Back9 lessons from a tween waitress
My almost 11-year-old on what it means to be a waitress for a few hours and how to plan a menu for a kiddie birthday party
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A few months ago a friend mentioned that the cafe she owns had signed up to organize a birthday party for a 5 or 6-year-old boy. I wondered if she needed any help...after all I had organised 10 birthday parties. However, instead of my expertise, she requested that I dispatch Kiddo, my almost 11-year-old tween to be around to oversee the kids. Now my tween is not particularly fond of managing tots. So I suggested that she would come, but instead of minding the babes, would wait on the tables, serve the chocolate shakes, French fries and pizza slices.
Kiddo was excited and nervous at the idea of waitressing and her two most repeated questions before the big event were ‘Will I get to wear that half an apron like all waiters do’ and ‘Will I have to do the dishes?"
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Here are some lessons that she came back with:
1) Never balance more than two glasses on the tray. Besides, trays on which food is served are heavy. People tend to mumble when they give the order. Best to have pen ready and ask clearly what they want. Cleaning up after other people is “yucky". It is a good idea to finish what you order in a restaurant and even better not to put dirty hands on cups, glasses and cutlery. Someone else has to pick it up after you.
2) People who let their children run amok in restaurants are plain “rude".
3) Waiting tables is a tiring job. You have to be on your feet all the time and that is hard. Next time a waiter is late with your food remember that first before you get upset.
4) All people who wait on tables deserve a tip. Yes they do.
5) Never give young kids a tall glass full of milkshake. Kids who are at a birthday party want to run around and play and nothing comes in the way of that. All drinks in small paper cups, and more water—a better bet any day.
6) Pizza with thick crust means tonnes of wastage. Most kids leave the more “bready" part anyway. Also too many toppings is not a good idea. Hardly any of the kids touched pizza slice that had babycorn, mushroom—the works on it. Instead the plain cheese pizza slices and the chicken chunks with cheese pizza slices worked best.
7) Just retire sandwiches, even Nutella ones, from a birthday party menu. Not a single kid picks these up voluntarily.
8) French fries work better than chunky potato wedges dipped in sauce. Pass the dry French Fries while the children are busy playing. They are likely to eat more than when they sit.
9) Best time to feed the kids: have a magic show or a puppet show on and then hand them the plates.
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