July 18, 2024 • 27 mins
Rachel reflects on her first day working at SUR.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is Rachel gos Rogue.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome back to another episode of Rachel Goes Rope. This
is your host, Rachel Savannah Levis, and today we're doing
a new series. I'm gonna pull up some photos and
dissect them one by one and dive a little bit
deeper into my thought process and my inner workings of
(00:31):
my mind during that time. And I would like to
do this because I feel like the viewers of vander
Pump Rules didn't really get to know me on a
personal level all those years that I was on the show.
Part of that reason is because I didn't open up
(00:54):
too much until later on in the series. And then
also another part of that reason is just the edit,
and we didn't really dive deep. I wasn't like a
full three D character, I feel like, so I would
like to add some context. I've got my producers here
(01:16):
with me today and We're going to look through my
Instagram at some photos that I've shared during some really
pivotal moments in my life and really dig deep into
what exactly was going on during this time in my
life and how those moments have shaped me into the
person I am today. The first photo I want to
(01:37):
talk about is from my first official day working at
Sir And you can look at this photo on the
Rachel Goes Rogue Instagram. You know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So, Rachel, this photo that you're talking about, do you
remember taking it?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I do remember taking this photo. Guermo pulled me aside,
and he's one of the owners of Sir Garma. Pulled
me aside and took me out front and he's like,
let's take a picture. And I was like, Okay, great,
I'll just stand here and look cute.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
So you've already told people out there that you weren't
really aware of the show. You started dating somebody on
the cast, you find yourself on this reality show, and
now you're actually working at this restaurant. So were you
excited to share that news or nervous or what were
you feeling that day?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I was excited to share. I mean, yes, nervous working
there for the first time because I never had like
a waitressing job before. Before that point, I was working
as a model and working in retail, and so it
(02:48):
was definitely a new environment for working a new job
description really, but yeah, I was excited to share the
news because it was something that I was considering doing
for a minute, then we made it happen.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
And how exactly that came about because you're already are
you already on the show at that point, and then
take us to how you start working there?
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yes, so I joined season five of vanderpunk Rules. I
started filming as James's girlfriend. And at this point we
were doing a long distance relationship where I was going
to school at Sonoma State and he was in la obviously.
And then after two years of dating, we moved in
(03:39):
together into our own place and I started filming more
since I was able to film like all year round
and not just in primary filming in the summertime. And
I remember sitting down in my interview chair with Jeremiah,
who is the executive producer. Jeremiah brought up the consopt
(04:00):
of me joining the wait staff as sir. It would
give me something to do in an extra way to
make a little bit more money, because, let's be honest,
your first few seasons on vander Pump you do not
get paid very well. It's basically like volunteer work, literally
like pay to play in a way, like I spent
(04:22):
more money on my wardrobe than I received.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
I think that's an important misconsern people probably have too.
They think you get on a reality show and you're
rolling in dough. But to your point, when you start out,
you don't absolutely not take us back to that time.
So those first two years were you dating all it
was long distance for two years, and then you moved
in together. Is that right?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Okay, So now you're in LA and you have to
sit down with Jeremiah, you know, going from that suggestion
from Jeremiah to working what was going on in your
life all the way around? Besides working there.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
I graduated college with my degree in kinesiology, and that's
the study of the body of movement, and I decided
I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to pursue occupational
therapy or not. I felt like I still needed to
learn more about myself, and I was scared to commit
(05:24):
to more schooling and make this huge commitment and then
at the end that run be disappointed and not fulfilled
in my career.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That moment, because that's a big deal for people, right,
So this happened to me too. You think you know
what you want to do, you go through school, and
then all of a sudden, you're supposed to just love
it and go sue a career. And then I think
when and you correct me if I'm wrong, when that
doesn't come to fruition like yours did and minded, and
I'm sure millions of other people, you feel lost for
(05:57):
a moment, right because you thought you knew it wanted.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, totally. There was an interview by where I said, like,
im pageants, you have to choose a career and then
pursue that. And I think the way that I worded it,
maybe it didn't come across the way that I meant,
but basically like you pretty much have to have like
a career path when you do pageants. It's like what
(06:24):
are you aspiring to? What are you working towards? And
I knew I loved dance and I could see myself
working with dancers as a physical therapist. So that's what
I chose to pursue and wrote on my resume, and
that's what I was working towards. But that's something that
(06:46):
I chose pretty young, like as a teenager, and I
think it's hard to really tell what you want to
do for the rest of your life when you're so young.
