Beach restaurant is air conditioned

Every summer, I work as a waitress at a restaurant located right on the beach.

Although it’s a seasonal job, I make really good money.

The tips are absolutely fantastic. Both the restaurant and bar are extremely busy every night of the week. The venue includes an indoor and outdoor seating area. That setup creates some difficulties for the wait staff. The interior dining and bar area is air conditioned. Because the doors to the outside are constantly getting opened and letting in the hot outside air, the air conditioner is always blasting at maximum capacity. The cool air feels wonderful until I’m forced to head outside. The outdoor patio area is set up with umbrellas to shade the tables. Our patrons get to enjoy the shade and a view of the ocean. I am completely exposed to the sun while I take orders, deliver food and drinks and clear tables. Despite slathering on tons of sunblock, I frequently end up with sunburn. I always finish my shift drenched with sweat. The worst part is switching back and forth between the outdoor heat and humidity and the indoor air conditioning. I think it would make more sense if the waitress either worked one area or the other. Trying to keep up with the demands of customers inside and outside is difficult. The abrupt temperature change is unpleasant. I can’t imagine how much it costs the owners to maintain a cool indoor environment. Every time a waitress or a patron heads inside or outside, there’s a tremendous amount of energy waste. There’s frequently problems with the air conditioner. It’s not unusual to have an HVAC technician working on the cooling system while we’re getting ready to open up for the day.
climate control