Tonight I approach the host stand as a lady in white is asking questions about a large party.

The host answers the question correctly.

Later I’m at the front again and the host says the woman came back and wanted to know if we could do 10 people at the chefs table.

The chefs table are the two tables in front of our open kitchen.

We hold those tables for VIP’s and chefs friends.

The host tells the woman we don’t pull the tables together, so we probably can’t do it.

The woman won’t take no for an answer.

She is insisting we say yes.

So I tell the host.

Tell her to email me her request.

For big parties we use a pre fixe menu. I’ll offer her that and let her sit at the chef’s table.

I’ll let you know how it plays out but if we can charge her more we’ll gladly let her do it.

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.

Everyday we get messages on social media.

What is your address?

Can I get a reservation for 2 on July 3.

Where are you located?

What kind of food do you serve?

Do you have parking?

Can I send a friend of mine a round of drinks tonight?

All questions on messenger.

Both Facebook and instagram.

Here’s the thing.

You have an internet connection.

I know this because social media is on line.

So you have access to our website. You have access to our photos. You have access to a map. To reservations. To a phone number.

Fun fact.

Only Fortune 500 countries and probably not all of them have people monitoring their social media 24 hours a day.

We have three people who can check our messages and still a couple of days can go by before someone sees the message.

Our auto response gives our address and phone number.

And still people don’t call.

They respond to the auto response.

Seriously.

99% of America has an answer box in their hands.

I know only one it’s on who doesn’t have a cell phone.

So use it.

Google it.

Just do it.

I’ve seen this poster being shared over the last couple of weeks.

It sounds great.

But $22.25 would be a pay cut for most servers.

Even at the worst restaurants.

That’s only $890 for 40 hours.

I was making more than that in the 80’s not working 40 hours.

I know very few servers today who aren’t making double that on 25 hours a week.

It’s why servers do what they do.

And why they end up trapped.

Even at mall restaurants servers make more than that.

So it would be a huge payout to switch to a hourly rate.

And who the fuck wants to get beaten up everyday by the public for that price?

Yes.

The BOH also gets beaten up. Their work is hard in a different way. Should their be a more equitable pay structure.

Absolutely.

However, cutting the pay of more than half your staff is not the answer.

The person who finally figures this out the answer will win a Nobel Prize.

I have a new host. She has worked with us for two weeks.

She is absolutely wonderful.

Tonight a person calls to ask what time our kitchen closed.

She asks me as I’m standing next to her.

I say 8:00.

She said into the phone around 8:00.

When she hung up I had to explain the difference between what I said and what she said. And what it means to the guests.

At 8:00 means you need to be here by 8:00. Not 8:01. Not 8:02.

Around 8:00 means you can show up at 8:20 and insist we feed you.

It might sound extreme but these are things you learn while dealing with the public.

I think she might think I’m crazy.

Which is not wrong.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Last night I mentioned that most foods should not be eaten hot.

I was told a story by a staff member today that brought the subject back up.

On Saturday night a server brought sharing plates for a table’s entrees as they were splitting a lot of food. It was an 8 top. He was called back over and the table was angry that the plates weren’t warm. They insisted he remove them. And replace them.

Seriously.

Who the fuck provides warm plates for sharing?

But also.

What foods should be eaten hot?

Not warm. Hot. Like scald your mouth hot.

As a server I’ve microwaved so many bowls of soups to boiling that I can’t even count that high.

As a manager I constantly field complaints about food that is not hot.

There is a huge difference between not hot and cold.

I asked a server this question today.

He said soup. I concurred.

He said pizza.

I disagree.

Pizza should be warm. But it should not be hot.

PS. I like NYC thin sliced pizza at room temperature. I never get it heated.

We also had a man send back his steak last week because it wasn’t hot.

So.

What other foods should be hot?

Not warm. But hot?

I can can say that in 2020 and 2021 tips were great. However the larger than life outrageous tips have fallen to the way side.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-tip-less-than-before-the-covid-19-pandemic-survey-173148777.html?fs=e&s=cl

This post has been stewing for ten years.

I’m finally done.

I have no patience for old people who are cranky and grumpy and treat others like shit because they are old.

No patience at all.

Table 11 tonight were those old people.

3 guests.

2 cranky as shit.

There is no reason, absolutely no reason to be cranky just because you can be!

The woman at seat 1 you could see from across the room was miserable.

And she complained about everything.

Her ordered a Prosecco. Then sent it back insisting she did not.

She complained about the free bread.

She sent her food back because it wasn’t hot.

(Very, very, very few food items are meant to be eaten hot).

She was miserable.

I really think she’s one of those people who think because they are old their behavior doesn’t matter.

And for the most part we ignore and accept it

Like we ignore and accept that grandpa is racist.

And grandma is homophobic.

And uncle Joe doesn’t like Catholics and Muslims.

And I say bullshit.

If you are still a living breathing functioning part of society just stop it. Stop being miserable. Stop being racist. Stop being wrong.

Be nice.

Your life probably wouldn’t be so miserable if you were nice to people.

There is absolutely no fucking excuse for it.

Just.

Stop.

It.

I’d like to speak to the Janet. (Facebook just autocorrected manager to Janet. It made me laugh).

I got to work today and we had a number of reservations on the book.

I was actually worried if we had enough staff. 3 parties of 6. 4 parties of 5. All within 30 minutes of each other.

Luckily I’d forgotten that I asked an additional server to work tonight. Suddenly staffing was perfect.

The server I asked to work gave her notice this week. She is moving on after three years at the restaurant.

She had Friday and Saturday off because of weather so I made sure to hook her up tonight. She was going to have three of the larger parties.

The night starts.

5:30 comes and goes and I realize she still doesn’t have any tables. She should have 2 six tops by now.

I go to the host stand and discover the following:

A woman made a reservation for 6.

Her friend made a reservation for 6.

Two 6 top reservations for the same party.

This annoys me. I’ve never ever ever been a part of two people making reservations for us for the same night at the same restaurant.

Why you ask?

Because we talk to the people we are dining with.

One person is in charge of the reservation. One person. Period.

So now my server i was trying to throw a bone only has 2 tables.

But wait.

She still doesn’t have a table yet.

Why?

Because they reserved for inside but moved to patio.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Now she has 1 table. At 7:00.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Meanwhile, I can see on her face she thinks this is malicious. She gave her notice so I’m treating her disrespectfully.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I don’t work that way.

But I can understand her reasoning.

I pull her aside. Tell her the story.

I’m not sure she believes me.

She then asks to just go home and while we are talking the host seats her a 2 top.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I tell her to keep it if she wants. Or I’ll fix it if she wants to go home.

She keeps it.

I can tell she’s still pissed at me.

Meanwhile.

The host outside approaches and lets me know the woman who made the reservation wanted to make sure she wouldn’t be charged for the cancellation of the other reservation.

And I laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

Of course she is getting charged.

It’s bad enough she shorted the restaurant.

But she and her party screwed over my employee.

I didn’t even wait till the end of the shift. I was hoping to have the inevitable conversation in person.

I tell the server this story.

I think she finally believes me.

I’m still pissed though.

And the woman was charged $150.