I felt like I needed to do some exploring and
some searching of what really lit up my soul, and
in the meantime I could live my life and get
(07:09):
a paycheck for living my life. I felt like I
cracked the code.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I think that's a very important statement because I think
so many people go through what you are, and then
you were presented with this opportunity. You didn't go seeking
this opportunity. This opportunity kind of found you. You're still
figuring out what you want to do. You're getting a paycheck,
You're trying to do the best at it you can.
So I think that's kind of an interesting point. All right,
(07:44):
So now you graduated school, you have moved in with
James into la you are part a little bit on
the show, and now you're going to start working at sir.
That wasn't the pandemic yet.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
That was before the pandemic. So this was posted April
twenty fifth, twenty nineteen, and the pandemic was a year later.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Basically got it okay, So tell us about the hiring.
So Dermia suggests it, Now, what do you do? How
do you get huted?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I mean I did get a little bit of special
treatment because I was on the show already and it's
very interesting because after I got hired, they had some
meetings of like, hey, the show's coming around again. If
you're interested in filming, and this is to like all
(08:37):
the workers that work out SIR. If you're interested in filming,
let us know, like fill out this form and we'll
be in touch basically. So I thought that was very
interesting because it seemed like each institution was recruiting from
each other, like there's definitely a crossover there, and I
(08:58):
think the intention was to make it more authentic. If
you're working at SIR and interested in being on the show,
then that would be like an easy mashup. But I
don't know like what that process would be for the
people that were interested, because not many people who actually
(09:22):
worked at SIR were cast on the show. Even in
season eight when they brought in Dana and Brett and Max.
Max Boyan's was connected somehow through the restaurant chain, but
Brett cap had no relation. Dana, I'm pretty sure had
no relation. Charlie wasn't working at SIR at that time. Yeah,
(09:48):
it was very interesting because like when I did work
at SIR, I got to know the wait staff very
well and we became friends, and none of those people
were included in that. However, those people for the most part,
did pick up jobs as well, like actual shifts.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Okay, but you were actually paid. You were paid as
an employee. There is that correct?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah? I was paid as an employee at SIR.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And then what was it like working with Sir? Because
so sometimes the cameras would be there and sometimes they
wouldn't when you were working, right, And so when you
were working, was it the same when the cameras were
there versus not.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
No, it was very different when the cameras were there
versus when they were not, and I was working. In fact,
the show would ask me to not be scheduled the
nights that I was filming at SIR, and it would
become an issue. And this is more Dana's story to tell,
(10:54):
but I remember with Dana like she really needed the
work because the show is not paying her. And she
was like, you're asking me to not actually work at SIR,
but film at SIR, but you're not going to pay me,
So how does that make sense? And it became an issue.
(11:16):
I would try to not be scheduled on the nights
that we were filming, and they'll usually give us a
call time like the week of so you would have
to like get somebody to cover you pretty last minute.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
When the viewers watching television and we see the people servering,
so are they really working there?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Like cast members that you see serving on camera are
typically not working, like they're not clocked in to work
that shift that night. They're not collecting their tips that night,
if that makes sense. Basically, like when you are filming
(11:56):
and your job description for filming the show is putting
on a surer uniform and quote unquote working, you're not
actually taking tables and taking orders legitimately and using your
(12:16):
number in the POS system to put in the orders.
They're there for the show, not for the restaurant jobs.
So the extent of what we would do as workers
at SIR while filming would be like running drinks to
tables because we know the table numbers and if we
(12:39):
were clocked in, we would just like help out in
that way, so very minimal, so therefore we wouldn't get
the tips that night.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
The customers you're serving when you're on camera, are they
real customers or are they extras versus when you're really
working there and you're serving, because those are customers and bands.
