Quick Tips and Tools for a Better Industry
We talk a lot about change and accountability here. And sometimes that brings up a lot of hard feelings; fear, frustration, confusion. Who will be on the other side? Will I survive? Will there be room for me? What’s the solution? How will I fit into this new system?
We don’t have the answers. We also ask these questions. While we don’t have the solutions, we have many ideas, dreams, and imaginations about moving forward as a community. Creativity is necessary in the abolitionist praxis of building a violence- and harm-free world. We’re collectively running a constellation of parallel experiments in our communities to determine what comes next. And in this praxis, “We have to invent new worlds and ways of being with each other. We have to pre-figure the world in which we want to live. We must live now in the way that we hope the future to be” (Mariame Kaba). Ultimately, that’s all we ask; that things change, move forward, and not remain held in the same exploitative, harmful systems. So let’s move forward.
Three concrete steps for change and moving forward.
Reflect. When going up against a toxic part of hospitality culture, we quickly point out everything wrong with that system. Take tipping, for example; we are eager to point out how the legacy of tipping is racist and rooted in slavery, and so it is overall bad, and we should get rid of it. While we agree tipping should be abolished; everyone should be provided a fair living wage and not rely on humans' kindness for survival. What benefits are there for tipping? Why is it still in place as a system? Why do management and hourly people push back against getting rid of it? Well, it does offer some benefits if we stop and reflect on them.
For workers, those benefits can look like:
Getting paid every shift
A sense of individualism where each person feels in control of how much they make
Reinforcing hierarchy (I.E., higher tip earners feel validated in their superiority, high tip-earning positions {such as fine dining} tend to be occupied by white and male employees).
For employers, those positives can look like
lower labor costs,
tax benefits,
External incentive for employees to work hard.
These systems serve a purpose. They exploit and reinforce a culture of control and dominance, but we reap benefits from them. When challenging a system, it is helpful to understand how it sustains some and why they may feel like keeping it. There is perceived safety and comfort in keeping things the same. We can’t ignore that some feel protected in these harmful systems.
Collaborate. One of the most harmful parts of whiteness is not examining the room. When important decisions are made, and the only people in the room are white or male, whiteness isn’t an issue. It doesn’t stop and think, “maybe we need people with experiences and realities outside of our own to help make these decisions.” To create a better, equitable, and more loving hospitality industry,, we must fight against this unconscious tendency.
Invite everyone into the room. This is hard. It means your progress might be slow. Getting folks from a diverse pool of lifestyles might mean that it takes time before you can coordinate something that works for everyone. There is a possibility that everyone will not want to partake in a change-making conversation. Keep going, continue trying; it won’t be easy, but when have worthwhile things ever been easy?
It is tempting to skip this step and decide to tackle the issue on your own. Things might happen sooner without involving others, and you could get community incentives after the fact. Nothing is less radical than deciding what a group needs without community engagement. It’s like step 1 of creating a more equitable future. There is also no quicker path to your burnout. When you decide what is best for a community and place its success or failure on your shoulders, no one can help you carry that burden. When it fails, and everything fails, it will be on you alone. Invite others to fall with you. Instead of sitting alone trying to figure out why your solo plan didn’t work, you could be in a room of individuals willing to try something else. There could be no pressure on anyone or a few people to develop a solution for everyone.
Trust. Our most significant advice for you, if you’re still listening and following along, is to trust. Trust that the dishwashers, bartenders, cooks, hosts, and floor managers want a workspace that is thriving and provides a healthy work-life balance. Trust that they are professionals and have expertise in their positions that they can share with you. No one enjoys the experience of hunting for a job. We want restaurants to work. To be hubs of community and creativity and provide for all our needs. Restaurant workers have valuable insight into how they can work better for themselves and you. Hospitality people are some of the most hardworking, critical-minded, and adaptable people ever. Trust them. You won’t move forward without it.
