits, when you're getting older. Health insurance. But again, it could be worse. The economy is not doing so well.

It's no future. It's good as a temporary job when you're young, cause you have energy when you're running on the floor. But when you get older, you're less attractive. The customer is not that interested. You look too serious.

So you have to find something to do. I don't know what I'm gonna' do next. I was in the travel business, but it didn't work out. I started the business once. Bicycling tours. We took them cross country.

I'd like to do something with my wife. She's in the fashion business, so she could open her own shop. Maybe downtown in Tribeca. That's a long way from now. You need a lot of capital.

And the economy is not so good. Everything is fifty percent off. So why should people spend money on fashion when they can get it for thirty dollars in Gap? It's not easy.

2:43:58 PM     comment []