Buffalo Wild Wings Server in Lubbock Highlights Challenges During the Pandemic

I went out for dinner and drinks with some pals recently and had a server at Buffalo Wild Wings that was a shining example of what keeps customers coming back again and again.

He was incredibly sweet and funny, immediately picking up on the vibe of our table (sarcastic tomfoolery), and by the end of the night, he even cracked a couple of jokes at our expense, which is always welcome by me.

Serving is one of the hardest jobs in foodservice and I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone who can play nice with every single type of Karen imaginable, all while keeping in mind which table asked for extra honey mustard and to-go boxes.

Donnie took a few minutes to talk about some of the setbacks in serving during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as some of his hopes and dreams for the future. He's only been working at Buffalo Wild Wings for a little over a month, but it was clear to me that this was not his first rodeo. He was fast, accurate, and even took orders for our table of six without the use of a pen and paper. The telltale sign of an industry badass.

Donnie said that tips had not been easy to come by his first month with the company. It wasn't for a lack of trying, but a lack of customers. He moved to Lubbock from Snyder during the beginning of the shutdown in May, and is grateful to be working at all. He said that he truly loves his job at Buffalo Wild Wings and his coworkers, but if he could do anything in the world, he would land himself a sweet gig bartending in Washington. I’d say he's well on his way.

It is more important now than ever before to graciously tip your servers. They are depending on our tips to pay their bills, and many of them are having a hard time keeping a roof over their heads and feeding their families. Please keep that in mind the next time you go out for dinner or even just went you order take-out. There is a special place in heaven for big tippers. I'm sure of it.

Shout out to all of the wonderful servers out there like Donnie for going out of their way to give great service with a smile, even when it's covered by a mask. You rule.