A year ago today I was invited to drive 45 minutes south to interview for a job as a restaurant GM.

A friend of mine was the executive sous chef there and had recommended me.

Actually he’d asked me about it a month earlier. I had asked a couple of questions but I already had a job.

Fun story.

My current boss the chef/owner had visited my previous job before we opened and we pretended neither of us knew each other. I shook his hand and said nice to meet you.

The interview.

I arrived 15 minutes early. Resume in hand.

The chef came out early and I was invited in to chat.

We sat at table 33.

I asked if he wanted to see my resume as he’d never seen it.

He told me my reputation spoke for itself.

I spoke less in this interview than any other interview in my life.

He told me about his vision.

He told me about his passion.

He spoke of the challenges he was facing.

He spoke about the things that were working.

He gave me a tour. The space was beautiful.

Finally he asked me to dinner that night.

Come see the restaurant in action.

I left.

Adam and I went back for dinner at 6:00.

It was amazing

Service was great. Food was great. Space was beautiful.

I could see things that needed to be fixed. (They have been).

But it was clearly a special place.

I accepted his offer the next day.

I gave my notice the same day.

Two weeks from today was my first day.

It’s was a great decision.

This is a 2 part story.

A year ago this past Saturday I was at work at my new job. We had been stupidly busy. Insanely so for a new restaurant still struggling with staffing.

At the end of the night the owner appeared to complain that two employees had parked in the guest parking lot. He reminded me that not even I was allowed to park in the restaurant parking lot.

I had ignored this fact since I started. As GM there needed to be some perks. So I parked behind the chef who was allowed to park in the lot.

I told the owner that I’d speak to the server who parked in the lot.

At the end of the night the server came into the office to give me his cash out. I checked his report and said:

Hey. Just so you know you can’t park in the restaurant parking lot. You have to park in city parking a mile away. (Really a mile away. It cost a 100 bucks for a pass).

The server lost his shit.

He shouted at me about all the reasons this sucked. And the reasons I sucked. All the reasons the rules didn’t apply to him.

I listened to him and let it slide.

This was not a star employee. I once had a guest he was waiting on call the restaurant ask for me then ask if they could get a round of drinks as they’d been waiting for service for 30 minutes.

This is not an exaggeration.

So Then.

I called the person I reported to so that I could tell her I’d be letting the sever go the next day.

She said okay.

She arrived at noon the next day to tell me all the reasons I couldn’t fire this particular employee.

All the reasons.

Then the owner appeared to explain that I just needed to get to know the employee. Perhaps I should invite him out to lunch and I’d see his side of things.

I sat there.

Seething.

The server was not much better that day.

I was off on Tuesday. .

That afternoon I called my boss and told her that if I was not permitted to let the offending server go I’d resign.

Six seconds later the owner calls.

He is asking me to calm down.

Not owning the issue.

Just telling me to calm down.

On Thursday I walked in and gave my notice.

The following Monday was my last day.

It was the first time I’d ever given an ultimatum.