I have not yet watched The Bear, but I really do want to as soon as I finish up another series I am in the midst of. Judging by the trailer, it does seem quite intense and frantic.
I have limited “real” restaurant experience but do have several years in food service, including working at a sandwich shop. Let me tell you, that job was the most toxic working environment I have ever been in my entire life. The stress and toxicity is relentless because you get it from every end: 1) the customers** can be quite rude, entitled, and, frankly, disgustingly behaved, 2) our manager running around cursing everyone and everything under her breath nonstop for eight straight hours (I once told her how impressed I was with her ability to talk so much shit and that it must have been a Guinness World Record), and 3) coworkers who really were once good people when they started become miserable and constantly on-edge and therefore talk about nothing except how terrible everything is. I came home angry almost every night, and in a constant state of “What is happening in my life?”. If it wasn’t for my other job that I love, I might have thrown in the towel. I’m not exaggerating.
**I have observed that 90% of customers are either nice or indifferent, but the other 10% make up for it. You can be having an awesome day and literally one interaction ruins the shift.
I lasted one year and a day in this job before switching to a different food service gig. Literally a few weeks ago.
I think every “Foodie” should work at least one food/restaurant job in their life. Because some of the comments about service, etc that I read here on HO are written by people who have never experienced walking on egg shells for eight straight hours worrying that a single mistake will set someone off and bring wrath upon the staff and be expected to keep the same level of sharpness throughout the day.
Not sure how my thoughts tie into the show, but since we’re talking about stress, I figured I’d chime in.
