The restaurant sector is going through difficult times. The discontent expressed by those who work as waiters in bars, restaurants and hotels has resulted in a shortage of personnel that businessmen and restaurateurs lament. The loss of vocation is attributed to endless days, unpaid overtime, low wages and precariousness. Injustices of all kinds collected by the social network account @SoyCamarero, which has emerged as the voice of discontent and abuse in the sector.
Behind this profile is Jesús Soriano. A waiter for almost twenty years, he started working in a bar at the age of 15 out of necessity and now he claims to do it out of passion. The trade he combines with that of a communicator and activist for the rights of a profession that is not always highly valued. This young man, born in the Valencian town of Alzira, decided to give life to his alter ego five years ago on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
He began by telling the anecdotes that happened to him behind the bar, humorously, but little by little protests and complaints from colleagues began to reach him. Then he saw the opportunity to "become a speaker to express the discomfort of the waiters in Spain." Now, among all the profiles in networks, he accumulates more than 650,000 followers.
"There is no shortage of waiters, there is a lack of good conditions," says Soriano. In this way, he settles the complaint of many businessmen for the lack of personnel in the hospitality industry that appeared in the summer of 2022 and that was revived last Easter. "The discontent comes from years ago, now it is only being given more visibility," he says. This is precisely the purpose of his project.
"My goal is not to demonize all hoteliers", but rather to expose "false businessmen who want to do business from labor exploitation". “They should be a bit ashamed and try to comply with the law. But above all, reconsider ”, he insists. Many waiters often thank him for his work, as have some restaurateurs. “Now a change of mentality is beginning to be noticed in the sector”, he indicates.
However, there are still those who pay less than the minimum wage – which in February reached 1,080 euros – and propose days that make personal conciliation impossible, according to the complaint.
These are some of the aspects of the profession that are most lamented, but the young waiter also picks up situations of sexual harassment of the employees. “I remember the case of a girl who was required to work naked,” he says, shocked. And he adds: "I encourage victims to take legal action in these cases and in situations of labor exploitation."
Stories reach him daily, but, before disseminating them, he checks with data and evidence that demonstrate their veracity. Likewise, she echoes the attitudes of customers and the mistreatment of employees, and denounces those who leave false restaurant reviews on the Internet. "The client is not always right," she defends, against the mantra that hovers over the profession.
He looks suspiciously at some recent trends, such as the arrival of the American tip in Spain. “It must be the employers who offer decent wages. The tip is just a gratuity”, says Soriano.
The empathy that so many network users praise him is due to the fact that he has suffered some of this mistreatment on his own skin. "I'm just the support that I would have liked to have back in the day," she confesses. Now, she participates as a speaker at gastronomic events, stars in advertisements, collaborates with the media and other projects, and even has a graphic novel titled Soy Camarero. The customer is not always right.
A waiter in a bar in Alzira, ever since he became popular he has had to cut his working day in half to make working at the bar compatible with life as an influencer. At the moment it does not seem that he is going to resign from either of the two worlds: "It is a pride to be and defend the profession of waiter."
