What Is A "Shift Drink" And What Are The Pros And Cons Of This Industry Perk?

Folks familiar with the inner workings of the culinary industry are no strangers to the much-anticipated shift drink handed out to staff members free of charge. Yet, those who only observe the red lighting at restaurants as patrons may hear the term and start to wonder how many cooks and servers are inebriated while taking care of their orders. Lay those fears to rest, dear reader; that's not how a shifty works.

Rocco Carulli, the owner and executive chef at R House, dove into the nitty-gritty about what a shift drink is. "Shift drinks are the restaurant industry's version of a gold star — messy, well-deserved, and often tequila-based," he told The Takeout. Everyone appreciates recognition for a job well done, but why alcohol specifically? "Camaraderie, loyalty, and the kind of unfiltered venting that brings a team closer than therapy ever could," Carulli said of the pros of gathering staff for a moment to relax and enjoy a shifty together. "They turn a group of co-workers into a war-tested unit," he said. "It's also a sign of appreciation — that little bit of 'I see you, and you crushed it,'" Carulli elaborated. 

With pros like that, it's a wonder all restaurants that serve alcohol don't offer staff shift drinks. Still, with booze involved, there are bound to be some cons. Carulli spilled the beans about why some establishments choose to forgo shift drinks. "Cons? Well, if someone turns that shift drink into a shift bender, you've got a different issue," he admitted. If an employee has a few too many and gets behind the wheel, the restaurant may be liable for any disasters that occur, just as if a customer had been overserved. It can also have the opposite of the intended effect among co-workers. Carulli said, "Just be sure your 'after hours' doesn't turn into 'HR hours.'"

Generally speaking, if you are over 21 years old, you are just as entitled to a shift drink as any other staff member. Yet, there is a little bit more to it than that. "It's not just about clocking in — it's about showing up," Rocco Carulli said. "You handled a screaming toddler on table four, remembered who wanted the martini dirty with vodka (not gin), and kept your cool when the POS crashed mid-rush? Baby, you've earned that drink." One of the downsides of working in the restaurant industry is that it's a notoriously stressful environment, and serving staff members a drink on the house offers them an opportunity to decompress a bit and feel good about what they accomplished throughout the day among co-workers.

So, are folks throwing back a margarita, a clarified cocktail, or something else entirely when they clock out? "The drink itself depends on how savage the shift was," Carulli said. "If it was a smooth night? Maybe a humble beer." Nothing too wild about that, but what if things went south? "If it was a disaster from start to finish? Shots. Plural." As for the individual who differentiates between the two scenarios, "That honor usually falls to the bartender," Carulli said, though other times, employees will just ask for the thirst-quencher they've been craving since they made it out of the weeds. A shift drink isn't your typical job perk, like free snacks or getting a little extra time off, but then again, the restaurant industry isn't your typical job.