The thing about NYC is that tourist season is all year long.  The busiest part being mid-spring, when the weather starts to get nice, to after Labor Day, or right before the winter holidays.  This is the best time to get hired because most places require a few extra bodies for how busy they're about to be.  The only TERRIBLE time to move to NYC is late winter.  A good move would be to move here between April and November.
    All the restaurants in NYC use Craigslist to advertise serving jobs.  There are literally hundreds posted every day.  I highly recommend...Read More

    Twenty years ago, when someone said the term “rockstar”, they were probably referring to a musician making millions of dollars playing music for large crowds.  But now you see job postings for serving and bartending jobs that say things like “only rockstars need apply”, or “looking to hire rockstar servers and bartenders”.  They obviously aren’t looking for musicians, so what exactly do they mean by this anyway?  ...Read More 

    Having a solid understanding of beer, and being able to recommend the right one for a guest's taste, is an easy way to help boost your tips.  If you can recommend the right beer to someone, then you can be sure things are going to go smoothly from there on out.  At the very least, if you're a server or bartender, or want to become one, you should know the most popular types of beer and who makes them...Read More

    In Miami, the best time to apply for a serving or bartending job is about an hour or two before they open. Never go in when they're open, especially if it's for bartending.  Places are usually too consumed with their own business to care about getting to know who you are.  If they're open during the day/morning, make sure you go in during a slow period, probably around 3/4 pm. 
    The best nightlife is in Miami beach, so it's also the best area for bartending.  It's a different story for serving in a restaurant...Read More

    Most people think of their income in terms of annual income.  This can be helpful if you don't care how much you work.  But you're the kind of person that wants a lot of flexibility and free time.  It's simple, you want to make enough money to do all the things you want to do, but you don't want to use up all your free time to get it.  So, you want to make a lot of money relative to the amount of hours you work.  This is what I mean by relative income...Read More

      Like most cities in the north, the industry is slowest in January and February, so you don't want to be looking for work in the winter.  Spring is the best time to apply for jobs, since businesses are starting to pick up around then.  However, being a server or bartender in San Francisco is pretty much a year round gig.  The weather here is pretty nice all year long, so don't expect it to be easy to find a job just because it's springtime.
    There are good pockets of restaurants and bars throughout San Francisco, so which neighborhood you live in isn't too much of an issue.  Transportation, on the other hand...Read More

    Ok, you've decided on the perfect restaurant to work for and you've got your server resume ready, now it's time to get yourself an interview.  The key is to make sure you get the resume into the right hands, and that's the manager that does the hiring.  This can seem like such a simple process in your head, but there are a lot of ways things can go wrong.  I've strolled into places totally confident before only to find myself...Read More

    Every once in a while you probably get a table that wants to know your story.  They will want to know where you are from, where you went to school, and how you ended up working where you are.  Once you start working more high volume restaurants during their busy seasons, people are going to notice that you don't act like someone who works (and/or lives) there year round, if you're from out of town, they are going to want to know all about it.  Some servers make the mistake of making up stories or changing the subject.  They get nervous about what the table may ask next or they...Read More

  Chicago is a big city with a lot of hot serving jobs.  The competition can be fierce, and if you don't have any connections, then timing is going to be crucial to getting a good job there.  If you move to Chicago at the right time of year, then you are sure to find a great serving job without too much difficulty.  Here are some tips on when to move to Chicago and some strategies on how to get a good serving or bartending job there...Read More

    The most important thing you can do for your serving career right now is to begin thinking seasonal.  By this I mean strategically positioning yourself to be where the money is.  Everybody's life is different, and serving jobs come in a wide variety, but everyone can benefit from splitting their year into two halves and getting a second serving job.  
    I'm not recommending you actually WORK two jobs at the same time, that's stressful, creates scheduling nightmares, and...Read More

    For many people, the typical model for a good life just isn't good enough.  You know what I mean: 15 to 20 years of school, professional career at a 9 to 5, working your butt off in a suit for 30 plus years only to retire and wonder where your life went.  Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.  If you feel this way too, it's ok, that life's not for everyone...Read More

    New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing a ban on super sized soft drinks.  If it passes, you won't be able to buy a soft drink over 16ozs anywhere, including a restaurant.  A restaurant can still offer unlimited refills, they just can't serve them in cups larger than 16ozs.      
    Well isn't that special.  Now I have to get even MORE soda refills to get my table their fructose induced caffeine rush for the day.  Are you kidding me!?  Hey Bloomberg!  How about banning unlimited refills too!!  Read More

    Many people are blind to the advantages of being a restaurant server.  Usually, they accept the myth that servers are "stuck" in the service industry, or they see it as too risky or unstable of a job choice; or they may even believe servers are always working when other people are having fun.  In reality, none of these things could be further from the truth.  Being a restaurant server is one of the only jobs that allows you to choose where you want to work and for how long...READ MORE

    Restaurant managers can be pretty tough to work for.  If it seems like they don't like you at first, don't worry, once they see you doing your job and get to know you, they'll do everything they can to help you.  Usually, if you apply at the best restaurants, you'll end up with the best managers.  Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people that are hard to work for.  Here are some tips on how to manage the managers...Read More