But when it's on camera. Are those people that you're
waiting on are they customers or are they extras?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
It's all real customers. Typically people travel out to West
Hollywood and do like a Vanderpump crawl. So it's fans
that will come in and hope that they get lucky,
and they're there on a night that they're filming. And
it's interesting too because when the fans do get lucky
(13:28):
and they do come in on a night that we're filming,
it's like a dinner and a show. They're literally like
watching Lisa Vanderpumb walk through the restaurant and have a
conversation with another cast member and they're just like eating
and watching.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
So in those nights too, they're getting their order taken
by server A, and then suddenly a cast member could
be delivering their drinks and then, like you said, they're
watching somebody come through. So that that's quite you know,
bonus for them right as a fan.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yes, yes, absolutely, yeah. So basically it's b roll, which
is scenes that you'll see inserted before or after a
talking scene, and they'll have us like they'll follow us
with a camera running drinks to tables or like checking
in on a table and saying like, hey, my name
(14:20):
is Raquel. I'll be your server tonight. Can I get
you anything to drink? Or the special of the day
is a pan roasted Chilean sea bass, and or like
I recommend the goat cheese balls. And that would be
just like an insert where you would approach a table
and film that and then if they did order something,
(14:42):
you would take that order to the server that was
assigned that table for the server to input order.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
And did everybody on the cast work at service.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
At one point? At one point? So the premise of
vander Put Rules is the drama that happens between the
wait staff and like, you know, let's just say it
how it is, Like it's it's a very ancestual environment
where people are dating each other and then there's drama
(15:14):
and then they're capturing that on camera. The premise is
basically like these starving actors and actresses and models and
people in the entertainment industry that are trying to make
it in la who are working at a restaurant to
make ends meet and to pay your bills so that
(15:37):
you can be free for casting calls during the day.
It started organically with the main cast members all working
legitimately at this restaurant.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
So then so did every one of the cast members, Laala,
Tom did they work it Sir?
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Okay, so Laala got passed later on. I wasn't there,
so I don't know one hundred percent, but from what
I hear, she didn't actually work as a hostess. They
cast her as a hostess role because that's like minimal
work for the job that needed to be done, so
(16:16):
that prioritized her role on the show rather than actually
working at Sir. But for everyone else, Tom Sandobal legitimately
worked at Sir as a bartender, and Sheina did, also
Arianna did, and some of these people were transferred over
(16:37):
from Lisa's other restaurant over to Sir, and it was
Villa Blanca at the time, but they were transferred over
to add to the dynamic of the show. Katie and
Stacy both worked there. I think that's why the show
is so captivating at first, because it was truly organic
(16:59):
from the beginning, but as the years went on, it
became more and more produced and more and more curated.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Why was it important for you to actually work there?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Brittany actually worked there too at a certain point, and Jockson.
I remember when I joined vander Pomp. I looked up
to Brittany a lot. She came across very sweet. I
felt like I could relate to her in that way
because I was sweet too, And gosh, I already know,
like I feel like people are gonna be apart for like,
oh my god, how can you say you were sweet?
(17:33):
You did this, this and this. But like, like, let's
go back. This is before scan of all. This is
before all this stuff happened. Okay, Like I remember Brittany
like actually working at SIR. And at this time, most
of the cast members who started season one and two
(17:54):
weren't actually working at SIR. And then by the time
I came around, I started working at SIR, and Brittany decided,
you know, she didn't need to work at SIR anymore.
And so I felt like I wouldn't be in integrity
if I didn't actually work there. That's why it was
(18:16):
important for me to actually take up two shifts a
week and be on the schedule. And at that point,
nobody else was.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Okay, So this is a funny thought. Do you still
have your uniforms? I do from SIR.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I have several of them. I mean, if you've been
following me for some time, you would know that I
list some of my clothing to sell just to make
more space in my closet. I saw it at a
very discounted rate. But I was considering listing my sur uniforms,
(18:53):
but I haven't done it yet. But yeah, I do
still have them, but they're pretty worn out, like I've
washed them many times, so like the sur foiling on
the shirt, they get faded. I don't know if someone
even wants it. Honestly, was working in a restaurant hard?
(19:20):
It was?
