Is there a problem with waitressing for a non-kosher restaurant?

 

Answer:

A Jew should not serve as a waitress for a non-kosher restaurant. This is especially the case when there are many kosher restaurants that are always looking to hire, thus there is no financial pressing need for one who needs a job.

 

Reasoning:

The Pischei Teshuva (YD 117:6) holds that the prohibition of sechora (doing business transactions) with non kosher food should apply even if one does not own the food.

On the other hand, some poskim (including Sho’el U’meishiv I, III :122; Igros Moshe, YD I:51) do not extend this prohibition to food delivery. (Even though the Igros Moshe ibid is talking about a non kosher food delivery service where it is less likely one will eat from the food, not necessarily the case by a waiter of a non kosher restaurant where there is a higher chance one would eat from the food at least inadvertently.)

See also Yabia Omer (4: YD 6) who brings a plethora of Poskim who are concerned that a person might eat from the food even when the prohibition of Sechora does not apply.

 

 

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