My name is Christina and I am a German intern at Wf360, a marketing company in New York City, led by Susan Bird, your usual host of this Bird's Eye View blog. During my internship in NY, I am hoping to learn about business culture of America but more importantly, learn about the overall culture of this country, or at least for NYC. I have observed a huge difference from the way people eat in the US compared to the countries in Europe… so much that I have decided to blog about it.
My European friends and I went out for dinner to a restaurant in NYC. We were excited to catch up on stories and use this time to talk over a delicious meal. We are all here in the Big Apple for our very first time and the emotions are simply just overwhelming. Unfortunately, we noticed something very odd shortly after we were starting to have a good time. After 15 minutes of being served, the waitress continuously came to our table to interrupt and ask unnecessary questions. Instead of the helpful gesture of simply asking whether we would like to have another drink or ask if we needed anything else, we felt that we were being rushed.
Then as soon as I finished my plate, it was gone. The waitress took it without even asking if I was finished. It was also awkward because everyone else at the table was still eating. The same exact thing happened to my friend but unfortunately he was not finished. After everyone else at the table was finished with their main course, the waitress came right away and asked whether we would like to have a dessert but in an unfriendly tone. It was very rude and ruined what was supposed to be a nice social gathering. After we declined dessert, we were presented the check within seconds- it almost seemed like she had nothing better to do but watch us closely like an eagle. We still wanted to stay there and enjoy the nice evening as it was still pretty early but that was truly not what the waiter wanted us to do. Finally because we felt so unwanted, we decided to leave. The service was horrible and it was definitely not a nice evening.
In Europe, a different mentality about food exists. From my experience, it seems that in America, people eat to live while in Europe, they live to eat. Eating is not only meant as food intake but more as a social act. We meet up with our friends and enjoy a great meal in a lovely atmosphere with absolutely no rush at all... actually it is typical to eat for 2-3 hours. We have all the time in the world to share our opinions and experiences with our loved ones. Also, the hosts of the restaurant want us to stay for as long as we want and enjoy their chef’s meal and the atmosphere of the restaurant. They give us the time we need which is very important because this is where great conversations are made.
From my 2 months here, the American way of eating is the complete opposite to Germany. It seems that the urgency in NYC to make as much money as you can in one night has enticed the waiters to make their guests feel rushed during dinner. I also noticed this bad American habit starting to appear in some German restaurants. I want to use this opportunity to call out to these hosts “If I want the check directly with the main course then I can go to McDonald’s!”
Don’t we all want to socialize and create wonderful conversations?
Author of I is for Intercourse: The ABC's of Conversation, Susan Bird is the visionary behind Wf360, and a sought-after speaker around the world for her views on leadership, the strategic importance of conversation, entrepreneurship, and the role of women business leaders.
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