It’s the day before Thanksgiving and plenty of people are up in arms about certain big box stores being open tomorrow and keeping employees away from their families on Thanksgiving. Best Buy will be open on Thanksgiving at 5PM as will Toys R Us but the winner of all crappy employers goes to Radio Shack who will open at 8AM on Thanksgiving morning. I suppose Radio Shack feels the need to be open all day so that people will have a warm place to hang out until Best Buy opens up a few hours later.
“Why can’t Black Friday begin on Friday?” people proclaim.
“Employers should let their employees be with their families on Thanksgiving Day!” they say.
“It’s unfair for the greedy retailers to take advantage of their staff!” say people.
Yes, plenty of people say that today, but it doesn’t mean those same people won’t be out tomorrow cutting a bitch to get a 120” flat screen TV for $1.99. Before the tryptophan from the Butterball has even had a chance to make them drowsy, they will be running people over with carts and jumping through plate glass windows to be the first asshole in line at Target.
Every year on the news, we hear about how unfair it is for stores to open on Thanksgiving, but you know what we never hear on the news? We never hear about how unfair it is for restaurants to be open on Thanksgiving. Just like in so many other ways, the restaurant industry gets a pass card for treating employees with little or no respect. Raise the minimum wage? Yes, but not for servers. Give full-time employees medical coverage? Yes, but not for restaurant workers, just cut their hours so they’re part-time now. Retailers open on Thanksgiving? That’s awful, but leave restaurants open. Wal Mart is always making headlines about how their employees are getting the shaft with hours and not getting paid a fair wage, but not restaurant workers, they’re fine. Yes, it’s horrible that Macy’s and JCPenny will be open on Thanksgiving, but please for the love of all things holy, make sure Chili’s is open that day because someone might need to eat a plate of Texas Cheese Fries even though they already ate half of a turkey, a bucket of cornbread stuffing and two pecan pies. I don’t ever see anyone standing up for restaurant employees who have to say good bye to their family on Thanksgiving in order to go serve someone else’s. Before you jump all over me and bring up other professions that have to work on holidays like nurses, doctors, etc., let me just remind you that this blog is about the restaurant industry. A hospital has to be open 24 hours a day and when people agree to that job, they have an understanding of that responsibility. When someone takes a job slinging hash somewhere, they don’t necessarily assume they will never see their families again on any holiday because they will be required to wear an apron on those days instead.
The next time you hear someone complaining about how stores should not be open on Thanksgiving Day, why don’t say this:
“Yeah, I totally agree. There is no reason that anyone needs to go to a fucking K-Mart on Thanksgiving at 6AM. Those employees are having to get up at the ass crack of dawn just to sell some Martha fucking Stewart towels at 50% off. Twenty-five years ago, nothing was open on Thanksgiving, not even grocery stores. That’s what made Thanksgiving special; the fact that everyone was home that day spending it with their family. Close down the stores! Close ‘em all down! And make sure all the restaurants are closed too so those workers can be home that day as well!!”
If you say that, I predict that the person would reply with, “Oh, well, restaurants should be open because some people don’t want to cook on that day and they should have an option. So yeah, close the stores, but make sure Chili’s stays open. Somebody might want some Texas Cheese Fries or something. It’s just restaurant workers, who cares?”
You are then to say, “Fuck you.”
Jack inbox
if You don’t want to work holidays don’t be a waiter/waitress. If you don’t wanna work overnight, don’t apply at a 24 hour place. If you have bad luck, then suck it up buttercup.
Lynn
Those who visit a restaurant on Thanksgiving are just inconsiderate. Tipping your waiter doesn’t make up for it. You’ve forced the waiters, bussers, cashier’s, cooks, managers, and delivery people to lose time with their families because you were too lazy to cook at home. I’m forced to work this Thanksgiving at a family owned buffet and I get none of the tips, no holiday pay, and half of my wages for the shift are going for my transportation costs. So, yeah, I’m a little bitter that I had to cancel plans with my family, including an aging parent I’ve not seen in years, because some people can’t stuff their faces at home.
Bahhumbug
At least the servers in the restaurant where I work get good tips on thanksgiving. I work in the back and we get no such thing as holiday pay. We make our same usual measly wage for working 10 times harder than normal while we watch the waitstaff go home with around 500 bucks in tips. Now that sucks.
