Café work proves challenging yet rewarding

Cafés are known for their good vibes and cool atmospheres. However, it is quite different from the perspective of the waitress. On the contrary, it is hectic and maybe even a bit nerve-wrecking. After spending a day working at my family friend’s café, I realized the irony of how one location could serve as two different worlds for different people. While the customers were relaxing and enjoying themselves, I was constantly on my feet.

The Breakroom Cafe, located in Studio City, is a health-focused café with a variety of nutritious appetizers, sandwiches, salads, breakfast choices, smoothies and more. Along with its healthy food combinations, its delightful and uplifting ambience attracts customers, making it a very busy place at times. I experienced this first-hand the day I spent working as a waitress there.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of January 2015, about 11 million of people in the United States are employed in food services. Employees working in food services usually get paid minimum wage and end up earning $20,000 a year, which is below the poverty level for a family of three.

To see how employees working in food services spend their days at work, I decided to volunteer at a local cafe. I arrived at The Breakroom Cafe at 6:45 on a Saturday morning, 15 minutes before it opens. I couldn’t imagine people waking up this early to come to the cafe, so I expected business to be slow for the first couple of hours. As I expressed this thought to my family friend upon my arrival, she glanced at me with a smile. “You’d be surprised,” she said. “Just be ready to get to work as soon as the doors open at 7 sharp.”

When the doors opened, no more than five minutes had gone by when the customers started coming in one after another. Most customers were there to get a healthy energizing smoothie to kick start their morning. I felt like I couldn’t prepare the smoothies fast enough with only one blender at my disposal. As my hands were moving quickly, preparing the smoothies, my mind was working just as fast, trying to remember the ingredients of each smoothie.

As I glanced over my shoulder, I saw another employee working hard to prepare the breakfast orders. I then realized that compared to him, I was in no position to complain. I actually had it easy. He noticed me looking at him with a surprised expression as he was tediously making breakfast sandwiches and wraps. “The mornings are always busy,” he said. “It’ll start to slow down after 9. Just hang in there.”

I continued working at the same pace until about 9. My co-worker was right. I guess it really had become a routine for him. As soon as I thought the line of customers was going to come to an end, new customers would walk through the door. When business began to slow down after 9, I was relieved, as was my co-worker. “Enjoy it. It picks back up around 11. And this time it will be more than just a couple hours before we get a break,” he said. “The cafe is packed with people until it starts to slow down again at 3.”

I decided to take Raymond’s advice and get as much rest as I could until 11, for I had become exhausted after the morning burst. During this time, there were only occasional customers instead of there always being an enormous line. When there were no customers left to serve, we co-workers just talked amongst each other to pass the time. I found out that they too were very tired. As it got closer and closer to 11, I knew things weren’t going to remain this easy.

Eleven marked the start of lunch time. I was no longer working with the blender, as I clearly did not have what it takes to keep up with the lunch rush, which would require me to work much faster than the morning. Instead, I delivered the food and smoothies to the customers’ tables. I also cleaned the tables after each customer left. The hardest part was being up and about my feet the whole time.

I also enjoyed the looks on customers’ faces as they saw me walking toward them with their order in my hands. “Mhm that looks delicious,” said one customer as I brought him his turkey and avocado sandwich and his kale fusion smoothie. “I hope it tastes as good as it looks.” The next few hours were filled with similar interactions and responses from customers.

I was wiping a table down when the manager stopped by to check up on me. “Keep up the good work,” she said. “Your shift will be over in no time.” My shift was going to end at 3 p.m. Little did I know that the clock seemed to be moving slower, for every time I glanced at it, it had barely moved.

Making smoothies and working since 7 a.m. had really drained my energy and worn me out. Then the magical moment came. After a long working spree of completing task after task with barely enough time to breathe, I looked up and saw the clock. It read 2:57. It was almost time for me to go home.

As the clock struck 3 p.m., I finished wiping down the last table, and went to grab my stuff. I thanked the manager for allowing me the opportunity to have this experience. “Thanks for your help,” she said. “Nice meeting you.”

I couldn’t wait to go home and take a nap. I was feeling extremely tired from waking up early in the morning and working in the cafe all day. Looking back, I don’t know how I made it through. Who knew working at a cafe would be so strenuous and tough? It was something that had never crossed my mind during my visits as a customer.

Many students who attend Clark are also employed in food services, including junior Melia Honarchian, who works at Baskin-Robbins in Glendale. “Although working at Baskin-Robbins is fun, at times it becomes very challenging,” Honarchian said. “After I go to work, I usually come home and knock out because of how tiring work was.”

Many high school students such as Honarchian balance jobs with their school work. I always wondered how they managed to do so. I can now imagine how difficult it is to juggle both school and work while performing well at both. This experience taught me that there is no way I would be able to maintain my study habits while working throughout the week also.