I may have payed about this before.

Forgive me if I repeat myself.

We were booked solid tonight. No room for walk ins. The only tables open were at 7:45 for 2 tops.

This included the bar.

Around 5:45 a woman walks in looking for a a table for 2.

She is told we are booked. Even at the bar.

At this point she walks toward the entrance to the bar/restaurant. She looks back and says what about the empty chairs at the bar.

I repeat we are full.

She then goes into the restaurant and looks around.

She comes back and says she doesn’t understand why she can’t be say if we have empty tables and empty barstools.

Ugh.

I want to say.

I can seat you. I can get you water and some bread but you’ll need to be up in 6 minutes when the reservations for those chairs and tables show up.

Ahhhhh.

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.

WE ARE AN UPSCALE RESTAURANT.

I repeat.

WE ARE A NICE RESTAURANT.

We are not a brew pub. We are not Chili’s. We are not your local Mexican restaurant.

We are not those things.

This is made abundantly clear when you realize that the typical table for 2 spends more than $150 before tip.

So imagine my surprise when we had a table of women who thought we were Sam’s Truckstop.

At 7:00 four women were sat at table 21. Turns out they knew the foursome at table 22.

They huck it up while they are being seated.

Finally they sit down.

About six minutes later table 22 gets up to leave. They were seated at 5:00.

I let the host know they are up because their replacements are waiting.

But wait. They stand up. But don’t go anywhere.

One of the women from table 22 is now talking to table 21. Meanwhile the rest of table 22 is standing at the table. All three of them on their phones.

And this continues.

And continues.

And continues.

Finally the other woman from 22 also steps up to table 21.

It’s a high top. With two women blocking the aisles. Bucking it up.

The men are still standing at table 22.

And this continues.

And continues.

Finally the men leave.

The women stay.

And stay.

And stay.

They are getting louse and louder.

It’s now approaching 8:00. They are still standing there. Blocking the aisle. In everyone’s way.

And then before my eyes 6 shots of tequila have appeared on the table.

Fuck.

We are not that restaurant. You want a tequila neat? Okay. The table wants it? Not okay.

They are still whooping it up.

Finally they leave.

At this point the table has been there for an hour and haven’t ordered any food.

Finally they begin to act like normal people.

But seriously for an hour they were in everyone’s way and were loud and annoying. To everyone but mostly the staff.

Ugh.

I never share stories about my staff.

For several reasons.

First most of you know where I work so it would be easy to know who I’m talking about.

Also 90% of my staff reads this.

Also I don’t think it’s in my best interest to share that I’m going to fire Betty because she’s an idiot.

But I will talk about other people’s staff.

My Saturday night drives home is when I chat with a friend of mine who is also a GM.

She shared with me that she had to let an employee go this week.

The back story.

This friend and I worked together. She was my AGM when we worked together. We were working together when this employee was hired. She was never my favorite.

She has always been stubborn. Has always been vocal about things that displeased her. And she particularly didn’t like me.

So fast forward to last weekend. Their restaurant was busy. This employee was a food runner.

She picks up a tray and takes it into the dining room to deliver the food. She goes up to table 36 sets the tray on the stand and begins auctioning off the food.

At one point she has a salmon in her hand and she keeps asking who had the salmon? Who had the salmon? Who had the salmon?

Finally a very old man speaks up. He had the salmon. She sets it down. She delivers the other plates.

At last she picks up the tray turns around and says JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!!!

The whole table heard.

Actually most of the dining room heard.

Two days later she was called into the office.

Where my friend explained that she was being let go.

The employee was stunned. She knew she’d said it but didn’t know it was so loud. She didn’t cry but she was sad.

My friend then spent the next few minutes telling her how to get a new job and explaining to her to be careful what she said outside of her head.

Of course: Who hasn’t said something out loud that should have remained unsaid?

I once told a table that THEY needed their 35 cent tip more than I did. I did a lot of back pedaling when I was confronted by the manager.

A little housekeeping.

First please excuse typos, lack of punctuation etc. I type each of these posts on my phone. And almost always while sipping a bourbon. And almost alway around 1:00 am. I do my best.

Also.

In the past couple of weeks a couple of my posts were not personal stories. They were relayed to me by people I am friends with in the business. I have LOTS of friends in the business.

Also.

I shared my blog address last night. Feel free to share it.

And I truly appreciate those of you who read. And those who reach out to say they enjoy my posts. I really enjoy this outlet. And it’s a great way to relax after I get home and expell the bad parts of my job.

Hugs!