No, don't start re-working your resume in the hopes that the Bern's Waitstaff Training regimen has gotten any easier, despite my suppositions here. Just got an email from the Bern's PR machine with a delineation of the entire training process. The gist is: it still takes a long, long time before you're fit to work the floor at the old place. And you still have to work on the Company farm, if only for a solid 40 hours.
Here's the break-down, according to Captain Al of the Bordeaux Room:
"The current training regimen is approximately 1-1/2 to 2 years from the day someone starts as a Waiter Trainee until they finish training with The Captains and are put on the schedule as a Bern's waiter.
They will spend anywhere from 7-12 months in the kitchen, learning about the operation of the kitchen and doing all the chores that it takes to keep the kitchen clean and ready for our guests to tour. During this time, they have to pass weekly quizzes from Waiter Trainee Manager Joseph Donoian, on food, wine, and their general knowledge about the restaurant. When they are released from the kitchen, they go to the dessert room and work with the waiters upstairs, to begin learning how to wait on guests. They are permitted to keep the tip money they receive while working upstairs, as well. After approximately 2 months, and provided their performance in the dessert room meets Bern's standards, they are sent back downstairs, where they spend one week working (one night for each) at the reservation office, the front desk, the service bar, and the wine station.
The final phase of training then begins. They put on their Bern's uniform (Burgundy tie) and begin 14-18 weeks of training in the dining rooms with the room Captains (Gold ties). By this time, they must have completed 40 hours of work at Bern's farm. Once they finish with the last Captain, they begin their career as a Bern's waiter the next night.
After they are on the floor for a minimum of one year, they are eligible to take their Silver tie test, a 40 question oral exam on the menu, wine list, and any other information relevant to their duties as a waiter. The passing score is a minimum of 85%, and while, most pass on their initial attempt, not all do, meaning no Silver tie for now!
This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2007.