Gold Buffet

Gold Buffet – North Kansas City, MO
Dishwasher/Busboy/Server 1 year

My very first job! I started working at this Kansas City institution near the end of my sophomore year in high school. Known for their prime rib and all-you-can-eat snow crab legs and being a venue for some of the biggest names in comedy and music in the late sixties and seventies.

My first role was as the dishwasher. This involved standing in a small, steamy room loading giant racks with soiled dishes and running them through the commercial dishwasher. I’d then deliver very heavy carts full of clean utensils and plates to the buffet.

At closing time, the entire kitchen was hosed down with hot water and the staff would use giant squeegees to push the water to the dishroom. The floor drain was at my feet, and it was always clogged. I’d spend the last two hours of my shift in shin-deep lukewarm reddish-grey water with all manner of food scraps and leftovers floating around. Yes, it was as gross as it sounds.

Eventually, I moved out of the kitchen and worked as a server on the buffet line. This basically meant that I would carve the prime rib on demand for customers as they passed through the line. Believe me, this was a huge promotion.

Fun fact: This was a minimum wage position. It paid a whopping $3.35/hour.

A friend offered to get me a position at McDonald’s that paid nearly $1 more per hour and it was a very easy decision to move along.