25 Famous People Who Have Worked in Restaurants

Remeber when you flipped burgers that one summer your mother refused to let you sleep in till 3 p.m. and stay up till 6 a.m.? When you learned what it meant to be "independent" and work in "the real world?" All you learned was how to sleep with your eyes open and convince your boss you haven't been on your break yet. When you need to feel better about those rough times, just think: famous people did it, too.

Forget that now they now make more than you and your entire family combined, and remember that some celebrities still struggled at one point in life. Cleaning floors, working the drive-thru window and frying up chicken tenders: the rags to riches stories here are real. Check out 25 famous people who worked in restaurants before making it big. Maybe your big break is coming, too.

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Restaurant: Wienerschnitzel
Website: wienerschnitzel.com

Cannon worked as a drive-thru cashier after his mother forced him to get a job, but was fired for telling too many jokes to customers.

Restaurant: Red Lobster
Website: redlobster.com

The comedian lived a minimum wage lifestyle while he worked at Red Lobster.

Restaurant: McDonald's
Website: mcdonalds.com

Adams flipped burgers at McDonald's for thre years before landing her breakthrough roles in The Notebook and Mean Girls.

Restaurant: McDonald's
Website: mcdonalds.com

Leno also worked for Ronald McDonald before he started his epic run on late night TV.

Restaurant: Dunkin Donuts
Website: dunkindonuts.com

Queen Madge got fired from Dunkin Donuts for spraying customers with jelly filling long before she grinded on crucifixes.

Restaurant: Hooters
Website: hooters.com

No surprises here.

Restaurant: Hot Dog on a Stick
Website: hotdogonastick.com

Mendes desperately wanted to work once she was legally of age, so she got a job earning $4.25 at a pizza place, and later, at Hot Dog on a Stick.

Restaurant: Morton's The Steakhouse
Website: mortons.com

She has her own E! show now, but once upon a time, Handler was slinging steak at a Morton's restaurant in California.

Restaurant: El Pollo Loco
Website: elpolloloco.com

Pitt worked at al El Pollo Loco. Handing out flyers. Dressed as a chicken. In 100 degree weather. #thestrugglewasreal

Restaurant: Tropical Smoothie
Website: tropicalsmoothie.com

Fox followed Brad Pitt's lead and dressed up as a banana to promote her restaurant. At a different waitressing job, Fox claims she had to quit 'cause customers couldn't stop touching her body. We don't support it, but we can't really blame them.

Restaurant: Burger King
Website: bk.com

Hudson worked at Burger King pre-Oscars and American Idol and after mentioning her experience working there in an interview, BK gave her free food for life. She can always have it her way.

Restaurant: McDonald's
Website: mcdonalds.com

Before he got all intellectual on us, Franco was your average teen. He flipped burgers, worked a minimum wage job, and tried to figure out why "state tax" kept taking money out of his check.

Restaurant: Polish Deli

Former Playboy cover girl McCarthy worked in a deli in southside of Chicago before catching Hugh Hefner's eye.

Restaurant: McDonald's
Website: mcdonalds.com

Pink was one of many celebs who worked at Mickey D's before fame. Maybe it's an unlikely secret for success?

Restaurant: Hooters
Website: hooters.com

You may just go there just for the wings, but we're sure the patrons at Adams' former restaurant had no problem admitting why they were Hooters regulars.

Restaurant: Tony Roma's
Website: tonyromas.com

Tomei worked at Brooklyn's Tony Roma's while taking acting classes and auditioning for roles.

Restaurant: Hooters
Website: hooters.com

Actress, Complex cover girl and Big Sean's fiancee, Rivera also worked at a Hooters pre-Glee fame. Rivera says working at the restaurant made her very self-conscious.

Restaurant: Wendy's
Website: wendys.com

Longoria worked in a Wendy's to pay for her quinceañara and became manager three years later. Respect the hustle.

Restaurant: Japanese restaurant

Ansari washed dishes in a Japanese restaurant, and, like anyone else would, describes the job as "not too fun."

Restaurant: Dairy Queen
Website: dairyqueen.com

Stefani mopped floors, and in a weird twist of destiny, met her future No Doubt bandmates while working at the DQ.

Restaurant: McDonald's
Website: mcdonalds.com

Before marrying and divorcing Heidi Klum (a curious move), Seal worked under the golden arches cooking up burgers and plotting his big break.

Restaurant: Orange Julius
Website: orangejulius.com

Simmons worked at the juice bar as a teen and claims it's the only 9-5 he's ever had.

Restaurant: The Sports Bar and The Boathouse Cafe

Mariah Carey worked at famous NYC spots The Sports Bar and The Boathouse Cafe, but said she was a terrible waitress because she had "this real bad attitude." No surprise there.

Restaurant: Burger King
Website: bk.com

Even the Queen fried up onion rings and handed out paper crowns.

Restaurant: Cornelia Street Cafe
Website: corneliastreetcafe.com

Before her butt cheeks were swinging all across the Barclays Center, Gaga worked a train ride uptown at the Cornelia Street Cafe. Gaga, Stefanie Germonatta at the time, waited tables to support her dreams of being a singer and later worked as a stripper when working tables wasn't enough to make rent.