Waiting on America Review

I really liked "Waiting on America" and Mario Ponce is the first author I've encountered that has also verbalized the concept of waiters "being business for themselves". The book is easy reading and to the point.

-Paul Paz
Waiters World

Review of "Waiting on America" by Mario Ponce
from Partners In Hospitality
Review by Monica Russell

Waiting on America gives people in the restaurant industry useful information and may provide a fresh perspective for any food server wondering, "Why aren't my tips bigger?" The information covered in the book are practices and guidelines that are taught (or should be!) in every restaurant. The key word here of course is should, as everyone who has dined out has wondered, at one time or another, what the heck their server was thinking when they botched the order, forgot something, or was just outright rude.

This book would be most beneficial for people new to the industry regardless of their position. There is advice for managers, servers, bussers, and the host staff. Burned-out lifers of the restaurant industry or those in need a quick brush up on their skills and training might also find some value by simply skimming the guide. More importantly, there are also suggestions on becoming more goal oriented which will is useful even for those servers just in the business for a few years while pursuing other dreams. Tips are also given regarding how to enjoy work more and get along with co-workers. This alone could make going to work more pleasant and even fun (gasp)!

Other sections provide information on attitude adjustment, how handle a schedule request and even how to make a suggestion to management so that it gets done.

At just over 110 pages and divided up into sections that are easy to follow and understand, it is not necessary to sit down and read cover-to-cover to get value from the book. Even grizzled industry vets can garner some good information from a quick skim.

Managers and servers should use this guide to get ideas and a general framework about how they want their restaurant and staff to work. Waiting on America will not revolutionize a restaurant and turn it into a perfectly-running operation. But it is a no-nonsense tool which can provide mistake-saving tips for newbies and some good reminders for those of us who have been "in the trenches" for a while.

Buy it now!

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