5 Ways Restaurant Workers Wish You'd Be A Better Customer

Even if you think you’re a great patron, the people who serve you say there might be room for improvement.

Your favorite restaurant isn’t what it used to be. Staff shortages are an ongoing issue, food costs are soaring and customer behavior can be off the rails. With so many food service professionals under more stress than ever, those of us on the other side of the serving tray could use a little brush-up on the basic manners and common sense that make their lives just a little bit easier.

As much as we need restaurants, our behavior is making it harder and harder for people to find fulfilling careers in food service. “This is one of the hardest businesses to work in, filled with thankless days and hard bone-crushing hours, but vitally important for neighborhoods, community and joy,” said chef Rossi, an author, executive chef and owner of New York’s The Raging Skillet. “Folks forgot how lonely and depressed they were when restaurants shut down during the pandemic. Be grateful and be nice, for crying out loud, and treat others as you want to be treated.”

We spoke with chefs, bartenders, caterers, servers and restaurant owners to discover the ways they wish you’d consider behaving better this year.

Respect your reservation.

Unless you’ve had a job at the host stand of a bustling restaurant, you probably have no idea how many unending requests, changes and customer goof-ups that someone in this role regularly encounters. So when you make a reservation, be clear what you’re asking for and make your own notes as confirmation.