Best short order cook I ever met was at Brooks AFB, San Antonio TX. I was a student there in 1973, you came through his breakfast line once, placed your order when you were still about 20th in line and it was waiting for you by the time you got to his station. The next day, it was already waiting for you without having to say a thing. If you wanted something different you had better speak up as soon as you came in the door or it was just too bad, you ate what he cooked. How he kept all our orders straight, usually about 100 - 150, I have no idea. But he was a great cook.
Same thing at lunch where he worked the burger grill. Wish I could remember his name.
The part I hated was that I got marked down at bit because I didn't chat enough with the customers. I didn't have much in common with many of them. So I finally woke up at 4:30, scanned the sports highlights of the previous day, and kept up a banter with that. I hate sports, unless I'm playing.
We are trained that way. Food service staff are usually your first uniformed exposure to the AF of the day. We can make or ruin your day. That was taken very seriously.
Sorta like gardening in a way. If your soil isn't healthy, it doesn't matter what you do afterwards.
/johnny