Which waitress appears in Seinfeld's pilot but was not part of the regular cast? Claire. Lee Garlington plays Claire, the waitress at Pete's Luncheonette in “The Seinfeld Chronicles,” the show's 1989 pilot.
Claire was initially intended to become a regular character if NBC ordered the series. The pilot's planned central group included Jerry, George, Kramer, and Claire, making her an early version of the show's female lead.
When Seinfeld moved into production, Claire was replaced by Elaine Benes, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The restaurant was also renamed Monk's Café. Accounts differ on why Claire was removed, including concerns about her occupation and disputes involving Garlington's rewritten dialogue.
A common mix-up is Ruthie Cohen, the cashier frequently seen at Monk's Café in the regular series. Ruthie appeared in many episodes, but she was not the pilot waitress; Claire belongs specifically to the original pilot.