In general, foodservice workers encounter a lack of respect or acknowledgment as professionals, particularly service staff. Nicholas Nickolas, originator of 26 restaurants, says the industry has supported and won respect for chefs, but has done little for servers. There's no curriculum for service, yet service is the foundation of the business. Compensation and professional respect, however, are not the only areas where foodservice needs help with its image. Foodservice employment is not all doom and gloom, however.
People do enjoy working in foodservice, and many make it a lifetime career.
Flexible schedules, personal interaction, the ability to perform and the chance to create are all reasons people choose this industry. And foodservice employees take much pride in their work. Paz, for instance, notes that he has served an average of 11,000 people per year, or about 187,000 customers over a 17-year career. He has also trained more than 2,000 waiters. Institutional foodservice jobs typically offer additional advantages for employees.