Ever work in fast food?

Yes, I've worked in fast food. Oh, and managed an ice cream bakery.

Ice cream bakery?

Kewpie puss?

half-baked Alaska.

It sucked, of course. Now I'm a vegetarian.

First job ever.

Damn, my first job was helping to bale hay at age 11. 25 cents per hour, although it was long before 1988.

Picking potatoes after school all fall and winter. Every summer was spent working in the kitchen at the restaurant my mother managed. The owner didn't care because my mother told her she didn't have to pay me, I was there to make sure I wasn't unattended sitting on my ass all summer, diddling the girl next door or smoking pot. (All of which strike me as perfectly normal and life-affirming things for a teenage boy to be doing with his summer.)

Was a local farmer I worked for, his son was, and is, a good friend of mine.
The late 50's, early 60's, were a different time.

Took tickets, did concession stand, cleaned theaters. Once I found a unopened bottle of water that was left in the Theater. The manager took it and was going to resell it. (Making money off it twice.) I told him that was probably illegal, and he said.. who is going to report me? You? I was fired later on. I had heard they only keep employees for three months, and then rotate new ones, so they don't have to do the insurance thing. Hardly anyone was promoted to full staff, because that position was always filled by two people. It seemed like a total scam to me.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-5-unexpected-downsides-working-at-movie-theater/

Over 30 years ago I was a projectionist/concessions worker at a drive-in.
We had actual FOOD in addition to the overpriced candy and popcorn. (Burgers and hot dogs.)

What was fun was the day after the big triple features on Friday and Saturday night, walking around fixing the broken speakers, (somebody always drove off with the speaker still hanging on the window,) and cleaning up the garbage.
Which as you can guess, included some rather gross items.

When I worked at the theater I was suddenly everyones best friend, who could get them into movies for free, especially a premier. No, sorry it doesn't work that way, they never gave me discounted tickets, nor was I allowed to give anyone free popcorn, or a slushy drink.

In fact, someone stole three giant packets of M&Ms from the concession stand when I was not looking, AND those came right out of my pay check, you BETCHA!!

I suppose it's like working in fast food. We had to clean whenever we weren't helping a customer.

before they served breakfast...it was fun..I loved the lunch crowd..many were regulars..but yes..one must keep cleaning..and I bet the counter had fewer bacteria before we wiped it down than after...but luckily our manager was a cool dude...after shift he and a few of us would sit together and just chat...

Then there was McD's as a second job...not for the money but for something to do, and when I told the manager I was quitting, he was sorry because I never complained?? Why should I complain I took the job...and knew I would have to do whatever I was asked...within limits

Back then, at McD's, for every 4 hours you worked you were entitled to a FREE hamburger, small fries and a small drink...not sure if they do that any longer?

I never had a bad experience, but I am certain, even back then I could not have been able to support myself on the pay even if I worked full time...which some did back then.

75 cents an hour 14 years old , you could only be part time .

Everyone there learned the business from ordering food to health codes and profit & loss .We didn't cook but we learned about it from the pros who actually could cook.

Sadly that was in the early 60s where you felt like a part of something at a job , time flew and people felt like there was a future .

(I have a hunch as to this joke, "Fast Times At Ridgemont High," right?)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018459152

Remember the apple and cherry pies McD's had, (still have?)

With the molten inside?

Man, you get around.

Nice work, Owen!

Not the same sections, there were two sections, one for pies, one for fish.

Maybe it's different now.

Flipping burgers and opening bottles of beer. He lasted one day. His boss told him he could screw up a wet dream. Not a nice thing to say to a kid.

Then a few "sit down" restaurants. Bennigans, Ruby Tuesday, Upper Crust.

I know there's more that I've forgotten.

schlepped beer and pizza.

i.e. the Tragic Kingdom, aka Disneyland. The highlight of the job, as I recall, was going out back every night and watching Tinker Bell come crashing to a halt after her long slide down from the Matterhorn...

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There were only 2 of us, no supervisors, no customers.

I cleaned up the Kitchen area, the other did the eating area, floors and washrooms.

The person in the kitchen/food area was not allowed to work in the eating area, and vice versa.

McD's is very careful about sanitation, they had 1200 stores at that time,

one store messes up, it's gonna affect a billion dollar income.

I got a free meal before shift, was allowed to pick what I wanted for snacks during the shift,

and breakfast if I wished before I went home.

I actually learned a few things about cooking there.

Want real fluffy scrambled eggs?

Take them out of the fridge the night before.

Deep frying?

Cook veggies/french fries in lard, meat/poultry in vegetable oil.

One of my jobs was to drain and filter the oil in the fryers every shift, scrub them spotless,

then do a test on the oils with sort of a litmus paper thing.

If it turned a certain color, it got dumped and new oil or lard put into the appropriate deep fryer.

Ice cream/sundae machines got almost totally dismantled every shift,

cleaned, sanitized and reassembled, all parts air dried, no towelling.

There was no spare time - I was a busy guy!

CC

in a tacky orange gingham shirt and brown pants. I used to come home and stink of frying oil, even though I never worked in the kitchen. I could never get it out. The manager was an asshat, I made a whopping $3/hr in 1983.

I have never worked in fast food or the restaurant industry since, and I'm happy with that.

It got there REAL fast.

in the early 60s. It was then I realized I could be a good food server OR a good skater, but not both together. I still have scars.