I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

10 years ago I opened my first restaurant.

Leading up to the opening day we conducted training.

Part of that training was a speech I put together about hospitality.

It went splendidly.

When I have notes and speak off the cuff I’m pretty good with public speaking.

I’ve longed cease to be nervous.

Especially in my element.

The talk went well.

About 6 minutes in that day I noticed one of the owners watching and listening.

At the end he congratulated me and said that the company should have me share this message with all the teams.

That never happened and fast forward 5 years and he handed me my termination papers and severance details.

Last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I gave a series of talks with our new team. I forgot my notes but they were off the cuff.

I mostly talked about the passion that exists behind everything we do.

I talk about this often.

It’s the reason our restaurant is so different.

Everything we do we do with passion.

The food.

The service.

The ambiance.

I shared with this new team.

What I didn’t know was that I was doing these talks our marketing team from Argentina who was in town to take photos of the new space we’re listening.

They left on Friday.

And as we hugged goodbye they shared that they gave photographed 100’s of restaurants but they’d never seen anyone who spoke so clearly about what they did. What they were about.

I was told they learned a lot.

And had a new view of what we do here.

And it was reassuring.

Because sometimes you wonder if anyone is listening.

You wonder if anyone cares.

It reminded me that I’m pretty good at doing what I do.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Last Wednesday we opened up the new restaurant for friends and family.

At around 10:45 someone walked in the unlocked doors.

He introduced himself, and told me we’d met before. Back in the winter. He’d worked at the prior restaurant and wanted to see tha changes.

He stayed way longer than he should considering how tired I was.

He told me he’d be back next week.

I told him to reach out if he needed help with the reservation.

Fast forward to tonight.

At 8:40 the new host comes down to say someone has arrived saying they have a reservation.

We had no more reservations and were all in at 7:45.

I arrive to find the guy from last Wednesday.

He says he has a reservation.

I assure him that he did not. And that is asked him ti reach out if he needed help he says he did.

I ash him when.

He says around 5:30. Tonight.

I tell him that I don’t read email after service starts, and that not only did he not have a reservation he has shown up 15 minutes after her thought he had a reservation and we haven’t sat anyone in over an hour.

I apologize and say we can’t accommodate him.

He asks if I’m serious.

I assure him I am.

He leaves.

And I think to myself, what restaurant employee would do this?