Speaker 1 (19:21):
It was?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
It was very different. I had to do training. When
I dedicate myself to something, I will absorb everything that
I can, like a sponge, and so I did my
very best. I think the most difficult part was memorizing
the menu. But once you were able to memorize the
menu and got it down and recommend certain things and
(19:46):
describe the dishes with ingredients, it was fairly easy. But
getting to that point was it had its challenges, like
any job.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Well, you've also been very forthcoming with the fact that
public speakings talking to people was kind of awkward. Do
you for you did that? Is that something? Did that
help you overcome.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Yes. Yes, it forced me to approach my tables obviously
and introduce myself in a very confident way and kind
of fake it till you make it. It was definitely
challenging for me because I would be the person that
would kind of avoid situations like that, well not avoid,
(20:34):
but like I would prefer not to. They made me
feel uncomfortable. I felt like it was a way for
me to continue to push myself outside of my comfort zone.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
What did you learn about yourself from that experience?
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Well, I learned a lot about teamwork. I learned a
lot about communication and communicating what I need, Especially in
the summertime, it would get very very busy and we
would be in the weeds. And you know, Peter actually
was my manager, and Peter did work out, sir and
(21:08):
maybe yeah, I think he's like the longest time standing
cast member to actually work out, sir and to be
cast on the show. But anyway, that's beside the point.
I learned that when my manager is asking me if
I need help, that means that they do have a
free second to help you, and you should give them
(21:30):
something to do off of your plate. That took me
a little while to figure out, and I think I
had to be in the weeds several times before I
was like, Okay, how do I communicate what I need
to this person so that they can help me effectively?
And it would be things like, can you please close
(21:52):
out the tables that I haven't gotten around to put
the tip a mountain and close out their credit cards
so that we can staple the receipt and put it
with the rest of my receipts for the night. Or
can you please go greet table five. I haven't gone
around to greeting them yet, and they've been sitting there
for about like five to seven minutes, and I'm still
(22:15):
working on getting these other orders in.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Things like that, it's overall asking for help.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Right, yes, Yes, the overall asking for help was a
huge takeaway for my experience working at SIR, and I'm
so grateful that I've been able to have that experience
because I feel like it has crossed over into my life,
like real life interactions and also knowing that other people
(22:44):
want to help you. For instance, like when I would
clock in and it would be a really slow night
and I felt like I wanted to do something. I
realized that by giving them a job helping past the
time for them, and before that I felt like I
(23:05):
was a burden asking for help or asking for something,
And so that's definitely helped shift my perspective on overall
life as a whole, and especially too with pulling from
my mental health experience and knowing that one of the
pillars of codependency is being needless and wantless or not
(23:29):
asking for your needs to be met or not knowing
what your needs are are two ingredients that can make
up for someone being a dysfunctional person. So learning about that,
I've been able to pull from my experience working at
SIR to really wrap my head around that concept as well.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Well. That sounds actually overall that your takeaway from really
working at SIR was actually a pretty positive experience for you.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Absolutely, yeah, yeah, And it was fun. It was fun too,
Like I got really close with the weight staff there,
and Thursday nights in La are industry night, so after
work a lot of people would want to go out
afterwards and grab a drink.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
So you just talked about all the good stuff and
the friendships and the relationships that you were building with
the actual staff. But was there any animosity because some
of those people that were really working there weren't on
the show. Was there special treatment from the management staff?
And then was there any feeling of animosity for some
(24:44):
of the other servers that maybe wanted to be on
the show but.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Weren't, Not that I know of. But I feel like
because I really pulled my own weight and I actually
did do my time and clocked in my hours and
dedicated myself to actually working, I think I earned the
respect of my co workers where they didn't have some
(25:11):
sort of like jealousy or animosity or yeah, I didn't
get that vibe from them at all. I haven't thought
about this in a while. I haven't thought about working
at SIR in a while. I feel like I am
very grateful for my experience at SIR because it has
taught me like poor lessons in life that I'm able
(25:34):
to take with me today. I learned a lot about
work ethic and responsibility. I definitely prioritized having integrity with
actually working there and not just posing and saying that
I worked there when I actually didn't. I learned a
lot of people's skills and communication and effective communication. I
(25:59):
learned how to ask for help, and I also learned
that people like being asked for help. I was kind
of nervous to talk about this and bring this up
on my podcast because ultimately I am trying to look
forward and be in the present. But it was fun
recalling these past memories and this experience because it was
(26:26):
a core part of my life, and it's kind of
fun pulling back the curtain a little bit and letting
you guys see into the real logistics of how this
show was created with working out sir, Thank you so
(26:47):
much for listening to Rachel Goes Rogue. Follow us on
Instagram and TikTok for exclusive video content at Rachel Gohs
Rogue Podcast
This is Rachel gos Rogue.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome back to another episode of Rachel Goes Rope. This
is your host, Rachel Savannah Levis, and today we're doing
a new series. I'm gonna pull up some photos and
dissect them one by one and dive a little bit
deeper into my thought process and my inner workings of
(00:31):
my mind during that time. And I would like to
do this because I feel like the viewers of vander
Pump Rules didn't really get to know me on a
personal level all those years that I was on the show.
