restaurant aspie

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i'm a male aspie hoping to go into the restaurant business. i'd like to know any that are still working in foodservice. many say that aspies have a hard time adapting into stressful work environments, but i like some input, please.

I was in the restaurant business for over 22 years. I started as a cooks helper/pantry girl, I then graduated to the line and worked all stations as a 'roundsman.' I kept working up until I got to saute chef and I loved that position, being a lieutenant to the chef!

I later became a part owner of a vegetarian restaurant and plunged into the tornado of restaurant owner ship! After about three years I had to bow out but went on with my saute chef skills to other restaurants.

When I was injured in a bike accident, I had trouble standing, so I started college while working until I was going to college full time. After commencement, I started working as a computer technical advisor.

I still cook, but just for myself and occasionally, for others. But I learned if you show up when you are scheduled, if you listen carefully and watch others around you perform their tasks and duties, you can mimic them easily and just produce the results they hire you for.

Of course, I never knew I was AS, so I didn't ask ( and wasn't given) any special help or accommodations. This was both good and bad. Good, because I had to work hard to produce as much as others did easily, and in doing so, became much better at the tasks than they did and bad, because I had to hide myself away and handle myself with no understanding (from myself or others) when I melted down or became frustrated. Which became good, because everytime I handled my own freak outs, etc, I became better at predicting them and handling them when they DID occur. I also found the skills highly transferable because I would melt down or freak out and they would fire me (or the other way around) and I could get another job in the same day somewhere else!

so, don't expect any 'help' and you will do fine! Food service is very hard work, but FUN! I enjoyed my 22 years, cook and chef. And you always get to EAT!


Merle

how did you learn to manage your AS under those strict conditions? that is what i'm asking.

I can't give much advice about the restaurant business as my only experience of that environment is summer jobs during uni when I despised every minute. I didn't like my boss and could happily have killed a few customers by the end of most nights due to the way they felt they had a right to treat you like crap because you're waiting their table.

However, horses for courses as they say...

I can help with the problems of working in a stressful environment though, as I'm currently training to be a nurse. My favourite wards have been the acute and emergency ones which are fast paced and put staff under continual pressure. I have actually found that my AS helps me work better here than a lot of other people, because I don't have an emotional meltdown every two minutes at every little thing like a lot of NTs tend to. I am also more able to separate my work from my emotions, which helps. I have a good memory for facts and procedures which means I usually know what to do on the spot. I am also very analytical so can prioritize jobs in order of importance quite methodically. The only aspects of AS likely to limit my career progress are the people skills, 'networking' and 'schmoozing' required to gain promotion. If you're thinking of self-employment this shouldn't be such a problem for you.

My advice would be to go for it as long as you know your limits, and be prepared to get out if it isnt for you. The advice I've heard for anyone thinking of starting a business applies here: know your strengths and play to them but employ people with other strengths in areas you need.

Hope this helps.

I didn't even KNOW I HAD AS. . .so I am not sure I know what you mean. I just had to mimic other people I saw around me and watch and do what they did. I had to take my lumps when I melted down or made outbursts. I was fired if I got too out of line.

I learned not to meltdown around others, and I ate the frustration until I found another job, mostly. I realized that not everyone, matter of fact not ANYONE had a sense of 'fairness' and 'equal treatment' that I did, so bringing my sense of balance to other people's attention I learned to just shut up, mostly. Or I didn't and messed up stuff, because no one likes to know they are less than perfect.

too snarky, sorry!

Merle

Last edited by sinsboldly on 15 Feb 2008, 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

What type of job are you after?

I waitress, and have for 4 and a half years atm, and tbh, it's tolerable but super lame. At some stages, no, I couldn't manage my aspergers or OCD, but most of the times I can. I've gotten into trouble for meltdowns due to the loud muic and crowds (sometimes we have 400 through in a night) But I seem to tolerate it okay.

I cannot bear getting food on me from dirty plates, I always scrub it off my shirt etc.

My first, and well only job to date, was at a high class restaurant. Once I got over being absolutely terrified to talk to the customers(Haha I never did...) I found it was a good job to have. It forced me to be social, even if I was faking the hell out of it.

And furthermore, I liked how busy it made me. It's hard to think about being so anti-social when you have a gigantic "to do" list in your mind. Granted, taking an order from someone and explaining a menu was absolutely horrible, but I slowly came to realize...who cares?

I don't know these people, never will. Why should I care what they think of me? So I'd always be overly nice/mechanical in my speech, and it helped to get through the day. Funny though, it was only people around my age/pretty girls that really gave me pause. The older people never seemed to bother me.

participate in Hell's Kitchen. lol

your opinoins are interesting and i thank you for giving me your input. i just hope things will work out in the future.