The era of high school servers may not be completely finished, but it drawing closer to an end. Recent data shows an older demographic (40-60) taking up the jobs usually occupied by high schoolers and college students in restaurants: serving tables and hostessing.
Why is this? The unemployment rate has improved drastically in the past couple of years, but part of the reason for this trend is that people are taking whatever jobs they can get. It may be more difficult to support a family and pay a mortgage working part time gigs, but if that's what the option is, then that's what you do. The news isn't all bad however - not only are restaurants thriving and dynamic work environments, but tips can raise wages above the average retail job significantly - particularly for those in busy, bustling restaurants.
The rise of foodie culture in the US may also be part of reason for this trend. As more restaurants take the time to provide stellar cutting edge cuisine sourced locally and following the latest in cooking trends, the server body follows with more knowledgeable and career driven servers. In Europe, it's not uncommon to make restaurant service a life long profession - and perhaps this is to become the case in the USA also.
Also noteworthy: more people are working for themselves and, in doing self employed contractor work, they may be interested in a 'side gig' to supplement their income. For that matter, self motivated millenials may also be turning to a part time after hours job just to make a little extra for that vacation - or car payment. Whatever the case may be, the labor force is shifting to an older, more mature group. And while they may not move quite as quickly as the teenagers, these older workers tend to be more reliable and, not surprisingly, more mature than their teenage counterparts.