Part of that reason is because I didn't open up
(00:54):
too much until later on in the series. And then
also another part of that reason is just the edit,
and we didn't really dive deep. I wasn't like a
full three D character, I feel like, so I would
like to add some context. I've got my producers here
(01:16):
with me today and We're going to look through my
Instagram at some photos that I've shared during some really
pivotal moments in my life and really dig deep into
what exactly was going on during this time in my
life and how those moments have shaped me into the
person I am today. The first photo I want to
(01:37):
talk about is from my first official day working at
Sir And you can look at this photo on the
Rachel Goes Rogue Instagram. You know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So, Rachel, this photo that you're talking about, do you
remember taking it?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I do remember taking this photo. Guermo pulled me aside,
and he's one of the owners of Sir Garma. Pulled
me aside and took me out front and he's like,
let's take a picture. And I was like, Okay, great,
I'll just stand here and look cute.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
So you've already told people out there that you weren't
really aware of the show. You started dating somebody on
the cast, you find yourself on this reality show, and
now you're actually working at this restaurant. So were you
excited to share that news or nervous or what were
you feeling that day?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I was excited to share. I mean, yes, nervous working
there for the first time because I never had like
a waitressing job before. Before that point, I was working
as a model and working in retail, and so it
(02:48):
was definitely a new environment for working a new job
description really, but yeah, I was excited to share the
news because it was something that I was considering doing
for a minute, then we made it happen.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
And how exactly that came about because you're already are
you already on the show at that point, and then
take us to how you start working there?
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yes, so I joined season five of vanderpunk Rules. I
started filming as James's girlfriend. And at this point we
were doing a long distance relationship where I was going
to school at Sonoma State and he was in la obviously.
And then after two years of dating, we moved in
(03:39):
together into our own place and I started filming more
since I was able to film like all year round
and not just in primary filming in the summertime. And
I remember sitting down in my interview chair with Jeremiah,
who is the executive producer. Jeremiah brought up the consopt
(04:00):
of me joining the wait staff as sir. It would
give me something to do in an extra way to
make a little bit more money, because, let's be honest,
your first few seasons on vander Pump you do not
get paid very well. It's basically like volunteer work, literally
like pay to play in a way, like I spent
(04:22):
more money on my wardrobe than I received.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
I think that's an important misconsern people probably have too.
They think you get on a reality show and you're
rolling in dough. But to your point, when you start out,
you don't absolutely not take us back to that time.
So those first two years were you dating all it
was long distance for two years, and then you moved
in together. Is that right?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Okay, So now you're in LA and you have to
sit down with Jeremiah, you know, going from that suggestion
from Jeremiah to working what was going on in your
life all the way around? Besides working there.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
I graduated college with my degree in kinesiology, and that's
the study of the body of movement, and I decided
I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to pursue occupational
therapy or not. I felt like I still needed to
learn more about myself, and I was scared to commit
(05:24):
to more schooling and make this huge commitment and then
at the end that run be disappointed and not fulfilled
in my career.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That moment, because that's a big deal for people, right,
So this happened to me too. You think you know
what you want to do, you go through school, and
then all of a sudden, you're supposed to just love
it and go sue a career. And then I think
when and you correct me if I'm wrong, when that
doesn't come to fruition like yours did and minded, and
I'm sure millions of other people, you feel lost for
(05:57):
a moment, right because you thought you knew it wanted.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, totally. There was an interview by where I said, like,
im pageants, you have to choose a career and then
pursue that. And I think the way that I worded it,
maybe it didn't come across the way that I meant,
but basically like you pretty much have to have like
a career path when you do pageants. It's like what
(06:24):
are you aspiring to? What are you working towards? And
I knew I loved dance and I could see myself
working with dancers as a physical therapist. So that's what
I chose to pursue and wrote on my resume, and
that's what I was working towards. But that's something that
(06:46):
I chose pretty young, like as a teenager, and I
think it's hard to really tell what you want to
do for the rest of your life when you're so young.
