In September when awards season comes to Los Angeles, some waiters see the same amount of wages in one weekend that they see all summer.
Christine Hollis, a longtime server at the Katsuya L.A. Live restaurant in downtown L.A., said she’s eagerly awaiting Sunday’s 71st Primetime Emmy Awards.
Although she has a master’s degree in teaching, Hollis said working as a server is more lucrative.
During awards season, many servers can do 400 covers in two hours. “Which is insane because some other restaurants can barely hit that [number] in one night," she said.
Aside from the pay, the Katsuya server said she looks forward to meeting the influx of people that come into town.
“The diversity we get at this location is amazing,” Hollis said. “It’s a lot of fun because we get people from all over the world that traveled to see the Emmys and see people that inspire them.”
In addition to bringing money in to local businesses, awards season grants limousine driver Tony Ramirez opportunities to take pictures and build relationships with celebrities like Lionel Richie and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Ramirez said the number of clients he chauffeurs on award show days ranges from four to five pickups. Sometimes he stays with the same person for the whole day to take them to lunch, dinner or any other commitments they might have up until show time.
Santa Barbara native Eric Foster recently moved to downtown L.A. near the Microsoft Theater where the Emmys will take place. While he’s looking forward to seeing all the celebrities, he said he’s not thrilled about the street closures near his building.
“Our apartment only has two exits so generally one is blocked off,” Foster said. “So our major issue is getting out of our apartment.”
His furry companion Kehlani is not too eager about the road blockages either. Foster said his dog hates sitting in traffic and waiting for lights.
David Howard, a USC alum, has lived and worked in the LA area for roughly 25 years. He said he doesn’t mind the traffic because it’s a small price to pay to get to witness all the entertainment the red carpet brings.
His building has a balcony that oversees the red carpet, so he gets front row seats to the show. Howard equated the Emmys to a senior prom with fake greenery covering the chain fencing. He said he’s even seen reporters run from celebrity to celebrity, sometimes barefoot.
The Emmy Awards will air on Sunday Sept. 22 on FOX at 5 p.m. PST.