I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

It’s been a tough two weeks.  

It’s hard to be the only manager in a very busy restaurant. And it’s not for lack of trying. I’ve been advertising the need for an AGM since last October.  

To no avail.  

I just keep putting one foot in front of another and doing the best that I can do.

Which is still pretty good. If I do say so myself.  

This is my way of saying I’ve been taking care of myself and going to bed early. And if not early, at least when Adam goes to bed, because we both sleep better when we turn off our lights at the same time.  

Meanwhile.  

I have four pages of things to write about.  

But one story popped up twice so I decided to post about that.  

We are about to open 2 new concepts housed in one building. The basement will be an elevated bistro, the main floor will be upscale casual. A shared kitchen.  

When I say about, I do mean in the next two to three weeks.  

I’ve begun getting daily phone calls from folks asking about reservations. When I say we aren’t taking them yet, you’d think I’d told them I hated their kids. I’ve been asked how we are supposed to be successful, if we won’t take reservations already.  

Here’s the thing.  

The furniture for the main floor has not arrived yet. We know how we want to arrange it, but until we see if it fits and know for sure, we aren’t going to commit to a floor plan. And until we commit to a floor plan, we are not going to take reservations for tables that might not even be there when all is said and done.

Also, this will be the third and fourth restaurants that I’ve opened.  

Last week an employee asked if we were going to have a grand opening. In truth, we’ll quietly unlock the doors and hope that no one notices. Your first week, you want things to be calm and smooth, while you iron out the kinks. You do not invite 100 people and expect to have a smooth opening.  

Last week, a local (I typed regular, but he isn’t really) was in with his wife.  

His wife and I have history, because when I worked in town ten years ago, she hated me. In many ways I think she still might.  

They call me over, and she asks about a large reservation for the first week of June. For the new restaurant.  

I explain, that we aren’t taking reservations yet. AND we will not be taking any large party reservations until after Labor Day.  

She is aghast. How can this be?

But what about the private dining room.

Yes, we have a private dining room. But no. We will not be using it until the fall.  

What about two tables in the main dining room. 

We will not be pulling tables together so, unfortunately we can’t do that. We will not be doing any tables over 8 to begin with.  

We can accommodate you here, if that will work?

But they are from out of town and want the full Maine experience, with views of the water and lots and lots of seafood.  

I explain that while I appreciate all that, we unfortunately won’t be able to accommodate them.  

She continues to push on. Beginning to get angry.  

But. But. But.

I keep explaining that unfortunately, it won’t be able to happen.  

She continues to push on.  

I remind her that we can do it here, then she wants to know exactly where she’d be sitting and tells me that she doesn’t want to sit there.  

I explain that it’s the only place we can accommodate a party that size, and she continues to push. What about here? What about there?

I finally give up, tell her I have to get back to work and leave.  

I fully expected them to call Chef directly, as Chef does business with the husband.  

I discuss all of this with Chef, he agrees with my decision and tells me to stick to my guns.  

___________________________

Last night, I was at the host stand, and the host answers the phone.  

I hear her side of the conversation, and it’s someone wanting to change their reservation from 6 people to 8 people, but they want to remain at the chef’s table. The host explains, that unfortunately, the table only holds 6 people and if they want to increase they’d have to change tables and we’d have to move the time to 8:00. There is much back and forth and they finally give up.  

Guess who it was? The same couple.  

Ten minutes later, the phone rings again, and I see from caller ID it’s them again.  

I take the call.  

I explain everything that the host has said, except that I say, I am willing to leave them at the chef’s table, but I have to change the time. He is hearing none of that, and says, here speak to my wife. 

And once again, there is no telling her no. I even go so far as to explain, we’ll have to pull two tables together, I need to seat them separately in the first turn, so I have to change the time.  

She asks about seating two of them at the bar, as well as just letting them squish together.  

She refuses to take no for an answer.  

Once again, I tell Chef all of this and he loses it. There is no way he wants 8 people at the Chef’s table. I was right to say no.  

________________________

As I said, Chef does business with this man.  

But.

I had an appointment with his company next Wednesday to start using his services as well.  

I cancelled said appointment today.  

I have no interest in working with someone who can’t respect boundaries, business practices, and just being a good neighbor.  

I want to ask him how he’d respond to someone at work treating his staff like this.  

Thing is, he’s really nice. It’s his wife, who is the problem, thus the reason he lets her do the talking.