Ivy League students are increasingly working as waiters. But this isn’t a tale of the desperation of students looking to avoid youth unemployment. Alina Dizik’s article was about top students choosing to wait tables as a career:
With the price of entrees at top tier restaurants rising about $100 restaurants are committed to providing a top class dining experience.
This includes hiring the best waiters possible. Head waiters can make as much as $150,000 a year with tips.
It’s not a job for the faint hearted. Each of the plates in a 16 course tasting dinner menu can have up to 15 ingredients and various preparation styles. Waiters are expected to be able to answer questions about each of.
Some dishes require other skills such as the ability to perform a card trick that goes with a seasonal chocolate cheesecake.
Only 10% of those who apply for jobs as waiters at top restaurants get accepted – rivalling admission rates at top universities.
Restaurants for their part offer ‘courses’ such as a rundown on various cocktails or the art of wine tasting.
Read about what it takes to be a top waiter, the input that they get to have on new dishes, and more over here.
Source: The Wall Street Journal