Around 8:00 tonight, I get a call on the radio to come to the host stand. 

Yes, I have a radio.  Between inside, outside, and three different areas of the indoor restaurant, I’m constantly on the move. 

I get to the host stand. 

Table 37 has been sat, but they are NOT happy.  They are telling the host that they requested a table on the patio and we have sat them inside. 

I go the I-pad and look up the reservation. 

AHHHHH. 

Yes.  This reservation. 

I remember it well. 

A woman from a neighboring resort called to make the reservation. 

She asked for a table for 5 at 7:30  I told her I only had 8:00 and that I could seat them then. 

She said she’d call back. 

She did and made the reservation.  I asked for a credit card to hold the reservation and she did not have one.  I ALWAYS ask for credit cards from hotels because they are forever making reservations for people who don’t show up. 

I told her that I would make the reservation, but to make sure her guests know when and where to be. 

We hang up.

10 minutes later the phone rings and woman tries to make a reservation for 5 at 8:00.  I start the reservation, I get the phone number and it pulls up the name of the person, who I just made a reservation for. 

I ask for clarification.  And for about 4 minutes everyone is confused as to what is happening.  I think it’s a case of 2 reservations of 5 for a 10 top.  The woman on the phone thinks there is no reservation at all. 

Turns out the hotel person, paid no attention to what I said, and told the guest they had to call to make their own reservation. 

We figure it all out. 

We hang up.

Here’s the thing.  I never told anyone they could have the patio.  In fact.  I didn’t make any patio reservations today because I knew we’d be short a bartender and I knew we needed to control the chaos. 

So they definitely did not make a patio reservation. 

However, per my new mantra of not being an asshole because I can be.  I looked at the book, found a way to make it work, went to table #37 and filled them in.  I told them that if they could wait about 15 minutes we could get them seated on the patio.  We chatted for about 3 or 4 minutes. I explained that I didn’t make any patio reservations today, and why.  And that it was the hotel concierge who made the mistake and that I fielded the phone call and that five minutes later someone called back to book it again.  She said it was her assistant and I think to myself, I want an assistant.  I ask them to give me 10 minutes and we’d get them seated. 

 And I head to the patio to make it all work.

They party of 5 arrived at the patio about 15 minutes later.   They were ecstatic over the beauty of it.  The woman was taking all sorts of photos and wanted to know if we hosted weddings.  I told her we did but the tricky part is we don’t’ really have a backup if it rains.  I chatted with them for about 10 minutes before they sat. 

I leave.  End of story.

However, I’m sitting at the chef’s table tonight when a patio server comes in to check out.  She hands me her cash out and receipts and says we had celebrities on the patio tonight!

I ask who and turns out, table #37 who moved outside are famous.  She’s a talk show host.  Her husband is a rapper.  Both were beautiful.  I had no idea who they were until I looked them up.  They were so nice and so kind and understanding.  And they tipped well. 

I’m so glad I was nice to them. 

I continue to say, I’ve met more celebrities here than I ever did in NYC. 

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

A year ago, I was new.

I knew only a hand full of people coming in to the restaurant. And even fewer people by name.

My old restaurant didn’t take reservations, so unless I had a reason to learn your name, I only knew people by site. I talked to many, many people over the five summer I worked there and knew their stories but not their name.

Since I’ve started working here, we take reservations. I know so many names now. And I take lots and lots of notes to remind me of spouses names, bar stools you like, how long you sit, that you just moved here etc.

Lately, there have been very few names I know on the reservation list. Tonight out of 125 tables we sat I only knew four or five people. And of those I could only pick out two or three from a lineup.

One woman’s name I recognized but couldn’t place. Could not remember what she looked like, or who she was.

She was standing at her tables, waiting to sit down when she saw me. I was in the middle of something, so I couldn’t stop but I said hello, and she said, HI KEVIN!!! IT’S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

I returned the pleasantries as my staff at the server station all laughed. I kept moving.

So many people get my name wrong. And I never, ever, ever correct them.

At one job I was Josh for more than a year.

One woman who currently frequents the restaurant continues to call me Jeremy even though, the bartender has corrected her.

I guess as long at they aren’t calling me an asshole I shouldn’t mind.

And I don’t really.

It was nice just to see a familiar, smiling face.

We were busy tonight.  Actually we are busy every night right now, but we started just 20 or so covers less than where we ended the night tonight. 

There was a line at the door when we opened at 4:50. 

We are seating people in the dining room.  Sending people to the patio. 

And all is going well.

Then.

Three people walk in. 

The hosts ask if they have a reservation. 

They say that they do not BUT that they are just going to the bar.  The host explains that we take reservations for the bar and that if they give her a second she’ll see what she can do. 

At this point the woman walks to the door of the dining room and looks in, and turns and says but all the stools are empty.  Why can’t we just sit?

FUN FACT. 

Every person who walks in without a reservation does this.  But all the stools are empty.  Yes, but they are for reservations. 

The host says, yes, but they won’t be in 30 minutes.  They are reserved.  I think to myself, thus the reason they are called reservations. 

The woman insists that they are local and come in all the time.

I laugh to myself.  First.  If you came in all the time, you’d know we take reservations.  Second.  If you came in all the time, I would know at least your face.  I’ve never in fact seen you before.  And third, You might be local but that’s not helping much if you have never been in before.

The host continues, to try to find them a spot. 

I step behind the host stand.  We are very busy.

But. 

I have been doing this longer than they have.  I see holes.  I see spots where we can move things.  I can also roll the dice and hope the outcome doesn’t screw us. 

I’m looking when the woman says, well if the bartender just sees us he will find us a spot.  He always does.

I look up from the I-pad and say, that’s not how any of this works.  Thinking again, you don’t come here often because everyone in a 100 mile radius knows are the bartender’s name.  He’s been there for almost four years.  And.  You’d also know that I make the reservations not him. 

I move some things around.  Say to the threesome, I can seat you now, but I’ll need the stools back by 6:30.  It’s around an hour, twenty and that should be more than enough time to eat.  If that works for you I can get you seated. 

They agree. 

They are seated.

They tell the other bartender behind the bar that they haven’t been in the restaurant in over a year. 

Not what I’d really call a regular.