I felt like I needed to do some exploring and
some searching of what really lit up my soul, and
in the meantime I could live my life and get
(07:09):
a paycheck for living my life. I felt like I
cracked the code.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I think that's a very important statement because I think
so many people go through what you are, and then
you were presented with this opportunity. You didn't go seeking
this opportunity. This opportunity kind of found you. You're still
figuring out what you want to do. You're getting a paycheck,
You're trying to do the best at it you can.
So I think that's kind of an interesting point. All right,
(07:44):
So now you graduated school, you have moved in with
James into la you are part a little bit on
the show, and now you're going to start working at sir.
That wasn't the pandemic yet.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
That was before the pandemic. So this was posted April
twenty fifth, twenty nineteen, and the pandemic was a year later.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Basically got it okay, So tell us about the hiring.
So Dermia suggests it, Now, what do you do? How
do you get huted?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
I mean I did get a little bit of special
treatment because I was on the show already and it's
very interesting because after I got hired, they had some
meetings of like, hey, the show's coming around again. If
you're interested in filming, and this is to like all
(08:37):
the workers that work out SIR. If you're interested in filming,
let us know, like fill out this form and we'll
be in touch basically. So I thought that was very
interesting because it seemed like each institution was recruiting from
each other, like there's definitely a crossover there, and I
(08:58):
think the intention was to make it more authentic. If
you're working at SIR and interested in being on the show,
then that would be like an easy mashup. But I
don't know like what that process would be for the
people that were interested, because not many people who actually
(09:22):
worked at SIR were cast on the show. Even in
season eight when they brought in Dana and Brett and Max.
Max Boyan's was connected somehow through the restaurant chain, but
Brett cap had no relation. Dana, I'm pretty sure had
no relation. Charlie wasn't working at SIR at that time. Yeah,
(09:48):
it was very interesting because like when I did work
at SIR, I got to know the wait staff very
well and we became friends, and none of those people
were included in that. However, those people for the most part,
did pick up jobs as well, like actual shifts.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Okay, but you were actually paid. You were paid as
an employee. There is that correct?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah? I was paid as an employee at SIR.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And then what was it like working with Sir? Because
so sometimes the cameras would be there and sometimes they
wouldn't when you were working, right, And so when you
were working, was it the same when the cameras were
there versus not.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
No, it was very different when the cameras were there
versus when they were not, and I was working. In fact,
the show would ask me to not be scheduled the
nights that I was filming at SIR, and it would
become an issue. And this is more Dana's story to tell,
(10:54):
but I remember with Dana like she really needed the
work because the show is not paying her. And she
was like, you're asking me to not actually work at SIR,
but film at SIR, but you're not going to pay me,
So how does that make sense? And it became an issue.
(11:16):
I would try to not be scheduled on the nights
that we were filming, and they'll usually give us a
call time like the week of so you would have
to like get somebody to cover you pretty last minute.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
When the viewers watching television and we see the people servering,
so are they really working there?
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Like cast members that you see serving on camera are
typically not working, like they're not clocked in to work
that shift that night. They're not collecting their tips that night,
if that makes sense. Basically, like when you are filming
(11:56):
and your job description for filming the show is putting
on a surer uniform and quote unquote working, you're not
actually taking tables and taking orders legitimately and using your
(12:16):
number in the POS system to put in the orders.
They're there for the show, not for the restaurant jobs.
So the extent of what we would do as workers
at SIR while filming would be like running drinks to
tables because we know the table numbers and if we
(12:39):
were clocked in, we would just like help out in
that way, so very minimal, so therefore we wouldn't get
the tips that night.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
The customers you're serving when you're on camera, are they
real customers or are they extras versus when you're really
working there and you're serving, because those are customers and bands.
But when it's on camera. Are those people that you're
waiting on are they customers or are they extras?
