The Mental Health Load is Heavy for Rhode Island’s Public-Facing Restaurant Staff
How front of house servers, bartenders and managers are faring and surviving in COVID-19 times in an ever-evolving restaurant environment.
February 17, 2021
Photo from Getty Images.
Trigger warning: This story contains sensitive content about mental health and suicide, which might be difficult for some.
In late January, after a party of guests leaves
Julians restaurant in Providence, bar manager and server Kendra Plumley clears dirty dishes and collects a billfold left at one of only five indoor tables the staff still seats. At the end of the shift, when the black plastic credit card sleeve is finally opened, a glaring handwritten message appears in pen on the receipt in the tip section: the word Tip is capitalized and underlined and the words, “Stop making patrons wear masks at the table” are scrawled in the space where guests should normally leave eighteen to twenty percent gratuity. It