Serving edition.

Memorial Day weekend in NYC is Fleet Week. Ships from all over the world descend on the city for the weekend.

It’s way too much drinking.

Way to many less than 10% tips.

Way too many people saying you should be nice they don’t get paid much.

To many rowdy assholes.

I’m so glad I don’t experience that anymore.

A year ago when I started we were taking credit cards for reservations. We stopped as it got busier as it adds time to the transaction.

Chef started doing this because we were having no shows.

Tonight we set a record.

1 no show.

But.

From 4:00 until close we had 14 parties cancel. 44 people.

That’s a server I didn’t need. That’s 14 parties my staff thought they’d get but didn’t.

That’s also people we said no to because we started the evening close to capacity.

Most of these guests entered a credit card when they made the reservation.

Tomorrow I’m going to charge them. $25 per person.

$1,100 dollars for us.

We don’t see the money. It’s applied to our bill.

But it’s going to bring me great joy to hit the charge button tomorrow.

Great joy.

Today I was checking reviews. I prefer to do this over a Google alert.

We got the following review this week on Trip Advisor.

This restaurant seems to have new management. We received many texts to confirm an early (bar seating) dinner. Lots of hovering oversight upon arrival and appointed seating at the bar. Gone are the days of selecting your own seats at the bar! Also gone is the delicious chicken parm entree. This has become an extremely over priced restaurant. I appreciate that meat prices are going up everywhere but $51 dollars for a filet in this town is too much for this local. Dave has always been a pleasure behind the bar. Great drinks. Great service.

Hmmm

Let’s deconstruct this.

First. We don’t text you. The app does. You can opt out. Many people do. Most people love the feature. And you can text us back if you’re running late, have a question etc

I’m not sure what hovering oversight is except maybe we sat them where we wanted them, not where they wanted to be. Doesn’t every restaurant do this?

Yes, you don’t get to seat yourself at the bar. Weren’t you glad wnen you got here for your reservation and you knew you had a spot.

I’ve been at the restaurant for a year. We haven’t had chicken parm since before I started. I think it’s actually been close to two years.

Two points to be made next.

If we don’t raise our prices we don’t stay in business. We’d love to keep them the same but if we do we won’t be able to pay our expenses.

Second our filet doesn’t cost $51. It’s $58. You’ll be super surprised when you check your receipt.

You are right. Dave is great.

As for being a local.

We’ve been taking reservations at the bar since COVID. So almost two years.

No chicken parm for just as long.

We’ve been using Resy for a year and a half.

So the truth is you come every two years.

So you aren’t really our target local. We are catering to the people that have standing reservations. Who come four or five times a month. Some even once a week. Some two or three times a week.

We know we are expensive. The nature of the restaurant requires we be expensive. The option would be to serve choice meat. On a gas grill. And you wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

We’ll keep doing what we do.

We’ll see you Memorial Day weekend 2024.