A waitress for almost 10 years? Now I'm just starting to watch this show but can someone tell me if Alice made eforts to get another job throughout the series?

She moonlighted as a lounge singer.

Nearly ten years and you are sleeping in the living room. Waitressing is paying the bills, and Mel's Diner didn't look like the most profitable place either. She also was a very horrible singer too, Brian.

Nearly ten years and you are sleeping in the living room. Waitressing is paying the bills, and Mel's Diner didn't look like the most profitable place either. She also was a very horrible singer too, Brian.


I would just think that after 5 years a person would get tired of being a waitress in RAN DOWN Mel's Greasy Spoon-LOL

I would just think that after 5 years a person would get tired of being a waitress in RAN DOWN Mel's Greasy Spoon-LOL


Some people just get complacent and get into a big rut. I guess Alice was one of those people.

Mel wouldn't allow Alice to moonlight. I didn't know an employer could do that to an employee.

Mel wouldn't allow Alice to moonlight. I didn't know an employer could do that to an employee.



How would Mel have known if she was moonlighting? Most Jobs don't know you have OTHER icome unless the person slips up and say something

He would get pissed because Alice when she moonlighted as a singer, she came in all tired the next morning. He said she was affected and couldn't do her job.

I would just think that after 5 years a person would get tired of being a waitress in RAN DOWN Mel's Greasy Spoon-LOL


Mel himself was barely making it. He lived in a small shabby apartment. I guess his diner wasn't that profitable.

Mel wouldn't allow Alice to moonlight. I didn't know an employer could do that to an employee.

It is also none of his business what she does off his time clock. As long as she came to work on his time, that should matter.

Mel himself was barely making it. He lived in a small shabby apartment. I guess his diner wasn't that profitable.



The funny thing was People usually have a waitress job as their part-time/side job, not their MAIN job-lol

It is also none of his business what she does off his time clock. As long as she came to work on his time, that should matter.
I know it wasn't his business. But it was said by Mel to Alice that she couldn't moonlight. There was that episode where she could barely stay awake at the diner and not doing her job well. Mel found out she was moonlighting.

I know it wasn't his business. But it was said by Mel to Alice that she couldn't moonlight. There was that episode where she could barely stay awake at the diner and not doing her job well. Mel found out she was moonlighting.

There were several episodes where she was moonlighting, all with the same result, that it affected her job at the diner and ended up getting fired. 2nd season "Alice by Moonlight", where she was a singer at Herman's Hitching Post, 3rd season "The Happy Hoofers", where she was doing singing telegrams, and 5th season "Alice's Son, the Dropout". I think she took a 2nd job to keep Tommy from quitting school. The funniest one was probably the "Alice by Moonlight" episode.

There were several episodes where she was moonlighting, all with the same result, that it affected her job at the diner and ended up getting fired. 2nd season "Alice by Moonlight", where she was a singer at Herman's Hitching Post, 3rd season "The Happy Hoofers", where she was doing singing telegrams, and 5th season "Alice's Son, the Dropout". I think she took a 2nd job to keep Tommy from quitting school. The funniest one was probably the "Alice by Moonlight" episode.
Thanx for the info. If Alice was moonlighting, Mel was going to find out, no doubt abt that. Or else there wouldn't be an episode. :lol:

Let's not forget the girls' split their tips as well.

Nearly ten years and you are sleeping in the living room. Waitressing is paying the bills, and Mel's Diner didn't look like the most profitable place either. She also was a very horrible singer too, Brian.
For seven years she slept in the living room. We can assume that when Tommy went to college, she got the room to herself.

What I did not understand about the whole thing was the clothes Alice wore when she was not working. They were nice clothes unless she went to Goodwill.

Another angle to look at was it was temporary while she was saving up her funds to go to Hollywood to break into singing. Remember the line in the theme song, "she was just passing through."

Another angle to look at was it was temporary while she was saving up her funds to go to Hollywood to break into singing. Remember the line in the theme song, "she was just passing through."

true, but the next line was "But if things work out she's gonna stay awhile"...evidently things were working out :D

I guess the thing to remember is that this was in the 70s. It was such a different world back then. Of course Alice didn't make a lot of money as a waitress. $2.30 an hour is not a lot. But rent was not the same as it is now. Also the bus probably didn't cost much. I don't remember if I watched the original Alice episodes, but I can remember watching reruns in 1980 or 1981, and then did watch the original episodes until the show finished. I really love this show because it brings back a lot of memories of the good things that happened back in those times.