Mauricio
it’s america–a failed corporation of swindling and sick hustlers who are in love with money–that’s it. the perverted americant culture is one of endless hustling–hence, why the corporation (AKA: “country”) failed.
Why american failed by Morris Berman
psifi
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lurking server
I’ve always felt this way too, but alas, my restaurant is open on thanksgiving. Some years I have had to work and some I haven’t (we are usually somewhat steady but not slammed, the bar gets busy late night with people setting out for black Friday but other than that it isn’t much, so we don’t have full staff on and thus I am sometimes able to have it off).
This year, I drew the short straw and had to work. And I work in southern New Hampshire… so there was that huge storm that day that left many without power. We are in a cluster of 4 chain restaurants and we were the only one open for thanksgiving. Most mom and pops were closed for the holiday, and some that planned to be open had to close due to lack of power. Our restaurant is on the same grid as the hospital, so always gets our power back quickly if it is lost.
We opened at 4 and did more business than we usually do on a busy Friday lunch and dinner combined, and with a crew typical of a Tuesday night. Stressful is an understatement. But I’ve never seen more forgiving and thankful guests, ever. And for once I was happy to be open that day. So many people had their plans ruined and needed somewhere to go for dinner (and really couldn’t cook it at home), and yeah they could have just had cereal and used up the milk before it turned, but I was glad that we at least had a place for people to be able to get a hot meal.
Kristina
Chili’s was closed on thanksgiving. The hubby has worked there for 18 years. We have full benefits and even part time employees are eligible for benefits under Brinker Corp (25 hours-35 hours/week is part time).
However, our friend owns a restaurant on siesta key in Sarasota Florida. It is a HUGE tourist area and it is their BIGGEST day of the year. It sucks that has has to work but he takes care of his employees by giving them the gourmet turkey dinner after they close and everyone makes BANK that night. He also closes for the superbowl and a few other random holidays/events throughout the year. I even do my christmas cookie run and bring them my homemade cookies on christmas so they know we are thinking of them.
The sheer amount of tourists and elderly in Sarasota warrant many of the restaruants to be open.
I work in the heathcare field and have had to work holidays so I understand what it is like to want to be with family. When people were outraged about the retail stores I reminded them about restaurant workers. Their attitude was like “meh! They chose that”.
Society is very me-centric. They will want their restaurant food, 10000 inch tv for $5, and don’t give a shit about the people that have to work. It sucks but that is they way our society has become. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the service industry.
Naming My Poison
Back in the day when I worked retail, I had to work a double on Thanksgiving AND New Year’s Eve (‘open ’til midnight’) at fucking BLOCKBUSTER. BLOCKBUSTER!!! It was like a special ring of Hell. I remember people being pissed at ME because we were out of Terminator 2. Hey douche-nozzle, I’M AT WORK I’M NOT WATCHING ANYTHING!
Barreleh
I always found it odd that while I barely made any money on Thanksgiving (not surprising from all the old people who are famous for tipping like it’s 1930, but I’d get entire families who’d tip 10% or less), but I always made out like a bandit on New Year’s Eve.
Maybe the restaurant industry should consider positioning Thanksgiving as a day for heavy drunken partying.
michelle
the one year that I wasn’t well enough to cook thanksgiving dinner, I did not go out to eat. I ordered thanksgiving dinner from my local grocery store and picked it up the night before. everything cooked and all i had to do was warm it up. delicious, and no one had to work on the holiday to serve me. I don’t see why more people cannot do that instead of expecting everyone to work on the holiday.
nicolas
Hi,
As I am not us-born, thanksgiving does not hold emotional resonance like you guys, but I fully understand your point of view, as I don’t want to work at Christmas for instance. I get your post is about business with mainly american-born workforce.
I will nevertheless point out a minority of case that need a restaurant/supermarket/ something to eat: out-of-towner or out-of-country visitors. I am in the US with no family, in an hotel, and without real friends. This year in Houston, but that happened to me over the last 10 years in SF, honolulu, …
What was I supposed to do?
Usually, I end up in the Thai/Chinese/Japanese restaurant, which employee have not a connection for said holiday (thanksgiving or Christmas alike), and it seems to me to be a perfect win-win: they don’t care, and I can eat.
there again, I probably speak of 0.01% of the case in your mind.
