Standing In A Restaurant Line Is Actually A Job Now 

Yeah we’re no strangers to the (somehow empowering) exploitation of the gig economy. It kinda crept in with Uber, then Lyft, then that show about Uber with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Then things really exploded, to the point that we now have subcategories of gig economy―everything from platforms like TaskRabbit and Rover to Instawork and GigSalad. 

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The point is, the definition of a “gig” is continually changing. So much so that we’ll kind of accept anything as a viable gig. Lucky for any of us looking for extra cash, there’s a new gig on the block―literally. Yet again that over-generous, forever-giving, Sisyphean uphill gig economy has birthed its latest non-job job: standing in line for someone else at a restaurant.

Easy Gig, One Big Drawback

Yes, it’s really a job. (Actually, it’s been a job―but more on that later.) For now, the basics: it is exactly what it sounds like: a freelance gig you can latch onto via social media platforms like TaskRabbit. It’s also an easy job, as long as you’re personable, trustworthy, and don’t need to pee every 15 minutes. All you have to do is stand in what’s probably a very long line for someone else at what is very likely a very trendy restaurant. The major, major drawback (in our opinion): at the end of however many hours, you do not get to eat anything delicious. 

This also isn’t quite a new gig. A savvy Brookly-born trailblazer named Robert Samuel started a business called Same Ole Line Dudes over 15 years ago. And it’s kinda no shock the industry got its start in New York, a city known for its feverish mob hunger for things like Cronuts and cupcakes and every trendy restaurant ever. 

What’s It Pay?

The seeming explosion of line standing has more to do with aforementioned miserly economy and the job-seeker Wild West that is social media. Line standing really began to boom towards the end of 2025 and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down now. It’s a gig nationwide (with higher pay and more jobs in bigger cities). But in places like LA, you can earn anywhere from $35 to $40 per hour. And in NYC, line standers can earn up to $60 (and more for special events etc.). 

Not interested in standing? No problem. If you have a decent view of a trendy restaurant or bakery and don’t mind (legally) installing a camera, you can check with a new website called DamnLines.com, which features live feeds from cameras placed strategically by (paid) apartment-dwellers to keep an eye on the line. Ahhh, the future. Bon appétit!