8x being short and working in hospitality: the struggle is real
As if working in hospitality wasn’t hardcore enough, there’s a group of hospitality workers who have to run even faster and reach even higher than the rest: the somewhat shorter hospitality staff. When your head is shorter than everyone else’s, you sometimes have to get creative. Short hospitality workers speak out.
Beer crate. Standard.
“Whenever I’m working, there’s always an upside-down beer crate behind the bar. Our beer glasses hang above the tap, so I can’t reach them without standing on the crate. Not ideal, but funny when colleagues who always make fun of me trip over my crate.”
Ladder
“Well, Italians are often short. So am I. Being a short pizzaiolo isn’t easy. I use a ladder to reach the kitchen machine so I can make the dough, and kneading the dough afterwards is a real challenge for me.”
Tapping shoulders
“Walking through a crowd with a full tray is truly awful. Especially late at night, when people are drunk and the music is louder. As a short person, you can shout as loudly as you like and play tap-the-shoulder; they don’t notice and certainly don’t move aside for you.”
Taking advantage
“Turning a disadvantage into an advantage—well, you learn that. People underestimate you and assume that because you’re small, you’re not very strong either. ‘Okay, so you’re going to restock?’ I ask. Every cloud has a silver lining: I hardly ever have to restock the fridge anymore.”
Monkey in the freezer
“I’m a kitchen assistant, and sometimes during service it turns out that there isn’t enough of something after all, so it has to be fetched from the freezer. ‘Can you quickly grab that?’ they ask me. Well, quickly doesn’t really happen for me, because if I need to get something from the top of the freezer, it means I first have to climb into the freezer compartments like a monkey.”
“Yes, I’m the boss”
“It’s annoying but true; nobody believes you’re a manager. As a petite woman, you may project slightly less authority. So sometimes you have to compensate with your voice or strictness. Especially when there are difficult guests you want to throw out, for example. Sometimes it’s challenging, but all the more satisfying when you succeed.”
Squatting
“I’m incredibly happy that, unlike my tall colleagues, I don’t have to awkwardly squat beside a table when explaining the daily specials. It really doesn’t look good. You can laugh at me because I have to jump to reach the liquor bottles, but what you’re doing is truly ridiculous too.”
Tips
“Is it a coincidence that I often receive more tips than my colleagues? I don’t think so. When you’re short, you run faster and jump higher than your colleagues. You really have to work hard to keep up with the fast pace. Guests notice and appreciate that. In my case, that often shows in compliments and generous tips.”
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