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Restaurant workers quit at record rate

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Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#261

Post by throwawayboise »

dragonwriter wrote: post #111
leereeves wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also, I think we should support them w/ safety net (see basically andrew yang's platform). Which raises the question of why anyone would work, if doing whatever you want and still living a comfortable life was an option. It sounds like a lovely future, but I don't the automation exists yet to replace all the jobs.

> Which raises the question of why anyone would work, if doing whatever you want and still living a comfortable life was an option. People with literally billions of dollars of wealth still devote time and energy to earning more. I don't think its a stretch to think that people who merely have enough for tolerable food, clothing, shelter will continue to do so.

But there are very few people with that kind of wealth, because very few people have the innate drive to do what it takes to attain it. Most people don't have that drive. Most people just want a paycheck and a low-risk life.

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#262

Post by kop316 »

Buttons840 wrote: post #256
kop316 wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That may be the case for some....but that is not the case for all. For one ancedote, my father in-law runs a restaurant with my aunt in-law (his sister). They are the only workers, and split the profits evenly. They are in the midwest (low taxes), and own the restaurant's property/building. They were able to completely shut down during COVID and restart back up, and have survived several economic downturns. They are…

I'm sure things are more complicated than you describe, but it seems like they fear increasing prices will lead to closing, and to avoid this they're... just going to close?

Sorry, should have been more specific! More correctly, they are debating if it's just time to retire now and be grandparents full time rather than risk losing a lot money in the restaurant due to increased prices, then being forced to retire.

I assume "closing down the restaurant and retiring" means they will sell the restaurant (or at least the property), but I am not sure to be honest?

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#263

Post by jokoon »

I live in france, and I recently went to some presentation by some "restauration job industry" school director, who tried to encourage us to apply. I was open to other jobs and I discovered that it was mostly about working in a restaurant after arriving at the presentation.

It's summer, france is a destination for tourism and there is a big shortage of workers. Post covid, people want to go out and have a good time.

I've talked several times with skilled and competent cooks in the industry I met, and apparently it's hell on earth. That industry has the most drug users: you work at times when others are having a good time. Competition is very high in france, restauration is a big big industry here, the culture of food is amazing and I'm pretty sure we're one of the best of the world.

In my view, preparing food for others is a form of slavery. It's one the most obvious form of social inequality. Of course people love to eat good food, sitting nicely in a cozy place in a nice terrace. Of course people are going to spend their money for this.

Except it's hard work, and there will always be a culture of "I pay, I decide, you work".

Honestly the more I eat at restaurants, the more I realize I'd be ready to eat slightly expensive frozen MRE and some picnic just to not make those poor people work like that. Plus there are many people out there who cook nice meals for their friends.

I love that part of the french culture, but honestly, clients will quickly realize eating at a restaurant is expensive for good reasons.

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#264

Post by syntheticnature »

Buttons840 wrote: post #256
kop316 wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That may be the case for some....but that is not the case for all. For one ancedote, my father in-law runs a restaurant with my aunt in-law (his sister). They are the only workers, and split the profits evenly. They are in the midwest (low taxes), and own the restaurant's property/building. They were able to completely shut down during COVID and restart back up, and have survived several economic downturns. They are…

I'm sure things are more complicated than you describe, but it seems like they fear increasing prices will lead to closing, and to avoid this they're... just going to close?

They're just going to close... without risk of losing money by trying to raise prices and seeing what happens.

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#265

Post by throwawayboise »

lrdswrk00 wrote: post #166

Covid has made me question eating out at all. It’s trivial to cook something that’s better tasting and healthier than fast food, most cafes. With all the practice in the last year, it’s not hard to come close to my favorite upscale restaurants for 1/4 of the price. I don’t need to find a recipe, I can “just cook” now. Eating out seems like an antiquated division of labor given how streamlined procurement (grocery del…

Agree. My consumption of restaurant food basically stopped in March 2020. I have eaten out or gotten take out maybe once a month since then. Pre-covid I was eating at least one meal from a restaurant almost daily.

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#266

Post by cmckn »

daenz wrote: post #92
colinmhayes wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Restaurant work sucks, it's not tipping's fault. I don't work nearly as hard as a software developer compared to when I was a waiter or cook. Software development is lower stress most of the time too.

I knew someone who was mad at their partner because their partner was a software engineer and "didn't work as hard as they do" at a lower skill job, and yet made a lot more money. I'm not sure where this idea comes from that hard work is as valuable/more valuable than skilled work. But it seems to be a pervasive idea.

I don't think "hard work" and "skilled work" are useful buckets, there's a lot of overlap.

It really boils down to how much money a business can make from your outputs. A line cook makes the business less money than someone building an AWS service. This is not a law of nature, just the status quo.

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#267

Post by red_trumpet »

arcturus17 wrote: post #191
Paul_S wrote: post #29

Restaurant owners refuse to pay higher wages because that would remove a huge profit source for them - variable pricing. As long as part of the wage is in tips the owner effectively is capable of charging customers different prices. Rich people pay more but poor poeple also visit. If you raise the price to pay a good wage without tips and abolish tipping you lose the poor customers.

Eh, how is variable pricing a source of profit for the restaurateur? Their profit is calculated on a fixed price. Also from what I’ve observed in the US, everyone is morally obligated to pay a tip… Rich people may go above and beyond the average (citation needed) but having tips arguably does not raise demand from more modest people, since they are still expected to pay base price + tip. There is no real price segmen…

> Eh, how is variable pricing a source of profit for the restaurateur? Their profit is calculated on a fixed price.

More people dining means more profit probably.

> (citation needed)

Yes, that may indeed be a problem.

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#268

Post by Gortal278 »

jokoon wrote: post #263

I live in france, and I recently went to some presentation by some "restauration job industry" school director, who tried to encourage us to apply. I was open to other jobs and I discovered that it was mostly about working in a restaurant after arriving at the presentation. It's summer, france is a destination for tourism and there is a big shortage of workers. Post covid, people want to go out and have a good time.…

It's not slavery, that's a ridiculously naive and dumb statement. It's a shitty job, but it's not slavery.

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#269

Post by calebm »

sethammons wrote: post #11

> rude customers, whose abuses restaurant staff are often forced to tolerate Service workers in general, I'd love it if more managers and companies would support front line workers in refusing service. The customer is not always right. People should not have to put up with literal abuse. The Alamo Drafthouse theater is famously known for kicking someone out who was using their cell phone and other customers appreciat…

Several years ago, I realized that "act professional" roughly translates to "act like a servant".

Re: Restaurant workers quit at record rate

#270

Post by throwawayboise »

moate wrote: post #115

Good. Here's my story from the industry I was a part of for a better part of a decade: One time while I was a line cook, I was cleaning a meat slicer and sliced 3/4ths of the way through the tip of my thumb (just the meaty part at the end, not bone or anything). I realized I had 2 options: Leave work, go to the ER, miss my shift/pay, and incur a bunch of medical debt I could barely afford OR; leave work, go to the CV…

Workers comp insurance would have/should have paid for your ER bill, worst case you hire a personal injury attorney who would love the chance to sue a multi-million dollar business for a claim like that.
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