Eight years have passed, but few things have changed. Kim Díaz, businessman of Bar Mut in Barcelona, continues to think that waiters and waitresses over 50 have a lot to contribute to their restaurants. "They like their job, they want to be waiters and they are. Generally, they are punctual, neat, polite and empathetic. They take care of the relationship with the customer, and that is wonderful to see." This belief pushed him in 2015 to launch a job offer for veterans coinciding with the opening of another of his establishments, Entrepanes Díaz, which was a complete success. "Also out of solidarity, because we have to give support to disadvantaged groups. It is very hard to look for work and not be accepted because you are older," he laments.
This Wednesday it was repeated and more than fifty candidates presented themselves throughout the morning at number 25 Hercegovina Street, right next to Monterols Park, the space that will be occupied by Díaz's new premises, which will be called Enrichietto and will open in a month with an offer of Italian cuisine. The interviews to fill one of the eight available waiter and manager positions started at 11:00, but well before the clock struck that time, Cristina was already waiting at the agreed place. "I've been here since 8:30. I've had time to count the windows of the building across the street, imagine. There are 110," this 60-year-old waitress, who was the first to be interviewed, explained with humor.
The early rise, he explains, is because he wanted a place and thought that if he applied first he would have a better chance of getting it. "At our age you can't afford to miss an opportunity like that. You apply for offers and they immediately knock you down because presence or youth prevail. And it's very hard, because you don't continue in the selection process, but your life does continue, and you have to eat, pay your debts and, why not, indulge yourself, like the rest.
As the sun rose, other candidates appeared with different stories, from here and there, but with the same hope on their faces: that of getting a job in a society in which it seems that from a certain age one is already It is not useful, it is not worth it. And nothing could be further from the truth. "We have experience and school, we are responsible," defends Isabel, who has just turned 50 and has been in the hospitality industry since she was 16. She and many other candidates lining up for interviews want to dispel the belief that waiters and waitresses over fifty are less energetic. "I am super active and I really enjoy serving well and being attentive to the client. I am just as capable," explains this professional who has worked in weddings, communions, caterings and restaurants of all kinds.
This queue that brims with experience is also made up of people who have worked very far from Barcelona and, in the case of Ahmed, with water under their feet. Of Egyptian origin, this waiter who is almost 50 is fluent in English, French, Arabic, has perfected his Spanish and has served hundreds of drinks and dishes on cruise ships that traveled along the Nile, in addition to working in several hotels. An extensive experience that Jorge, from Peru, can also boast of. "I love this job. Since I arrived in Spain 14 years ago I have worked as a helper, waiter, mixologist and I have helped out in the kitchen. Seeing colleagues your age, who think and work like you, with the same years of experience "It's very gratifying."
People from other sectors have also approached this call. This is the case of Sandra, who saw the offer published in a report in this newspaper and despite her little experience in hospitality, she applied without hesitation. "I think it is a beautiful job, which puts the focus on people, on dealing with the client," explains this Fine Arts graduate. "It's fantastic that the offer is reserved for people over 50, because at this age there are many professionals who want to work. I hope that more hoteliers are encouraged to do the same." Julio agrees and highlights that he and the rest of the colleagues queuing around him have been dealing with the public for years and know how to treat customers. "Some young people go through a little more of everything."
Elvira did not start her professional career in the restaurant business either, but life led her to end up working as a waitress in a winery that her sister opened in Poble Sec. Like the rest, she applauds the initiative, but is saddened by offering jobs to people her age. be news. "It should be something normal. It seems that at this age, if you no longer have a job, you have to retire. But unfortunately we can't, we have to continue earning money. Are we dead? No, and we deserve to continue living."
All the candidates who have presented themselves today will not get a place at Díaz's new restaurant. But this hotelier points out that they will save the resumes for other projects and encourages other colleagues in the sector to take into account people like Cristina, Ahmed, Isabel or Julio, who do not lack desire or professionalism. Jorge Llorca, who at the age of 50 became part of the Entrepanes Díaz staff, has the same opinion and sends a hopeful message to those who cannot find their place in the labor market. "You have to be confident. At 50 or 57 years old, like the ones I am, we are great. In a restaurant, the food served is important, but the service and the good work of waiters like us is also important."