Happy thanksgiving y’all,
Nicolas
#ONTHEFLY
Awww, Nicolas! I feel bad now! I work in SF and its 99% tourists! I dont want people to feel left out or alone on any holiday that they celebrate! Your Christmas analogy was on point! We work Christmas too. We get no perks for working any holiday, and we can’t request them off. A death in the immediate family, as morbid as it sounds, is the only way to get out of work…but I would prefer to work over that. Now the blow would be softened if the customers would tip extra as we are having to work on these days, but unfortunately, they don’t and seem stingier. Nothing says happy holidays like receiving $1.32 on a $65.00 check! Merry Stiff-mas to all!!!
J mfing dizzle
Seems like a good solution, eat Chinese because they don’t care to work Thanksgiving and I dont care to work Chinese New Year.
#ONTHEFLY
Yeah seriously! The only way a 50% tip would make my Thanksgiving barely tolerable, is if it were on a large table that didnt want seperate checks, and ran up a four figure tab. I used to love Thanksgiving, but due to being forced to work in short staffed serving people that are high maintainence, and in a hurry to spend all the money they saved by not tipping me. Last year we had the safety net of automatic gratuity,this year…
Anonymous
I refuse to set foot in a retail establishment or restaurant on thanksgiving or Black Friday. Nothing should be open thanksgiving, and Black Friday is fucking stupid. Yes, some of the sales are good. That’s what the Internet is for. Can’t get shanked for a wii if you shop from home (well, you technically could, but it’s rare).
Krista
I hear they (the retailers) are now calling the day before Red Thursday.
Really???
Anonymous
What the fuck? i just facepalmed so hard I gave myself a black eye..
Rachael
Steve, are you saying that you don’t have friends? You can’t go to ANYONE ELSES home? Or you don’t have the opportunity to go to the grocery store on ANY other day than Thanksgiving or Christmas? The servers you “chat up” at Dennys absolutely don’t care what you have to say on a holiday (not that they would on any day), but they also don’t make money because EVERYONE ELSE has chosen to stay at home. Your 50% tip on a $20 bill at Denny’s is not worth a 6 hr shift. Maybe make some friends and stop being so selfish. Or maybe get your own serving job so YOU can take the extra shifts for the people that actually have somewhere to go.
Steve
I’ve depended on restaurants being open on Thanksgiving for years. Not everyone is lucky enough to have someplace to go on the day and I think it’s pretty petty and selfish to feel like no restaurant should be open at all and that every single person should absolutely be stocked up on groceries and be ready to cook that day regardless of circumstances.
Sometimes after working eight hours on Thanksgiving you don’t feel like cooking a solo meal in your empty apartment. Or sometimes you don’t feel like being alone on the holiday and the company of other strangers and employees is enough to let you still feel human. And of course there are plenty of people who don’t care about the holiday, so I feel it’s unfair for them to have to deal with all society shutting down.
I understand places closing. Most people are celebrating at home with their families. But not EVERY SINGLE place should close, there should absolutely be some options for people that aren’t so lucky to have what others have. And since some restaurants are in fact open those days, that means they get the business of those people otherwise it would also be closed.
By all means, complain about working the holiday if you don’t want to. I’m not being sarcastic, it’s crappy to have to work that day when you want it off. Please, complain all you want!
But the idea that the response to people who don’t want to/can’t cook that day is “fuck you” is really silly and absolutely a bit selfish. You’re basically telling the me from two years ago that you I deserve to sit by myself in an apartment to heat up some hot dogs (grocery stores are closed too, which shouldn’t be the case) so I can think about how I have nobody instead of going to the local Denny’s, talking to and laughing with the staff and leaving a big 50% tip for making me feel a lot less lonely.
xerxes
You sir,
Are a selfish son of a bitch. Your apparently walking pity party and want others to acknowledge it. Would you like a participation trophy with that?
Yes, Watch some tv and warm up some hot dogs. Find yourself a companion, and do shit with her/him. Restaurant workers are incredibly under appreciated, your awesome tip will be negated by the asshole at table 10 that got pissy about his food being a 30-60 mins late, cause the place was understaffed and most of the staff wanted the day off. Most customers are ducking entitled and want the food to taste like grandma made it slaving for two days over a hot stove. you remind me of the Sunday brunch crowd. Go duck yourself.
