Never Let Them See You Sweat
Many young, front-of-the-house restaurant workers receive this advice while training.
What does it mean to “never let them see you sweat?”
It means we’re illusionists. We’re storytellers and actors. We hide the chaos of a busy restaurant with our calm demeanor. No matter how weeded we are, the best of us can make our diners feel like the only people in a packed restaurant. It’s a magic trick that takes years to master.
Why do we do this? We do this to keep our customers calm during a crisis. If we project that all is well, our customers are less likely to perceive a problem. If they are upset about waiting an hour for their entrees, we can better diffuse any conflict by expressing control in scenarios where we have none.
Are We Essential, or What?
The American public yearned to dine out during the darkest days of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. They did so even as contact tracing data from the PA Department of Health showed that spikes in COVID-19 cases were directly related to dining in restaurants.
Folks who didn’t want to assume the risk of indoor dining went to great lengths to eat out. Many were willing to brave inclement weather. Others took advantage of outdoor igloos during the frigid winter months.
Why were so many ready to assume the risks of dining out? Why were so many others willing to eat outdoors in the middle of December? A November 2020 article by Olga Khazan in The Atlantic explores this phenomenon. In the article, psychologist Maria Konnikova explains that “eating at restaurants is comforting and familiar, which breeds ‘overconfidence and the downplaying of downside risk.’”
The public wanted restaurant workers to do what we’ve always done. They wanted us to provide the illusion that “all is well.”
Our ownership knew the more we reinforced that notion, the more business they’d receive.
The bosses expected us to work while they expanded our sidework, reduced BOH wages, and slashed benefits.
The question remains: Are restaurant workers essential?
Restaurants don’t fulfill a physical need with indoor dining. Our work doesn’t serve the same purpose as agricultural or grocery store work.
Restaurant workers are not essential to the physical survival of our fellow citizens. The pandemic proved, however, that we are essential for their psychological well-being. During the darkest days of a health crisis where over 600,000 people perished, we risked our lives so the public could feel “normal” for a few hours.
They Need to See Us Sweat
We’re too good. We’ve spent far too long hiding our poor working conditions behind our hospitality, and it’s why the public and our ownership continue to take advantage.
If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that the hospitality industry as it was in February 2020 is not a goal worth striving for as we reopen.
How do we transform our industry?
We start by showing everyone how we sweat.
