General Hospitality Industry Working Conditions
Restaurants and hotels come in all sizes. Small cafes may have fewer than five employees, while large chain restaurants can even several dozen at each location. A boarding house or bed and breakfast may be run entirely by an owner/manager, while a large resort hotel has hundreds of staff people, some of whom live on the grounds.
This is an industry where most people spend long hours on their feet and spend each day making complete strangers feel welcome and happy. Regardless of size, all establishments are governed by local, state, and federal regulations that affect the minimum working conditions your work under. What makes the big difference in how much you like working someplace is what the owners and managers of the establishment do above and beyond the legal requirements.
For example, in a large, chain restaurant you may have an employee break room and lockers for stowing personal belongings. But working for a small café owner who works side-by-side with you and takes a personal interest in your well-being can make up for having to take breaks in an alley or stash your handbag under the counter.
