Miami’s restaurant scene has truly taken center stage this year. With the arrival of so many exciting new restaurants, the anticipation surrounding reopenings of long-awaited renovations and the glamour of Michelin season, there’s been no shortage of 2024 culinary highlights in Miami. But the year was also marked by its share of industry drama, from heartbreaking closures to an “overhyped restaurant” saga and our slow death by pasta thanks to the Miami Italian restaurant overload.
As we approach a new year, it seems fitting to wrap things up with insights from those who know the industry best: the service professionals who run the show. As Time Out’s fall editorial intern, I’ve gotten a taste of the media’s perspective. But by night, I’m a food runner at one of Miami’s most lauded new restaurants. Anthony Bourdain called my job a hybrid between back-of-house and front-of-house, and that makes me uniquely positioned to tell this story.
What will you hear behind the kitchen doors of Miami’s top restaurants? Here are some of the things Miami service workers wish they could say to your face, but never will. Editor’s note: Names have been omitted to protect the privacy of respondents.
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Yes, we are actually ignoring you.
“Sometimes, I ignore annoying customers when they’re calling or waving at me and pretend like I didn’t hear or see them.” –Bartender
“The impatient guest flagging you down while you’re three deep and then you finally get to them, they’re not ready to order or card ready.” –Bartender
“No one will judge you based on what you order. They will judge you based on being ready to order.” –Bartender
The takeaway: No one enjoys being rushed, but it really doesn’t help to flag down your server while they’re caught in the weeds. Wait your turn and be ready.
The Academy Award for Best Actor goes to…us!
“The customer is not always right, but we have to pretend like they are. You have to be a good actor to be a great server. People just want to feel important and heard. Listening to their needs leads to more money.” –Server
“Please don’t ask for my genuine recommendation and then order the exact opposite thing right in my face.” –Server
“I hate when customers don’t read what’s right in front of them and ask the most obvious questions.“ –Server
The takeaway: If you were wondering why so many aspiring actors work in service, this should help answer the question.
We have boundaries like everyone else.
“If you’re a customer, a service worker you see regularly is not your friend.” –Barista
“No matter how much you think you are valued [as a service worker], you are always replaceable. You could put years into a restaurant and then, in an instant, someone is taking your place. So it’s best to always have the mindset of putting your needs first. Take your sick days, take your mental health days seriously. Take your vacations. The restaurant will always be okay, with or without you.” –Server
“Not much of a confession, more of an advice: Don’t sleep or date the kitchen manager.” –Hostess
The takeaway: We might work in front of house, but we don’t choose who we interact with. That’s not to say relationships can’t form, but just because someone is required to interact with you doesn’t give you permission to dump on them.
Our shared experiences make us a family.
“One thing I really love about this industry is the relationships and friendships you make. You find your people faster because you can be yourself. Whether that’s being silly, serious, focused or angry.” –Line cook
The takeaway: As the year ends, hurricane season drizzles out and Art Basel crowds disperse, our beloved restaurant hellscape carries on—it’s something we love to hate and hate to love. It may be a little messy, but what place here isn’t? Happy holidays, Miami!
