re: Wolfgang Puck: 'Waiters make $120,000 a year but I can't find them'

But you see, universal basic income will totally work. This isn't a good example. You see, when people get money for nothing, they will totally choose to work, because they want to. And, not only that, they'll choose to do work that is hard, like waiting tables. The logic is there. Somewhere.

Just in the past couple weeks.
Florida: (local seafood joints)
Restaurant closed at dinner time, they couldn't handle the crowd.
Restaurant didn't open, they couldn't staff up.
Restaurant ALSO closed at dinner time, reopened doors at 8pm.

Georgia:
Restaurant closed (Chilis) and only took takeout.
Restaurant (Longhorn) had 4 waitstaff show up for Father's Day weekend, couldn't get anyone to come in. One guy got arrested while we were there, so three. The manager was waiting tables.
Took dad to iHop, they had 2 waiters working the entire place, they were also calling begging people to come in. When we left, there were people lined out the door... zero chance they were going to serve those folks.

quote:

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for high end restaurant 120k can be easy for an experienced waiter, hell Commanders in New Orleans has waiters making that and struggling to fill it's staff. Now most don't make 120k a year and are closer to 60-70k having to work doubles and pretty much every Friday/Saturday

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I both bartended and waited tables for years at multiple old line New Orleans fine dining restaurants, including in the French Quarter. Service industry people here continually and obsessively lie about what they make. It's a coping mechanism for not melting down when people are well into adulthood and existentially realize they can't get a real job/career because they've screwed their life.

Just about nobody anywhere is making 120k. Sure, some people will make $800 to $1000 working a double on New Year's eve at Galatoire's, but then they're off for three days and spend $650 partying. If these guys are really making $120k, why are they driving a dented up '92 Corolla and living in a dump with roommates at 35 years old?

Thank God I got out of that game.