Speaker 2 (13:05):
It's all real customers. Typically people travel out to West
Hollywood and do like a Vanderpump crawl. So it's fans
that will come in and hope that they get lucky,
and they're there on a night that they're filming. And
it's interesting too because when the fans do get lucky
(13:28):
and they do come in on a night that we're filming,
it's like a dinner and a show. They're literally like
watching Lisa Vanderpumb walk through the restaurant and have a
conversation with another cast member and they're just like eating
and watching.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
So in those nights too, they're getting their order taken
by server A, and then suddenly a cast member could
be delivering their drinks and then, like you said, they're
watching somebody come through. So that that's quite you know,
bonus for them right as a fan.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yes, yes, absolutely, yeah. So basically it's b roll, which
is scenes that you'll see inserted before or after a
talking scene, and they'll have us like they'll follow us
with a camera running drinks to tables or like checking
in on a table and saying like, hey, my name
(14:20):
is Raquel. I'll be your server tonight. Can I get
you anything to drink? Or the special of the day
is a pan roasted Chilean sea bass, and or like
I recommend the goat cheese balls. And that would be
just like an insert where you would approach a table
and film that and then if they did order something,
(14:42):
you would take that order to the server that was
assigned that table for the server to input order.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
And did everybody on the cast work at service.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
At one point? At one point? So the premise of
vander Put Rules is the drama that happens between the
wait staff and like, you know, let's just say it
how it is, Like it's it's a very ancestual environment
where people are dating each other and then there's drama
(15:14):
and then they're capturing that on camera. The premise is
basically like these starving actors and actresses and models and
people in the entertainment industry that are trying to make
it in la who are working at a restaurant to
make ends meet and to pay your bills so that
(15:37):
you can be free for casting calls during the day.
It started organically with the main cast members all working
legitimately at this restaurant.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
So then so did every one of the cast members, Laala,
Tom did they work it Sir?
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Okay, so Laala got passed later on. I wasn't there,
so I don't know one hundred percent, but from what
I hear, she didn't actually work as a hostess. They
cast her as a hostess role because that's like minimal
work for the job that needed to be done, so
(16:16):
that prioritized her role on the show rather than actually
working at Sir. But for everyone else, Tom Sandobal legitimately
worked at Sir as a bartender, and Sheina did, also
Arianna did, and some of these people were transferred over
(16:37):
from Lisa's other restaurant over to Sir, and it was
Villa Blanca at the time, but they were transferred over
to add to the dynamic of the show. Katie and
Stacy both worked there. I think that's why the show
is so captivating at first, because it was truly organic
(16:59):
from the beginning, but as the years went on, it
became more and more produced and more and more curated.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Why was it important for you to actually work there?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Brittany actually worked there too at a certain point, and Jockson.
I remember when I joined vander Pomp. I looked up
to Brittany a lot. She came across very sweet. I
felt like I could relate to her in that way
because I was sweet too, And gosh, I already know,
like I feel like people are gonna be apart for like,
oh my god, how can you say you were sweet?
(17:33):
You did this, this and this. But like, like, let's
go back. This is before scan of all. This is
before all this stuff happened. Okay, Like I remember Brittany
like actually working at SIR. And at this time, most
of the cast members who started season one and two
(17:54):
weren't actually working at SIR. And then by the time
I came around, I started working at SIR, and Brittany decided,
you know, she didn't need to work at SIR anymore.
And so I felt like I wouldn't be in integrity
if I didn't actually work there. That's why it was
(18:16):
important for me to actually take up two shifts a
week and be on the schedule. And at that point,
nobody else was.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Okay, So this is a funny thought. Do you still
have your uniforms? I do from SIR.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I have several of them. I mean, if you've been
following me for some time, you would know that I
list some of my clothing to sell just to make
more space in my closet. I saw it at a
very discounted rate. But I was considering listing my sur uniforms,
(18:53):
but I haven't done it yet. But yeah, I do
still have them, but they're pretty worn out, like I've
washed them many times, so like the sur foiling on
the shirt, they get faded. I don't know if someone
even wants it. Honestly, was working in a restaurant hard?
(19:20):
It was?
Speaker 1 (19:21):
It was?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
It was very different. I had to do training. When
I dedicate myself to something, I will absorb everything that
I can, like a sponge, and so I did my
very best. I think the most difficult part was memorizing
the menu. But once you were able to memorize the
menu and got it down and recommend certain things and
(19:46):
describe the dishes with ingredients, it was fairly easy. But
getting to that point was it had its challenges, like
any job.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Well, you've also been very forthcoming with the fact that
public speakings talking to people was kind of awkward. Do
you for you did that? Is that something? Did that
help you overcome.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Yes. Yes, it forced me to approach my tables obviously
and introduce myself in a very confident way and kind
of fake it till you make it. It was definitely
challenging for me because I would be the person that
would kind of avoid situations like that, well not avoid,
(20:34):
but like I would prefer not to. They made me
feel uncomfortable. I felt like it was a way for
me to continue to push myself outside of my comfort zone.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
What did you learn about yourself from that experience?
