Last summer we took no reservation over 12 people.

It’s the most that could be seated in our semi private rooms. The tables held 12 people.

No reservations over 12.

Period.

In March we got new chairs.

The rooms only hold 10 now.

So no reservations over 10.

Unless.

You order off the Chef’s pre fixe menu.

He created the menu last fall. It’s what he serves his friends when they bring 10+ people to the restaurant.

It offers all the popular items from our regular menu.

So for the past three months I’ve been sending out this menu to larger parties. Most have said yes.

But.

Some people get upset.

They want to order off the menu. They want choice.

But.

The Supreme Court has spoken.

And 12 tops don’t get choice.

And I told a gentleman that today.

After he told me all the ways he was upset.

Finally he asked:

What if I just show up with 12 people?

And this is where we play:

What was Jeff’s response????

Go for it.

Last week I got a response to an indeed post looking for a server job.

The experience was okay. Not great. But good enough to call the kid in.

His interview was today.

He arrived on time.

He looked familiar when I saw him but he spoke first.

You look familiar.

As do you.

Did you used to work at __?

Why yes. Yes I did.

He explains how I know him.

Ahhhh.

Why yes. Yes I know you.

First. For the life of me I’ve never figured out how to say I’m not hiring you, but I don’t want to waste your time in the first 30 seconds.

I’ve pulled questions out of my ass so many times just to go through the motions.

Today was that day.

Back story.

In a century long long ago I worked at a pub.

And we were coming back from a national emergency and I hired a guy to food run. But. I needed a doorman so I asked him to do that instead. And he had a friend so within 24 hours I had two guys as doormen.

Then.

About 48 hours later, I’m at home when I get call. Seems one of the doormen has passed out in the office.
Aka overdosed.

The paramedics are called. Narcan is administered.

The kid lives.

The OD kid comes in the next day to tell me he’s good to go. I tell both of the new doormen to figure their lives out then reach out to me.

My applicant today was one of the two guys.

I knew immediately I wasn’t hiring him.

The interview took 30 minutes. He just kept asking questions.

I feel bad.

But also.

I know you.

I’m not hiring you.

Stupid questions 401. Graduate level.

I’ve gotten this question three or four times in the past month:

What’s a barstool?

When you make a reservation the system lists: dining room. Patio. Bar stool.

Maybe I should change the listing to just the bar?

But.

I’m amused by the people who call and don’t know what it means.

Yes.

It’s a barstool. At the bar. Next to other people.

Business is definitely increasing.

Twice as many phone calls today coming back from the weekend. The phone was ringing all afternoon.

40 more covers than last Wednesday.

The bar was also busy tonight. I asked the bartender tonight how her evening went.

She said great. I knew every single person at the bar tonight.

I too knew all but three or four people.

One couple arrived who didn’t have a reservation.

They’d been in over the weekend.

On their way out tonight they couldn’t say enough about how great the experience was. They praised the bartenders over and over.

They ended by saying how our service was better than a 5 star resort across town. I couldn’t say thank you enough. I told them I’d share their accolades with the team.

Another bar guest tonight caught me on his way out tonight.

Said his daughter had just called him very anxiously.

Said she was at work at a restaurant in a town 20 miles away or so.

Her GM had had to have emergency surgery and was going to be out for two weeks. She called because the night was dissolving into a shit show. (His word).

Nothing was going right because the manager was out.

He looked at me and said as soon as she told me this story I thought of you. You run such a tight ship. And I had no idea a GM’s role was so important. Clearly you do a lot. And it shows here. The service, the food, everything is so good here. And it’s really a testament to how good you are at your job.

I’m sure I was blushing when he finished. It was so sweet and kind.

And I truly appreciated his sentiment.

Yes our restaurant is great. But we do it as a team. It’s not on the back of anyone person. It’s all of us who do it.

Im really grateful to work where I work.

I’m grateful to have the team I have.

Most of them read this.

So thank you!