Serving in Orlando is surprisingly similar to serving in Streator, Illinois. Honestly, the restaurant I work at here is no more busy than my restaurant back home. Certain events bring in customers. For Orlando, it's that little place called Disney World. Back in Streator, it was that week when the carnival was in town. However, the customers brought in by both of these spectacular things are quite undesirable.
When I was a waitress at my beloved Pizza Hut, I remember dreading the week the carnival was in town. Yes, I'd be insanely busy. That didn't necessarily mean more money when the majority of my customers were carnival workers. They would come in packs with mud-stained skin, ratty T-shirts and jeans, smelling like cigarettes and sweat. They chugged free refills of Mountain Dew as if it were a competition. After enduring all their creepiness and hillbilly talk, I'd be lucky to receive a $2 tip. Luckily, this was only one week out of the year.
Here in Orlando, we deal with carnie equivalents every day of the year--tourists. Yes, most of our business comes from foreigners. That doesnt mean we don't dread the tables who don't speak a lick of English. They run you back and forth, as if they are the only table in the restaurant. At least their orange juices aren't free refills, but they still don't tip. They'll spend the whole time bothering you for stuff, racking up their bill, and either stiff you or leave less than 10%.
Tourists are like the carnies in a small town. They come in for a week at a time, get the most out of you and leave the least. I think it's time to indict the automatic carnie/tourist gratuity act.
