I’d like to speak with the manager!!!

My schedule is fucked right now.

I leave home at 10:00.

I get to work around 11:00.

Just in time for pre- shift.

Preshift is still happening at 11:15 when a person pops through the door.

Hi. We’ll be open in about 15 minutes.

Yes, we just want to see a menu. When did you open? Do you take reservations? What are your hours? When is upstairs opening? Do you allow dogs on the patio?

Oh look. It’s 11:30. Do we just seat ourselves.

And the day begins.

I supervise service, try to catch up on emails. Write schedules. Interview 1 person of the 7 interviews I’ve scheduled. The rest don’t show.

I come out periodic. Check on the staff. Say hello to people I know.

Meet people upstairs to give tours of the new space.

At 3:30 I say goodbye to my lunch staff, go to my car.

Drive 1 mile, which takes 5 minutes at 25 mph and at 3:35 I get to my night job.

I go in check reservations. Move things around. See who I know on the list.

Now it’s 4:00.

Dinner staff has arrived I chat with them.

Breathing for 10 minutes.

4:25 pre-shift.

Give my notes.

Turn on the music.

Dim the lights.

Unlock the door.

It’s 4:50.

Dinner is served.

Tonight I was on the door.

Hosting.

I’m moving people around.

Stressing over the patio which opened today.

Seating people.

Answering the phone.

Chatting with everyone about the new restaurant.

The evening moves along.

At 7:50 my phone rings.

It my lunch servers. They are finished. Reports run.

I leave a host in charge.

I get in my car, drive 5 minutes to the new restaurant.

I cash out the servers. Make sure everything is clean. Trash is out.

Deposit is made.

Back to my car.

5 miles back to the night job.

I walk in to discover the host who covered while I was gone triple sat a server with 14 guests.

She grunts at me when I return.

I go back to the door.

Final guests are seated at 8:35.

The evening progresses.

At 9:15 I seat myself at the chef’s table.

My knee is throbbing.

The food is all out.

Someone appears with NY strip. Creamed spinach.

I rarely eat at work but I’m happy for the surprise.

The night starts to wind down.

Servers are cashing out.

Bartenders finish up.

It’s 10:30.

I start the shut down procedures.

I get in my car at 10:45.

I drive 50 minutes.

Get home at 11:35.

Not counting the drive I was at 51 hours.

In 4 days.

This Monday is my last Monday off till October.

None of this is complaining.

I have bought into the vision.

I have bought into the passion of the old restaurant, the new restaurant, and the restaurant that’s being explored closer to home.

It’s really hard only because I can’t find an AGM.

I’ve interviewed lots of people.

One was hired.

Then demoted because he could remeber how to close down the restaurant.

Another was offered a job.

She took three weeks to say no.

Another guy took a week to say no.

Two have ghosted me. After exploring hiring them

Many of not even shown up for the interview.

One scheduled a stage. (A follow shift and emailed me an hour prior to say she’d taken another job).

We are currently paying more than Portland restaurants are paying GM’s.

But we are a destination restaurant.

We are a drive. 20 minutes if you live close.

50 minutes if you are me.

I’m not looking for sympathy.

I’m not sure what I’m looking for.

An assistant.

A knee replacement.

A new car.

A chauffeur.

Bourbon.

A hug.

I’ll finish by saying my staff has been wonderful.

They know I can’t walk so they fill my coffee.

My water cup is never empty.

They fetch menus for me.

They carry my computer in and out to my car.

They show up when I’m short staffed.

They helped open the patio today.

They helped clean and set up the new restaurant.

Mark is learning to close so I can leave early.

They check in on me.

They make me laugh.

They don’t judge when I’m grumpy.

They continue to kill it every day.

Now I have to get to bed.

It’s 12:45.

My alarm goes off in 8.5 hours.

Thanks to all of you.