KEY POINTS:
If you had to rate Hollywood's latest screen version of a waitress and waiting tables in one of Auckland's top restaurants, real life gets five stars.
In the romantic comedy Waitress, three apron-clad staff serve fries and pies at Joe's Diner. Viva's pick of three waitresses are more likely to be serving lamb rump with lentils and delicate chocolate mousse.
The fictional waitresses get flak from the boss and customers as they shuffle between tables in Barbie doll yellow uniforms. The Auckland trio wear smart black, have nothing but praise for their bosses and genuinely love their jobs.
In the movie, Keri Russell's pie creations chronicle her state of mind: "Pregnant miserable self-pitying loser pie". The Auckland trio are a much happier lot - and possibly fitter. After a 5 1/2-hour shift, Rocco's Michelle Oliver recorded 15,000 steps on her pedometer. Now that's worth a tip.
Eloise Morin - Vivace
Eloise Morin combines part-time waitressing with freelance styling for some of the top advertising agencies.
So why wait tables when you can be styling on photography sets?
"People just don't understand. They over-glamourise my life as a stylist. But I'm very passionate about food and wine. I want to keep up-to-date with food trends and stay connected with people in the industry."
For the past 14 years, Morin has been working at Vivace Restaurant and Bar in High St.
"They're like family at Vivace. And we get a lot of regulars and many I've known for years," says Morin during a break from waiting on a table of 20 celebrating a university graduation.
The 34-year-old started waitressing to support her university studies.
"I did languages - French and Italian - which came in handy when I waitressed overseas."
Morin's parents are French and she spent her youth travelling between houses in France and New Zealand.
"My mother is an experimental cook, so I was exposed to different food all my life."
As one of Vivace's managers, Morin has the flexibility to work around her styling schedule and her role varies between waiting tables, tending the bar and operating the tills.
But it's still a feat to survive 14 years in the demanding hospitality game.
"The owners are deeply committed to their staff. They inspire a lot of loyalty. Most staff have been there for years."
So what are some of the changes she has witnessed over years?
"People go out a lot more and there is more appreciation of different food. And there is more respect to people in the hospitality trade - but there's also higher expectations."
Despite the odd lurching drunk, Morin says people are surprisingly generous with their praise.
"We've even had people send letters of thanks for our service. They go into incredible detail about how we made their night. It's lovely."
Michelle Oliver - Rocco
"So what else do you do?"
Michelle Oliver has heard this question many times during her many years in the hospitality trade.
"I love my job. I absolutely love it. The irony is, that without the dedication and passion of good waiting staff the industry will suffer."
The 30-year-old works as a floor manager and waitress at Rocco, where she's also in charge of training staff.
"We have training every second weekend. We always do a menu tasting - so there shouldn't be any questions we can't answer.
"The new staff we employ already have a base knowledge but we put the Rocco slant on it."
As Rocco's style is focused on fast and efficient service, the staff have to be equally enthusiastic.
"Our customers love Rocco and our staff have to love it too. We don't want tired, begrudging staff running after customers. But then we don't roster people on to the point of exhaustion either. It should be an occasion for the customers to remember."
As a student, Oliver worked in her parents' Coach Trail Villas lodge in Waiwera.
She spent a year as a psychology student at Waikato University before dropping out to work as a waitress at Hammerheads.
After a stint bartending in London, Oliver returned to New Zealand to work at various restaurants including Prego where she helped rewrite the training manual, before joining Rocco as a part-time waitress four years ago.
She's been in her current role for the past year, and although it's six days with shift work, Oliver's weekends are mostly free.
"The restaurant is closed on Sunday and it makes a world of difference. My partner works normal hours and we can have a social life. I would never go back to working seven days."
So is she tempted to party up after hours? "As your responsibility increases you tone down the partying."
A dedicated foodie, Oliver says she's constantly intrigued by the hospitality industry.
"It's not a stagnant industry. And it's such fun. I'm always doing foodie-related things, trying beautiful food and wine. After all, that's the essence of life."
If she's not ready for the stress of owning a restaurant, she would love to be a food reviewer.
Marie Colosimo - Merediths
Marie Colosimo is being generous to the waiting staff at this Kingsland cafe.
We've been waiting 20 minutes for a long black and there's still no sign of it.
"Hmmm, not great service," admits Colosimo, "but they are very busy for a Sunday."
Not as busy as she's been in her position as waitress at chef Michael Meredith's newly opened restaurant.
It's been hard graft with 10-hour days, six days a week.
"At the moment I'm working crazy hours - but I never think 'I wish I wasn't working'. It's been stressful but a lot of fun too."
Colosimo, 19, was born into the hospitality industry. Her father Michael Colosimo is a well-known restaurateur and her mother runs a restaurant in Tauranga.
At 14, she was waiting tables at her father's pub in Whangaparaoa, and she left college at 15 with the aim of working in the hospitality industry - "It was really all I wanted to do".
For the past two years she's worked at some of Auckland's leading restaurants, including One Tree Grill, Molten and The Grove, where she picked up valuable culinary skills from Meredith and owner Michael Dearth. She also managed her father's restaurant and 15 staff in Australia for six months.
Despite a brief stint in an office, she is happy with her chosen profession.
"I couldn't do an office job full time. This is where I want to be."
At Merediths, Colosimo works the tables with her partner, and the restaurant's maitre'd, Ismo Koski.
They've survived the difficult opening period without breaking a plate or their relationship.
"It's awesome. The experience has brought us closer together, despite it being really stressful. And it helps that we read each other well and know all the staff. We're like family."
As a waitress, she's taken her fair share of complaints, but Colosimo says she's never had any complaints about Meredith's food.
"I really believe in his food, so it makes my job easier."
But at 19, surely she'd rather be partying than waiting tables until the early hours?
"I did my dash of going out. I'm a lot quieter these days," laughs Colosimo.
And, besides, the customers do like to chat with such a charming waitress.
"I could write a book about the things people tell me."
