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Angel has worked at Sears Fine Foods in San Francisco for over 20 years. She's a tough, fearless, efficient and skilled waitress who will tell you the truth about almost anything.
...about younger waitresses.....
We learned from the old-timers. So now the younger ones think I'm too bossy. And I say, "No, I'm not too bossy, I just want you to do the perfect job. So I don't have to hear from the manager, "who's training this person? Why is she like that or why is he like that?" I don't want to hear it. That's just me. Either I'm going to do it perfect or I'm not going to do it.
...on carrying...
I can carry 7-8 plates on one arm and a couple in the other hand. I'd also carry up to 8 coffee cups with the saucers. But now as I'm getting older, sometimes it's very challenging, my shoulder's killing me, but I used to carry that way all time. Customers would be so impressed. I used to serve a round table with a party of 8-10 people and I'd carry it all there.
...waitressing stigma...
Some regulars appreciate what we do but a lot of customers
surprisingly look down at you because you're a server.
Or when you're not at work people ask, "What do you
do for a living?" And I say, "I'm a waitress." And they
say, "Oh, a waitress, interesting [disapproving tone]."
A lot of times I say, "You might work in an office,
but I probably make twice as much as you do, so don't
even go there." I even heard it today, a customer yelling
at one of our servers for no reason and he said, "I'll
be right back with your coffee." The customer said,
"YOU BETTER." I said, "Don't take that. He's not better
than you. It's a job. A job is a job. If anyone ever
treats you like that, don't take it." If some customers
are too mean, I tell them, "You know what, you better
go find another waitress or another restaurant because
I've had it with you."
...the regular customers...
The regulars have been coming in for many, many years. Most of them are retired and they come in everyday for breakfast and lunch. But a lot of them have passed away. Over the years, we've exchanged birthday gifts and phone numbers. Once we played bingo with these guys, we call The Bingo Boys. And I said, "I'll never do this again...."[laughing] but we had fun. When Sears closed temporarily a lot of our customers came in crying because they didn't know if I was going to come back, but I did, so now it's back to normal.
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