Ever wonder what it's like to work the tents at Germany's Oktoberfest? Read on.
Oktoberfest, Munich’s world-famous beer festival, has just completed another year. Six million people visit the festival on the Theresienwiesn each year and they can choose to celebrate in 17 large and 21 small tents.
The date varies slightly each year (this year it ran from September 16 to October 3), but it always starts in September. So why is it called Oktoberfest? Well, there is a historical and a meteorological reason.
The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen Hildburghausen and lasted from October 12 to the 17th, concluding with a horse race. The celebrations were repeated each year after that, but then Oktoberfest was moved to September because of the better weather and the warmer nights, allowing visitors to stroll around the vast grounds and gardens late into the evening without feeling chilly.
The celebration requires a veritable army of wait staff to serve the rivers of beer and Bavarian specialties like weisswurst, roast chicken, and roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut.
Becoming a waitress at the Oktoberfest is a good source of additional income but also a fun occasion to meet plenty of different people. I know all this firsthand because when I was a student, I needed some extra money for travel and decided to apply to work at Oktoberfest. As I have found out, nothing has changed from my own experience. So what is it like to be a server at Oktoberfest? Read on.
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The Qualifications and the Expectations
It can be helpful to be young and fit, although I have met some older and very seasoned Oktoberfest wait staff who provided me with plenty of advice and wisdom. In fact, the staff are a close-knit community and everybody has everyone else’s back. This is one very pleasant aspect of the job. On the other hand, we are all humans and there can be a bit of rivalry over who can snag the best tables, although tension and animosity between servers is rare.
You have to apply months in advance to the managers of the different companies and managers of the tents because this temporary job is in high demand. If you get lucky and are hired, you work in shifts: one in the morning and one until closing time, which can be the early morning (when the lights go out).
There is no fixed pay per shift or day. On average, a waitress makes 10% per mug of beer and dish of food sold, plus tips. In other words, the more you sell the more you earn, which can come to a few thousand euros for the duration. In my experience, the drunker the customers get, the more generous they tip. The tents are cash only, so as a server, it’s smart to have a big money belt and change. You have to guard your money as if your life depends on it. Usually, your purse is carried around your waist, covered by your apron, which is part of the obligatory outfit for an Oktoberfest waitress.
The service staff buys the beer at the tent and then sells it to the customers at a higher price. Should you wish to buy a non-alcoholic drink for yourself, you can do so at the bar at a lower price.
Speaking of the apron, the dress code for waitresses is the dirndl with a frilly white blouse and apron. The waitresses must buy this uniform from the management of the tent where they are employed. As you spend 15 hours a day on your feet, comfortable shoes are all important and it would do you well to invest in a good pair or two, as you’ll want to change. At the end of the shift, your feet will crave a warm bath, a massage with eucalyptus cream, and some magnesium pills. You need to have the stamina to get through the entire shift because there is no day off.
The Work
Now let’s talk about the work. You have to serve the typical Oktoberfest one-liter beer mugs or steins, which can weigh about one kilo when filled. The more mugs you can carry, the more you sell in the shortest possible time. You train to carry as many mugs as possible in your hands. There are trays, but they are uncomfortable because you have to wind your way through sometimes dense and rowdy crowds, and the last thing you want is to drop a tray or spill a full mug on a customer. Therefore, you need strong arms and strong hands.
In preparation for the job, I went to the gym and did weight training. It turned out to be a wise idea. Fun fact: the world record for carrying 29 steins is held by a German man. My own record was four in each hand! That was heavy enough but I didn’t drop or spill anything. Lastly, there is the less pleasant aspect of being a waitress at the Oktoberfest and that is the behavior of drunken customers. Sexual harassment happens, from a pinched bottom to tips stuffed in clothing, and it’s always inappropriate, inexcusable, and offensive. Don’t be that guy.
Of course, you can’t bang a stein on their head (much as you might like to) but a sharp tongue and strong language helps. Also, there is plenty of security and police around. Not only can waitresses be sexually harassed, but sometimes fights break out as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Stay alert and stay safe.
If you consider taking an interesting break from your day job, are in Germany, and speak German and English, Oktoberfest could be interesting for you. But bear in mind everything you have to cope with.
And, by the way, the money I made from waitressing at Oktoberfest went towards funding a fabulous trip to Oman.