A Different Monotony

Tara O’Connor dropped the check at only table she had at 3:30pm during the snowstorm and perches behind the bar, leaning her elbows on the damp spill mat. Her apron was wrapped loosely around her waist, the pen peering from her right pocket.

“The restaurant industry is a mixed bag. You’re dealing with people, and whatever people walk in with, you deal with,” said O’Connor as she mixed a drink for a regular.

The restaurant, located on the corner of 75th and Lexington Ave, specializes in burgers, oysters, and martinis. O’Connor has been a server at Eats for over two years.

“It makes a huge difference if the people you work with are people you like. It makes the stress of the outside so much more bearable.”

For many, servers are the forefront of the restaurant experience. For O’Connor, this is the most difficult aspect of working behind an apron. “There is always a lack of control. Servers are the face, so we get blamed for everything that happens from when the meat hits the grill to the time the plate is cleaned.”

Paul Parrales almost sprints between the booths carrying a bus-bin full of dishes, weaving between customers and other staff members. Dumping the bin next to the dishwasher he dunks his hands in bleach water and grabs a rag to wash down tables.

“This is the tough part,” say Parrales. “You get triple-sat and everyone expects you at the same time. Plus you can’t mess it up.”

Parrales, 20, works 35-40 hours a week in order to pay for his Film degree at Hunter College. “Sometimes people respect you, sometimes they don’t. But sometimes they think you’re stupid, and it makes the job frustrating.”

Parrales is a self proclaimed food-lover, which makes his job worthwhile. “The fact that you can make something that makes you feel good out of so many ingredients is really amazing.

O’Connor believes the best part about the restaurant industry is the people she gets to interact with. “Even though some customers and coworkers can be difficult, I’ve been exposed to people I never thought I would be exposed to.”

O’Connor swipes the regular’s credit card, charging her $15 for a burger.

“Serving is a different kind of monotony. Sure, you’re doing the same task, but there is more freedom than an office and fluorescent lights. In restaurants you work just as hard, but you’re free to interact with so many different people, and that makes it kind of worth it.”

O'Connor in what she calls her "order stance."

Sometimes side work isn't so bad.

"In the end, its money, but its better than a 9-5pm office job."