I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

It’s been weird being in a new restaurant(s).

They are all function the same, they just dress up the product more or less depending on the check average.

From an employee point of view the basics are the same, once again dressing up the service, based on the check average.

What’s been tricky for me, is knowing when food is in the window needing to be run.

For the past 2.5 years there was a bell. If it was dinged once, it meant food runners were needed at the window.

If it dinged twice then I was needed in the window.

At my new restaurants there are no bells. The chefs call for the servers and the food gets where it needs to be. There isn’t a lag, a pile up, or panic. The staff all seems to be in tune with when they need to run food and it magically just happens.

Tonight, an 8 tops food, seamlessly, landed on the table and I didn’t even notice it was happening. By the time I realized, and asked if help was needed, the table was fed, re-watered and happily eating.

What a concept.

The sounds of the restaurant are quite different as well.

The music, the staff, the door, the guests, the bar, the lack of TV’s, the dish area, the chef, the kitchen.

All so different.

It’s also been funny the last two nights being on the floor of a new restaurant for service.

I like to interact with the guests. Get to know them. Treat them like friends who’ve come to my home for dinner.

Last night and tonight, servers came running up to me after I’d spoken with guests wanting to know what the guests were upset about. Surely they wouldn’t be talking to a manager if they weren’t unhappy with something.

Both time, it had been me, who’d approached the guests, and inquired about their experience.

Last night because I’d recognized them from my old restaurant.

And tonight, it was because it was their anniversary.

My staff will never know if they are upset, or if I’m just being friendly.

Tonight, I learned that the anniversary table was not married. But had been together for 16 years. One of them explained to me, that her date had been married 3 times and their relationship had lasted longer than all of his marriages put together. He laughed and said the secret was not to get married.

We all laughed and had a nice chat about gratitude.

Then they were off, just in time for a walk-in party of three from Orlando to join us for dinner.

The new gig has started off well.

Although my to do list gets longer every day.

And my knee gets bigger.