A white bar in a quaint coffee shop.
Within the hospitality industry, there are many jobs that are of upmost importance. Whether it be chefs, hotel manager, supervisor, barman or waitressing. Each role plays a vital part in creating and maintaining a space where people go to relax, be fed, and feel satisfied. Perhaps like cogs in a machine, there is a need for these parts to work in unison. Needs must be met effectively to deliver a high standard experience people crave when they visit.

Working in this type of environment is an experience in itself- from the fiery heat of the kitchen to the busy chatter at the bar, it is rare to have a moment to yourself. Exciting as this can be, if you do not work well under pressure, you will find it hard to stay afloat. Some people thrive, flourishing under the pressure and finding themselves on the better side of customers, but others take an opposing path.

Having been a waitress, I for one know the sheer number of different characters you can come by, and that only includes breakfast and lunchtimes! With some more forgiving than others, it is never possible that two shifts will be the same. This makes up part of the attraction of the role- you are the face to the business, a name to the service. People often appreciate this personability within the service they are paying for. 

At the moment there is a shortage of staff in the hospitality industry, mainly due to the pandemic. Now that pubs (some of them at least) have been fortunate to return, they are met with a shortage of deliveries and a long wait for the goods they require to run their business. Chefs remain in high demand. Waiters and waitresses are difficult to find too, as those that stay are outnumbered by those who desire to move through higher education, or those who are looking for a long-term career in another field of work. 

As the challenges business owners face are piled higher and higher every day, it is unfair that we should not have sympathy with them. These businesses are people’s livelihoods- they pour all they can into them, and yet they are left feeling like it is not enough. 

Of course, this side of the industry you are not meant to see. It is not standard practice to walk into a business within the hospitality sector and expect to be met with glum, tired faces. When customers walk through the door, the most important issue, out of all of them, is that their needs be met with a smile. As a waitress, this comes naturally. This is when some people fold under the pressure, but this is also the point where others come into their own. The challenges faced behind closed doors of the business are briefly forgotten about, and happy conversation is sparked in an effort to exceed the expectations of the customer.

This is the beauty of the hospitality industry- for all the concerns and tests that are thrown their way, there is still life and cheerfulness in their demeanour. They are still determined that every customer, every person that enters their business should leave with a smile and an experience to remember- for all the right reasons.