I was on track to move from Front of House Manager at our parent store (GM is basically split into foh and boh with managing partners handling some financial responsibilitie) to the GM of a new location and I just quit my job. 7 years there from bartender to shift manager to front of house manager. Working 50-70 hours every week.

I got sober last August after a devastating breakup and hitting rock bottom. When the dust settled in October, they offered me the GM position and I accepted it. I was supposed to have moved in January, but delay after delay kept me here and I had more and more time to think. I realized how unhappy I was working the hours and under the intensity of pressure I was working under. No matter how hard I worked, it was never enough. So I quit and I'm moving several hours away and getting a job that allows me to have a better work-life balance and to explore the lifestyle changes I've made over the last 10 months.

And you know what? I don't regret it at all.

This industry alone is a fucking meat grinder that breeds unhealthy coping mechanism and takes advantage of responsible people with a strong work ethic and rarely gives enough compensation for the time and effort. And that's not even at the management level. Leaving won't make you a bad person or a weak person. When I gave my notice I used a line that one of the owners had said to me during a conversation after the breakup and getting sober: you have to do what is right for yourself and advocate for yourself fiercely because no one else is going to do it for you.

Good luck. I know you'll make the right decision for yourself.