We don’t allow people to congregate at our bar. The rule was put into place during COVID. It was there when I started. I enforce it.

For a couple of reasons.

First

When five, six, ten people get together they become loud, etc. They also they don’t spend as much money as people who come to the bar for dinner.

Second.

Our bar is often 100% reserved for dinner. Since I became GM I’m often able to turn the bar almost 3 times a night. So if someone bellies up to the bar, they are disturbing people who are spending 100’s of dollars on dinner, just so they can spend 20 on two drinks.

Tonight at 6:45 a party of 6 showed up for their 7:00 reservation.

I greeted them. Checked them in and told them we’d get them seated as soon as their table was ready.

I notice a couple of the men go into the bar but it appears they are going to the restroom. I go back to greeting people.

It’s busy.

More of the 6 tops party goes into the bar and I realize they are gathered at an open spot at the bar trying to get drinks.

I approach them and explain they can’t do this. That they’ll have to wait till they are seated.

They get angry. They want to know why.

I explain that because of COVID we only allow people to be served if they are seated. One of them says he was trying to sit there. I explain that they can’t sit there because I have reservations coming in. They are finally moving to the lobby getting angrier by the minute.

One of them begins to curse.

Not at me.

For me.

So I’ll know he’s angry.

This is fucking stupid. We are never coming back. This is ridiculous.

I go back to work.

He keeps mouthing.

COVID is over. I can’t wait till this bullshit over.

When LePage is in charge we’ll finally be able to say fuck this.

There are no restrictions about standing at a bar. This is all made up.

I seat some people.

I come back. The food runner who’s helping me says that they called me an asshole and wanted to know my name. They tell her I was rude and completely inappropriate in how I handled the situation.

I truly find it truth telling when people get angry when they are told they’ll have to wait to get a drink. I’d love to start handing out a schedule of AA meetings in town with a copy of the 12 steps.

I digress.

Their table is finally ready. I send them along with the person helping me.

The oldest of the group stays behind to chat with me.

I truly hope he curses at me. Then I can show them out.

Instead he grabs my arm which is on the host stand and explains he’s talking to me as a friend.

He IS not my friend.

And proceeds to tell me that I was rude and could have handled the situation so differently.

I don’t say a word.

Although it takes everything in me to say:

DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!

Finally he finishes and goes to his table.

I don’t see them again. They left through the back door so I never had the opportunity to say thank you. Have a good night when they left.

I can’t wait till they call to complain tomorrow. Guess who answers the phone at work? The ONLY person who answers the phone at work.

ME!!!