This was a first.

Tonight a server approaches to let me know the I table brought their own beer. They poured it into a glass on the table.

Seriously. WTF?

I approach the table.

They know why I am there.

I explain that they can’t bring In their own beer.

They explain it’s non alcoholic. So it’s okay.

I explain that according to state law it’s absolutely not.

I pick up the glass and the woman begins to explain our non alcoholic beer is awful so she brought her own.

I tell her I appreciate that but I can’t allow her to bring her own.

We continue to chat.

By the end of the exchange we are best friends.

Last summer, at my first job, we had an incredibly angry guest at the bar. I approach them and in the end they were eating out of my hand. My bartender commented on how good I was at turning things around.

She was working tonight, so I approached her to tell her about tonight. And to quote her, when you’re on. You’re on.

They even stopped by to say goodbye on their way out!!!

Around 6:45 a server approaches to let me know table 31 has a refire. Their steak was a little under cooked for their liking.

I thank her for letting me know. Then approach the kitchen so that I can run the plate. When possible I run every recook.

By this time the server has let me know the women sharing the steak aren’t happy, saying they said having to send the steak back was a buzz kill.

The steak comes up, I take it to the table. I check in with them. And leave. They seem okay but not great.

Fast forward to the end of their meal. I meet them in the lobby. The host asks how their meal was.

They say, we’ll we are glad you ask, and then launch in to their rant. If we are going to do steak we should do it perfectly every time. And the least we could have done is bought their drinks for ruining their meal.

I stand in the corner and listen. I don’t engage. They said at least four times they shouldn’t have had to pay for their drinks.

They leave.

I did not see the steak they sent back. So I have no idea if it was truly under. But after almost a year of being at the restaurant it’s really more about people not understanding medium rare.

But they definitely were not going to get free drinks.

Fun fact: Do you know what absolutely no one in the history of the world appreciates?

You. And your friends. FaceTiming on speaker phone in public.

Not me. Not my friends. Not anyone.

Last night around 7:15 five women gather on the sofa in the lobby to FaceTime with their friend who couldn’t join them. This went on for about 15 minutes.

It’s really not fun to try and talk on the phone and greet guests when you can’t hear yourself think.

So do everyone a favor and go outside. It was warm last night. Everyone will be grateful.

Thank you!

Ohhhhhh the woes of taking reservations this week.

Let’s see.

We had a group of six make three two top reservations at the bar because they couldn’t get a six top reservation.

They called to ask to sit together, and I explained that I couldn’t make that happen but I I could get them a table for six. The lady exclaims, that’s what we wanted all along.

Then you should have called the restaurant as instructed.

We had another woman show up at 5:15 for a 5:15 reservation then explained that they had a 7:30 reservation as well but they couldn’t figure out how to cancel it.

We had a woman walk in at 5:30 to get sat. Then she came back up to cancel her 7:00 reservation.

We had a couple show up for bar reservations that insisted they had a reservation for a booth. They did not.

I had a man call for a party of 10 in June get angry because he couldn’t get 6:30. He had waited and called and how the hell were we already booked.

I never explain that we aren’t booked we just won’t take a large party at 6:30. He yelled at me for a good ten minutes.

Had a woman call who has a 16 top reservation in July. I explain that anything over 10 is a special menu and that if she emailed me I’d send her a proposal.

She complained that she got a reservation for 16 last summer. Which she did not. The largest reservation we took last summer was 12.

She complained that we didn’t have a special menu last summer. I explain it’s a new policy for the summer.

She then asks if she can just get 4 four top reservations. I explain that I can’t take those reservations for another month and they be for 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, and 6:00. And they would not be seated together.

She finally hung up on me.

I was reading through reservations for next month and a person booked a 5 top then put in the notes that they are actually 10 people.

Seriously. Who does this?

It’s one thing to be 5 but 10? But what will they do when they show up and I don’t have a table for 10?

That’s all.

It’s been a good 24 hours for reservations.