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Well, I learned a lot about teamwork. I learned a
lot about communication and communicating what I need, Especially in
the summertime, it would get very very busy and we
would be in the weeds. And you know, Peter actually
was my manager, and Peter did work out, sir and
(21:08):
maybe yeah, I think he's like the longest time standing
cast member to actually work out, sir and to be
cast on the show. But anyway, that's beside the point.
I learned that when my manager is asking me if
I need help, that means that they do have a
free second to help you, and you should give them
(21:30):
something to do off of your plate. That took me
a little while to figure out, and I think I
had to be in the weeds several times before I
was like, Okay, how do I communicate what I need
to this person so that they can help me effectively?
And it would be things like, can you please close
(21:52):
out the tables that I haven't gotten around to put
the tip a mountain and close out their credit cards
so that we can staple the receipt and put it
with the rest of my receipts for the night. Or
can you please go greet table five. I haven't gone
around to greeting them yet, and they've been sitting there
for about like five to seven minutes, and I'm still
(22:15):
working on getting these other orders in.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Things like that, it's overall asking for help.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Right, yes, Yes, the overall asking for help was a
huge takeaway for my experience working at SIR, and I'm
so grateful that I've been able to have that experience
because I feel like it has crossed over into my life,
like real life interactions and also knowing that other people
(22:44):
want to help you. For instance, like when I would
clock in and it would be a really slow night
and I felt like I wanted to do something. I
realized that by giving them a job helping past the
time for them, and before that I felt like I
(23:05):
was a burden asking for help or asking for something,
And so that's definitely helped shift my perspective on overall
life as a whole, and especially too with pulling from
my mental health experience and knowing that one of the
pillars of codependency is being needless and wantless or not
(23:29):
asking for your needs to be met or not knowing
what your needs are are two ingredients that can make
up for someone being a dysfunctional person. So learning about that,
I've been able to pull from my experience working at
SIR to really wrap my head around that concept as well.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Well. That sounds actually overall that your takeaway from really
working at SIR was actually a pretty positive experience for you.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Absolutely, yeah, yeah, And it was fun. It was fun too,
Like I got really close with the weight staff there,
and Thursday nights in La are industry night, so after
work a lot of people would want to go out
afterwards and grab a drink.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
So you just talked about all the good stuff and
the friendships and the relationships that you were building with
the actual staff. But was there any animosity because some
of those people that were really working there weren't on
the show. Was there special treatment from the management staff?
And then was there any feeling of animosity for some
(24:44):
of the other servers that maybe wanted to be on
the show but.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Weren't, Not that I know of. But I feel like
because I really pulled my own weight and I actually
did do my time and clocked in my hours and
dedicated myself to actually working, I think I earned the
respect of my co workers where they didn't have some
(25:11):
sort of like jealousy or animosity or yeah, I didn't
get that vibe from them at all. I haven't thought
about this in a while. I haven't thought about working
at SIR in a while. I feel like I am
very grateful for my experience at SIR because it has
taught me like poor lessons in life that I'm able
(25:34):
to take with me today. I learned a lot about
work ethic and responsibility. I definitely prioritized having integrity with
actually working there and not just posing and saying that
I worked there when I actually didn't. I learned a
lot of people's skills and communication and effective communication. I
(25:59):
learned how to ask for help, and I also learned
that people like being asked for help. I was kind
of nervous to talk about this and bring this up
on my podcast because ultimately I am trying to look
forward and be in the present. But it was fun
recalling these past memories and this experience because it was
(26:26):
a core part of my life, and it's kind of
fun pulling back the curtain a little bit and letting
you guys see into the real logistics of how this
show was created with working out sir, Thank you so
(26:47):
much for listening to Rachel Goes Rogue. Follow us on
Instagram and TikTok for exclusive video content at Rachel Gohs
Rogue Podcast
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