I waited tables for over 10 years, and it seems everyone I’ve ever worked with has a slightly different variation of the Server Nightmare.
It’s been five years since I’ve worked in a restaurant, but to this day, when I’m stressed, I will dream about waiting tables. My usual nightmare is that I have a million tables to put orders in for, but I can’t figure out how to work the computer. It’s like all the buttons are in the wrong place and the menu items are in Greek!Then I go back out to my station, and I’ve been seated six or seven brand new tables while I’ve been held up at the computer.
One server I worked with dreamt that his station was at the bottom of a steep hill, but the kitchen was at the top. So every time a customer wanted a side of ranch or a drink refill or whatever, he had to walk up the giant hill to get it! Now I work in corporate finance, but when I get stressed out, it’s not numbers that haunt me, it’s that damn Greek Aloha system!!
Submitted by: Akers
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Susan
The server dream is one I’ve had too. In my most recent one it was after closing time but the customers kept on in coming to order. Every time I turned around there was someone new. I was partially aware I was dreaming so I would try to send them away with nonsensical comments like “We’re closed, I’m in bed” and then they’d argue that I had to serve them anyway.
Haha, “We’re closed, I’m in bed” I’ll need to try that next time I have a similar dream.
I have frequent server nightmares, but my worst (or best?) one was that the restaurant I was working in was built like a huge airport, and each one of my tables were down LOOOONG terminal hallways, so every time a table needed anything or ordered food or drinks I would have to run LOOOONG sprints up and down these hallways from the tables to the bar/kitchen….
I think at least every server has had the bad server dream. They suck! It always starts out that im getting sat at an overwhelming pace and I cant keep up. Then you got the customer that throws a wrench into the entire system and then theres no going back from there. I always wake up in a sweat and then usually have to go into work. Fun!
Sucks when you wake up from the dream and have to go into work the same day.