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For a better future, study the past.
Thank you for your interest in my book review of Counter Culture: The American Coffee Shop Waitress written by Candacy A. Taylor.
Taylor, Candacy A. Counter Culture: The American Coffee Shop Waitress. Ithica: Cornell University Press. 2009. 142 pages, 136 pages of text. Bibliography, color photos. ISBN 9780801474408. $21.50.
When we think of the American coffee shop waitress the image of Florence Jean Castleberry from the television show Alice may come to mind. Older, big hair, gum chewing, wise cracking. Candacy A. Taylor works on dispelling these stereotypes (well, at least to a degree), and provides us a real insight into these women, in her fascinating book, Counter Culture: The American Coffee Shop Waitress.
Taylor is an award winning author, photographer, and cultural documentarian. She has appeared in numerous media outlets and has worked with the Smithsonian, under Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. at Harvard University, and more.
The idea for this book came from Taylor’s own time working as a waitress in San Francisco. Sitting with her fellow waitresses discussing the trials, tribulations, and physical demands of serving the public and the other aspects of the job, she wondered how women twice her age dealt with job.
For “lifers,” as they are often called, what were their views on their job? What were their dreams? How did they deal with the physical demands of walking miles every shift, often with heavy trays for eight to ten hour shifts? How did they deal with aging in a field often seen as being for the young, uneducated, and often for the attractive? How did women in small coffee shops handle life?
Over a period of several years, Taylor logged over 26,000 miles criss crossing the country, interviewing and documenting almost sixty waitresses from more than forty restaurants, in various parts of the country. These women’s stories are interwoven with Taylor’s own photography to paint a portrait of women’s lives that many look down upon, or feel sorry for, or wonder what went wrong that they are still working, often well into their seventies.
What we discover is, nothing went wrong. These “lifers” have chosen their path. They don’t feel sorry for themselves. They don’t feel life has dealt them a bad hand to play. Many are quite financially secure, perhaps more secure than their patrons. The hours can be long and the work exhausting, but for many of these women it keeps them physically fit and mentally engaged. We discover a work ethic that many of their youthful counterparts do not understand. For many of these women they can’t imagine their life having turned out any other way.
In her work, Ms. Taylor covers major facets associated with waitressing, no matter age or where they work. While some topics, such as “refusing to retire” or “counter culture” may be most associated with coffee shop atmospheres, other topics such as the tricks of the trade, the importance of developing regular customers, the stigma of being a waitress, the generation gap, and T.I.P.S. (who knew this developed as an acronym for To Insure Prompt Service) are universal.
While the book does have a structure to it, the story is essentially the women themselves. They drive the story. We learn of their lives. We learn their struggles. We learn their joys and pains. They are human. They make mistakes. They enjoy successes. For the coffee shop waitress, they can form relationships that go beyond serving a customer on a regular basis. They become parts of small town community. They become de facto members of their regulars families. They become the restaurant they work at.
Without these “lifers” the culture of a coffee shop or diner is radically different. Change is not often welcome by regulars or the waitresses themselves. For the coffee shop regular, there is a comfort in having your favorite waitress knows your breakfast order and is placing it before you even take a seat. Attempts by management to make updates are often met with opposition, particularly if that involves favorite waitresses. Whoa to the manager who changes menus or employee work schedules. These women know their role so well, they have often turned down management roles in favor of the stability of their regular customers.
Taylor’s work is now more than a decade old. It would be interesting for her to attempt an updated look at coffee shop waitresses. The women who she interviewed have almost all gone to the great diner in the sky. How are current coffee shop waitresses in comparison to those of twenty years ago. In eating at the type of restaurant described in this book today, I can see many similarities. I would hardly be called a regular at any place, but the regulars are easy to pick out. However, I would be interested to see if these women consider themselves happy with their life. Would they call themselves financially stable as many in the book stated. How do they deal with the physical and emotional demands of the job.
Customer attitudes have changed. Financial realities have changed. Businesses and management goals have changed. Technology has changed. How have waitresses changed in reaction.
This book is highly recommended for a look at a cultural institution, that while evolving, is still in many ways the same as it was decades ago.
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