Who really makes every dinner out great? Brings you your drinks, serves your meal, and does it all with a huge smile even when you leave a measly tip? That’s right! Your waitstaff. These intrepid masters of culinary experience management are the reason your food is hot, delivered in the right order, and ready to be out to your table at the perfect time to experience maximum enjoyment. Waitstaff Day celebrates these heroes, like we all should every day, and brings awareness to the challenges they face and the work they do to make every dining experience a great one. Have you thanked your Waitstaff recently?

History of Waitstaff Day

The waitstaff has been making our life easier for far longer than history records. The waitstaff has doubtless existed in every form of a restaurant that has existed, and while they may not have been paid in the traditional sense, the tables of nobility were serviced by the waitstaff. They are a vital part of the experience of having a meal out, and in posher homes are equally important to things as simple as the family dinner. As anyone who has been to a restaurant and had poor (or excellent) service knows, there’s something about a skilled and attentive member of the waitstaff that can turn a mediocre or frustrating experience into an amazing experience.

Think all waitstaff are friendly and cheerful? While that’s usually the case, there are actually restaurants where the staff is paid to be coarse and rude to the customers, and believe it or not people actually throng to the restaurant to be berated by them. No, this isn’t some strange fetish, it’s just all part of the experience that’s created by your amazing waitstaff. Waitstaff Day was established to honor these individuals and the environments they provide, and the events they help to make special memories.

​5 THINGS WAITSTAFF WISH YOU WOULD STOP DOING

1. ​Refusing to listen to the specials

   Servers are generally required to tell you about the specials, and also often receive bonuses for tempting diners into ordering them, so please listen graciously — you might just love that Chef’s Surprise.

2. Asking a different waiter to put your order in​

   Getting a second waiter involved can not only adds to that new person’s workload, it can also sometimes mean a loss of a tip to one server or the other.

3. ​Not reading the menu descriptions

   ​If you have a food allergy or similar dietary restriction, it’s your responsibility to read the menu descriptions carefully, not just skim the dish titles.

4. Expecting all the food to be on the table at the same time

   This may be realistic if your party is four people or less, but if you bring a crowd of 15, it’s unreasonable to expect the kitchen staff to be able to serve all those people at exactly the same time.​

5. Not saying anything when something is wrong​

   ​If there’s an issue with your meal or with the service, your server wants to know so he or she has the opportunity to correct the situation, rather than have you leave unhappy, and very likely leaving a low tip.

    

NATIONAL WAITSTAFF DAY DATES