Fast Food Service Industry

Ok, this post will not be about Kemper or home or anything like that. It will be about my fast food days.

While I worked at the Missourian, I also had to work at night. The only place I could really find work would be in the fast food industry. I applied at snajajob to work at the local Captain D's and got an almost immediate response to come in for an interview. I did, and a about a week later I was offered the job. I told them I wouldn't be able to get there until 5:30, working at the Missourian, I closed at 5 pm. Not a problem they said.

The point I want to focus on, is actually one of the asst. managers. I wish I could remember his name, but he looked like a miniature Allan Jackson; and had more than some redneck in him. Even he called himself white trash, which at times I might have agreed with, but there was much that offset that.

When we worked together, he would work. I mean hard. No problem from me, but others.... He said something that was very profound for someone around 25; he was there to work. To get a paycheck for him and his family. He had 2 kids and got his girlfriend pregnant again before I left Captain D's. But he worked hard and he said he wasn't there to make friends. I understood exactly what he was talking about from Kemper. Eventually it would be he and I after 8 pm. The manager was trying to keep costs down, so after the slow down, there would only be 2 people after 8 pm, as we closed at 9. But trust me, there were times, when it wasn't slow. Those were the times when I saw what he was made of. He worked. He did whatever needed to be done and got it done. You might find that I point that out as something unusual. With the exception of working at 5 Guys, where you had a 5-6 man crew, I would stack up his work against anything else. I told him so. I said that I would work for him anytime, anywhere. And there were times when he needed me not to clock in, as costs were high. Or stay later when we got a rush. That was never a problem. I respected him. Wish I could say that about a lot of the fast food managers I worked for. There are good ones out there, but there are also some bad ones. In any case...

He also knew that I shared the hard work idea; which also meant we had fun when we could. There was a time, it had just passed 8, and I hadn't started to drain the grease when this man came in and I started to hear over the speakers the order. I thought my manger was joking. It was like 30 pieces of fish, 10 chicken strips, fries, etc...a damn big order. I poked my head through the window to get confirmation that I was hearing him right, and he nodded. The guy apologized for a big order, but I shrugged it off. As I said, we were dead, I hadn't started any break down, and the man was understanding it was going to take some time to do the order.

Amazingly, no one else came in, and I got the order out with some help from my manager. As we were bagging everything up, my manager reaches through and says here. He handed me a ten-dollar bill. I poked my head through the window again. The man had given both my manager and myself a ten. I nodded my thank you and he said it wasn't from him but from his mother-in-law, but he appreciated everything we did. That was the biggest single tip I ever got, aside from working pizza delivery. And after he left, my manager helped me start to break things down as we were running behind. When it was he and I,  we could get everything cleaned and ready to go by 11 pm. That is damn good for 2 people and working with the equipment we had.

I worked at Domino's as a delivery driver and had some memorable experiences there. When I worked at the Missourian, there was no time that I wasn't working a second job at night in the food service industry. I started at Captain D's and was there until they closed. Then I got a job at Dairy Queen. Then finally I ended at 5 Guys.

Any 5 Guys you go to will be some of the cleanest and healthiest places to eat at. I met a lot of kids working fast food. A few oldsters like me also. But something I found humorous was right before I left Columbia for Kansas City.

5 Guys, in my opinion, is ranked up there as a good business to work for. They have great trainers that travel around and help open stores and so they do and meet exactly how the 5 Guys corporate want them too. Like McD's I am sure. And, the majority are young kids.

There was this one kid at 5 Guys. Tall, lanky, black guy. A bit of player. Nice guy, also hard worker. But still given the chance to slack off...in any case, I liked working with him. He made the time go by and as I said, he was also a hard worker. I think he was 24, and had a brush or two with the 'po-po.' But as I was leaving I made the comment that I couldn't wait until I was in Kansas City as I would only be working 1 job. He asked me what I meant.

"I get up at 5:30. Go to the gym, shower and get ready to be at the Missourian by 8 am so I could open. Then I was there until 5, then I got off, changed and was at 5 Guys by 5:30. I was there until at least 11 or 11:30 depending on when we got out. Then I would get to bed by 12. Then start the whole process over the next day. I worked 5 out 7 days."

He looked at me, "And how old are you?"

I was usually the oldest on any crew I worked with very few exceptions; "How old do you think I am?"

He guessed wrong, and I told him "I'm 48."

He was shocked and impressed. I wasn't as fast as he was on some things, but I could hold my own. Then when he found out everything else I was doing, he just shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He would be another I'd work with and for.

I think everyone should work pizza delivery and fast food. It gives you a perspective that nothing else will. I was lucky with everyone I ever worked with as I learned something about them and myself.

So my advice; don't get upset if your order is wrong. Don't get mad if you have to wait a bit as someone new is learning the register. You don't know their story. Whenever I go to a fast food restaurant, I never get upset or mad; I check my order and let them know if its wrong or I am missing something. Someone new working the counter, I just smile and wait. I have been there. Another thing; when you order, smile back at them. Trust me, if you have been working 6 hours without a break, a smile and some understanding goes along way.

Another time at Captain D's; we would always get this one woman every Thursday at 8:15. Like clockwork. And she would usually order the same thing. Because she was a regular we took care of her. If we had extra fish or chicken, she would get an extra. No charge, not that she ever tipped, but she always came in, was nice, and understood if we rushed before her. That earned her a place in our good graces.

I am very thankful for all the bosses who gave me a chance. For the trainers who taught me what I needed to know and do. For my co-workers who made the time bearable and even fun at time. And to the customers who were understanding and easy going when we were rushed.

I learned the most important things about myself and what I could do while working fast food.