White Russian
2 Mr. Steve aka Mr. Y’all-should-work-thanksgiving-cause-I’m-so-lame-and-lazy:
There was one year in my life when I didn’t have anybody with me on Thanksgiving. And I cooked for myself and did just fine. Oh, sorry, apparently you can’t cook, anyhow, I also stocked up on food, snacks, all my favorites, including a generous stock of beer and liquor – just like April suggested earlier.
I watched TV, I ate great food, I drank and kept myself entertained the best I could.
Go to redbox and get some movies, play a videogame, find yourself a hookup on craigslist, enjoy peace and quiet of the world for one day. Fucking do something. If you’re miserable, lonely, sad, and altogether pathetic at some point of life – the world doesn’t have to revolve around you. Tough shit, deal with it. Everything is closed and no one should give a fuck about you, your cat or you grandmother in Wisconsin.
Hash Slinging Slasher
Instead of being a loathsome twat nugget about not having any friends/lazy, why not volunteer at a local soup kitchen? Maybe you’ll appreciate that half-frozen meatball Hot Pocket a little more.
Krista
Steve,
A lot of churches and halls have large Fowl Dinners around the holidays. Try looking up one of these places where people VOLUNTEER to feed others.
Just a thought 🙂
Snatch Thompson
Fuck you. Maybe if you aren’t an insufferable piece of dogshit you’d have a family. Eat at home or eat a dick.
J mfing dizzle
Fuck you, and if I’m your server on Thanksgiving, then you know what my dick taste like. If you werent such an insufferable asshole you’d have family that wanted you around or a friend to make your apartment less empty.
april
I think everything that is not “essential” should be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Period. Hospitals, prisons, etc? Sorry, gotta be open. running out to get a tv or eat food you didn’t have to make? tough shit, learn to cook. Not essential. Get gas the day before, double check your list the day before, if you can’t cook, have the grocery store make it up, go pick it up the day before.
The husband worked in a restaurant for 10 years, where he was informed if he didn’t work holidays, he would be fired. He wasn’t even able to switch shifts with someone else. When he finally left, I took a job as an essential person in a correctional facility. Then I worked all the holidays.
17 years together, and I think we have spent maybe 5 holidays together. Now neither of us work on holidays, and we both stay home or with family on those days.
BobbyAnn
We have only eaten out once on Thanksgiving. My grandmother, who had always cooked every Thanksgiving, ever, had developed Alzheimers, and hell if my Mom thought she should take on the task [my grandmother was her mother in law] So Dad acquiesced and took us to the Officer’s club on the military base. Thanksgiving for 100. TYVM
Most miserable Thanksgiving in recorded history. It was no fun being out to eat, watching people serve us when we knew we should all be home. At the time my sister was a server, brother was a dish and I was a busser/salad prep gal. WE KNEW.
The following year [when I turned 18 and didn’t live at home anymore] I picked up the mantle of “Come to my house for Thanksgiving” and have been doing it every year since. It’s taken a lot of bourbon and Xanax, but I have this holiday down to a science and I will NEVER go out to eat on this holiday again.
I can’t imagine a place like Olive Garden, Chili’s or Applebees being open on Thanksgiving of all days. Just sad.
elsewhere1010
When eating out on a holiday I try to stick to stand-alone, family run restaurants rather than chains. It seems to me the feeling I get from the staff is genuinely welcoming, even if I’m not a regular. If they’re good at acting, so be it; I’ll take it as real.
And I always — always — tip at least 30%. If I work a holiday, I get overtime, and so should a server.
Andrea
This is the first year we are closed on Thanksgiving. We got a new district manager and he was like hell no! That’s a family holiday!
White Russian
just warms my heart. thank you.
and if I may add my two cents of misery – it just so happens at my restaurant that on Thanksgiving we get house full of 75-80 years old couples who are too old to cook, go shopping or spend time with their families ’cause all of their relatives have had enough of two grumpy half-deaf motherfuckers and no one wants to spend precious Thanksgiving with them. Oh well, too sad for lil ole people, poor things.
What’s worse, shittier and even sadder is that someone will have to spend their precious Thanksgiving with those half-deaf, barely moving, no-butter-or-salt-eating, non-tipping, ole motherfuckers. Us.
Gobble-gobble, you assholes.
PS. again, thank you.