I had breakfast at the Waffle House in Franklin, Tennessee, recently. The restaurant was so busy that I had to sit at the counter. I watched the busy workers while I ate. Some of us have noticed in recent years that service workers often seem less enthusiastic than we remember. I’ve stood patiently while a supermarket deli clerk wrestled with a cellophane wrapper covering a deluxe ham like he was in mortal combat with a python. I’ve stood by while retail workers engaged in stimulating conversation about another worker, they didn’t like instead of taking the credit card I was vainly trying to hand them. 

I’ve also noticed a guy behind a bakery counter glance in my direction just to let me know he saw me but wasn’t in the mood just yet to see what I wanted. To be fair, people in these jobs are rarely paid a living wage. I doubt that they get much training either. And many of them have stories they can tell, about being treated rudely by customers. 

But at the Waffle House I visited, I was pleasantly surprised to see a group of 11 employees, working as a team. It was fun to watch the way they coordinated their actions so smoothly and quickly. Understand that most of their work is repetitive. One cook was cracking two eggs and quickly scrambling them, while simultaneously flipping eggs already on the griddle. A woman was popping bread (white, wheat or raisin?) in the toaster and still another was pouring batter on the waffle iron. It was an impressive display of dexterity and cooperation. 

There was a lot of good-natured chatter among the crew, shouting out orders, keeping each other informed of what needed to be done. They were careful too, to watch each other out of the corner of the eye to make sure they didn’t collide in the narrow space behind the counter.

Was it just this Waffle House? To answer my question, I decided to try another location. I’m pleased to report that I saw much of the same behavior. This location wasn’t quite as busy, but they were hardly experiencing a lull. There wasn’t as much chatter among the staff, but they all kept moving in sync, much the way the many parts of an EV work together to move a vehicle forward. I was struck by the way one of the cooks took extra time to make the hashbrowns look just right on the plate. Presentation matters. Others, when not serving, worked constantly to replace frying pans, plates and silver. 

According to Indeed, average Waffle House hourly pay in the Nashville area ranges from approximately $10.94 per hour for Server to $21.36 per hour for Maintenance Technician. The average management salaries range from approximately $45,989 per year for Manager in Training to $61,084 per year for Restaurant Manager. 

Maybe it’s the culture at Waffle House or maybe it’s the warp speed at which customers come through the doors hungry for breakfast that drives their employees. Whatever it is I was certainly impressed. I was greeted with a smile, my order was taken attentively, and my server checked my satisfaction level, ready to refill my cup. I never felt they were in a hurry for me to finish and leave.

Whatever is going on at the Waffle House, I hope it’s contagious. It would be wonderful to see other restaurants and retail establishments adopt the behavior and energy I witnessed. It’s probably fair to say that the food isn’t in the five star category, but the service undoubtedly is.