Q&A with Amanda Higgins

The following is a Q&A with Amanda Higgins, manager of Friday's of Hamilton.

Q. How did you get into the restaurant field?
A. I first started as a busgirl when I was only 14. From there, I moved up to be a server in various restaurants. I started bartending at Friday's. Now, I'm 24 and a manager. From time to time, I still pick up a bartending shift. Friday's really gives you great flexibility with things like that.

Q. What are your typical working hours?
A. For managers at least, we must work a minimum of 45 hours a week. Usually I work about ten hours a day, five days a week. Having two days off is great, and working the ten hours goes by very quickly when the restaurant is busy, so I don't really mind.

Q. Have you met many people working in the business?
A. Absolutely. I get to talk to so many different people every day and make connections with them, it's amazing. The staff at Friday's is also very close. Working the hours we do, it really makes us more like a family than anything else.

Q. Do you think that being a good manager comes from talent, or acquires skills?
A. Anything takes practice. If I had not worked in other parts of the restaurant, I doubt that I would have developed the skills to be a manager. You also need to be patient as well as a people person, which is not easy for many. So, I think it is a combination of both. You have to have a knack for working well with people, but you also acquire skills to develop that talent through work.

Q. What is the most difficult part of working in the restaurant business?
A. As I said before, it requires much patience. In my position, I need to make sure everything is going well all of the time. I have to have patience with the kitchen workers, servers, bartenders, and hostesses. Managing a staff that large is not always easy. Once you find something you love to do though, things just kind of fall into place. I would not trade my job for anything in the world. Right now, I am right where I want to be.

Q. Do you still manage to have time for family and friends?
A. It is a common misconception that managers of restaurants do not have a lot of free time. Working at a place like Friday's however, I manage to get two days off during the week, which leaves me a full 48 hours to do whatever I wish. Also, ten hour days does not mean I always work nights. Sometimes I work a morning shift and I get done work by about 7 p.m, which leaves my night free. So, overall, my social life has not suffered at all!

Q. What is your advice for those who want to climb the ladder of the restaurant business and maybe end up in the same position as you?
A. Work hard! Make friends, socialize, and show great determination. Keep your strong work ethic in tact and don't get involved in the drama of the restaurant world, as it can be easy to do so. Managers do take notice of who works hard, trust me. Otherwise I would not be where I am today.