Kansas City’s sixth annual restaurant week is in full swing, and diners are able to sample menus at restaurants across the city at a great price.
This is really exciting for a lot of people.
Restaurant week is the best gift that Kansas City can give! #kcrestaurantweek #food
— Kelly Powell (@iamkellypowell) January 17, 2015
But, not everyone is thrilled.
For those behind the scenes serving meals at the busiest restaurants, it can be the most exhausting week of the year.
"Some of the girls at my restaurant joke that next year they'll plan on being on maternity leave," said Lisa, a server in Kansas City who didn't want to use her last name.
Lisa works at one of KC Restaurant Week’s most popular joints. For her, the week means dozens of extra hours; she worked a 13-hour shift on Monday, with only a 45-minute break. All these hours, though, don't translate to extra money.
“The ticket averages are lower. $33 is a steal for what a meal would normally cost on our regular menu,” Lisa toldUp to Datehost Steve Kraske.
Even if diners tip the customary 20 percent on their meals, it still means working twice as hard for the same money servers like Lisa would normally make in a week.
In addition to the long hours, the repetitive nature of the week can also be fatiguing.
"All of the staff is there, every day. By the end of the week, we're all so tired, and there is no one new coming in with fresh energy," said a server at one of the city's most popular Restaurant Week destinations, who didn't want to disclose her name.
Although the limited menu expedites the decision making process for guests, it can also provide a unique challenge for wait staff.
"There are only three things to choose from on the menu," said Lauren, a server at another busy restaurant. After taking the same orders from twice as many tables as he would have on a typical night, he says it all starts to blend together.
"By the end of a busy night, I find myself walking up to a table and second-guessing whether or not I've already told them the fish special, or even if I've already taken their order. It's embarrassing," he says.
Through it all, most people in Kansas City's restaurant industry say they are happy to provide people with a dining experience they might not be able to enjoy otherwise, and raise money for local charities.
"It's our way of contributing to the charities," said another server who works with Lisa, who also did not want to give her name. "We many not be donating money, but we're giving our time, our energy, and for some of us, our sanity."
