I’d like to speak to the manager!!!
Ding. Ding.
I’m going to assume everyone knows who Pavlov is.
He is famous for conditioning dogs to react to certain outside stimuli.
Ding. Ding.
Two years ago, I opened a restaurant, 30 miles south of here.
It was a fun and exciting experiment, and I lasted three months.
I was often on the door during service, to help facilitate seating.
We came up with the method of ringing the kitchen bell once if food runners were needed.
Twice if a manager was needed.
It worked great.
I carried this system along to my current restaurant.
I can hear the kitchen bell ring twice, most anywhere except the closet I call my office.
I’m conditioned to move quickly to the kitchen window when I hear the bell.
Ding. Ding.
It’s most often to run an steak that needs a little more time on the grill.
Of if Chef has a question about a table, an order, or a guest.
Ding. Ding.
I run.
Here in lies the problem.
A lot of restaurants use bells to summon people.
Adam’s restaurant uses a bell to summon food runners.
The restaurant we ate at in Boston two weeks ago, used a bell.
It is almost impossible to relax when the bell goes
Ding. Ding.
And fun fact: Most restaurants ring it twice for food runners.
Ding. Ding.
Meanwhile in my world
Ding. Ding.
Means that I am needed.
And if I don’t appear, someone comes to fetch me.
Ding. Ding.
Even typing this has made me feel like I need to get up and go to the kitchen.
And what’s really interesting, is that most guests in the restaurant never notice it.
And I do mean.
NEVER.
I’ve learned that if I need to excuse myself from a conversation, I just say, did you hear that
Ding. Ding.
That means that they need me in the kitchen and I walk to the pass.
I make my escape, and they never know there was no sound.
Ding. Ding.
Next time you are in a restaurant, and hear a bell ring, it’s not because an angel got its wings.
It’s because there is food to run.
I am needed.
Ding. Ding.
I'd Like to Speak to the Manager!!! 