I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

We were busy today.

The new restaurant killed it today.

My original restaurant did equally well.

Favorite part of the day?

A server telling me that a 7 top who was pissed about the renovations ordered a grill cheese with tomatoe.

Fun fact. We don’t have a grilled cheese on our menu.

The server asked the chef.

He wisely said no.

Why you ask.

Because they’ll come back in two weeks and do the same thing. And it will be no because we are ridiculously busy.

In other news I started my day at 52 hours. After 4 days.

I ended at 64 hours.

I do have an AGM interview on Tuesday. His experience is not what I’d dream of but I didn’t have fine dining experience when I became a GM. So I’ll have a listen.

I have about 20 interviews schedule next week. Let’s hope they show up.

In other news an employee has agreed to oversee the new restaurant lunch shifts on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday so I can go in late.

He’s also agreed yo stay late so that I don’t lock the doors every night.

I’d like to point out that my staff is amazing.

They take such good care of me.

I so appreciate all of them.

Enjoy your Monday off!!!

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.

I’d like to speak with the manager!!!

Do you know what no one likes?

When someone comes into the restaurant as a walk in. Gets seated immediately. And then stays for almost 3 hours.

Staying an hour after they paid their check.

45 minutes after the last other guests left.

And making out with each other for 10 minutes while you are the only guests left.

In the bar.

In front of me.

And your server.

Nope.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

The summer people are arriving.

Last night I had to be on the door at 7:00.

My amazing new host who doesn’t work Saturday’s agreed to cover till I got back from the new restaurant.

At 7:00 a couple walks through the door. I greet them and ask if they have a reservation.

They do not.

I ask her to give me a few minutes and I’ll see what I can do.

I’m sure I have a spot for her but I need minute or two to figure it out.

Meanwhile, the lobby is full of people that need to be seated.

I get everyone checked in and start seating people.

10 minutes in the lady gets upset and starts to get annoyed that she hasn’t been sat even though she arrived first. She’s far from polite about it.

She wants to know why she’s not being seated before everyone rude.

I say, I’m sorry. What was the name on your reservation?

She says I’m sorry?

I say what was the name on your reservation?

She says we don’t have a reservation.

And I say, and that’s why these people are being sat first. They made a reservation and I have to make sure I have spot for them first.

She huffed away.

On her way out she stopped to let me know their server turned around their horrible experience at the door.

Hmmm.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Things of note today.

I arrived to work with my shirt untucked today.

I might as well have not been wearing pants the way the staff reacted.

One of my servers told me that my posts have been missing something.

I explained that I am writing fro my phone in bed as I’ve been trying to get more sleep.

Chef told me today that he’s worried about my health.

After some clarification I discovered he meant my knee. Not a heart attack.

My knee is giving me fits right now.

My cortisone shot next week should help.

I am thankful for my staff that takes care of me.

The keep my soda water cup full. The fetch things for more. They make sure I take Advil and Tylenol.

They really make my life manageable.

I just need to hold out till December.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Something I will never understand!

Hospitality/Restaurant employees who stay long after the restaurant is closed.

Last week the manager of a local hotel dined with us and stayed 3 hours. He was with employees.

They were the last to leave by 30 minutes.

Tonight the f&b director of a local business sat for 3 hours and was the last to leave by 40 minutes.

I just don’t get it.

You’re in the business. You know people want to go home. You know it’s costing the business money.

Yet you stay and stay.

The last time I was the last person in a restaurant was in 2007.

Seriously.

Don’t do that.

It’s not nice.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Yesterday I replied to an applicant asking is she could come in at 1:00 on Friday.

She wrote back and said 1:00 didn’t work, how about 4:00.

I suggested 3:00.

She wrote back and said great. I’ll see you at 4:00.

I wrote back and said, we won’t be doing 4:00. Thank you for applying.

I’ll let you know if she writes back.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

We opened a new restaurant this week.

The hate has been stron on social media.

Tonight I came across a post that called Chef a moron for changing the concept.

The person continued to comment on posts about decor, pricing, the menus, the concept.

I could hold my tongue no more.

I posted the following:

John if you hate the Chef and the concept so much why have you applied multiple times to work there. And please refrain from comments till you’ve tried it. You have no idea what it looks like. You haven’t been in.

Yes the memorabilia is gone. As are the rodents that resided in the walls. The raccoon that lived in the dining room. And the three years of filth.

And you loved the previous restaurant. They charged 12 bucks for an Allagash. Their prices were higher and the quality wasn’t there.

The Ramp we all know and loved ceased to exist when Pete and Kate sold. We all loved it as well.

The restaurant was for sale for two years. You had every chance to purchase it turn it into a museum and honor the history. You chose not to.

Chef German is a brilliant chef. He’s a kind man. And he’s been great for the community.

Things change. For good. For worse. They change.

But I don’t understand the people who wish for this venture to fail. Who won’t give it a chance. The prices aren’t set to take advantage as the last owners did. They are based on a need to cover labor, food, and a mortgage. Yes. There are people who will find the prices expensive. But the quality, talent and decor support the cost of each item.

Now a big shout out to everyone who made our first weekend a success. We looking forward to hosting all of you this summer as we continue to strive to be the best we can be.

Seriously.

Anyone could have purchased the property. It WAS for sell for two years.

To my knowledge there was one offer and they backed out. And they’d have changed it as well.

PS. It’s a beautiful space.

PSS. The food is delicious.

PSSS. The rats and the raccoon are gone.

And most importantly my feet no longer stick to the floor.

Come see for yourself. You’ll love it.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

As I said we opened the doors quietly on Friday.

We were very quiet.

On Friday we posted that we were open on social media.

95% of the responses were overwhelmingly positive.

The other 5% were horrible.

The building Chef bought has has a restaurant in it since 1927.

However, for the past 20 years or so it’s been called Pier77 and The Ramp.

Upstairs fine dining was Pier 77.

Downstairs was a pub called The Ramp. It was covered in sports memorabilia, political posters and stickers. The walls were covered in signatures.

It has been a iconic bar and beloved spot to grab a burger and a beer for forever.

The original owners sold in 2016.

The folks who bought it were only interested in making money. The restaurant has a million dollar view and they charged for it. 12 dollar Allagash Beers.

They weren’t interest in the upkeep of the building. Or quality. Just revenue.

The restaurant was for sale for more than 2 years when Chef bought it.

It was listed at 3.5 million originally.

They started dropping the price last summer, until it was a reasonable price.

Chef bought it.

And since December, the building has gone through a complete renovation. Not because we wanted to but because we had to.

Nothing was up to code. Things were falling apart.

My feet stuck to the floor as I walked through the kitchen and dining room.

The floors hadn’t been swept in forever.

As the renovation started their was much discussion of what to do with the pub. Keep it as is. Removal. Rediscover.

However, two days before Xmas we had a huge nor’easter. During high tide. Around a foot of water collected in the pub.

This sealed the deal. The memorabilia had to go.

And now, you’d think we committed the crime of the century.

The locals as they refer to themselves hate us. No respect for history. Taking advantage. Outsiders.

Here’s the thing.

The new space is beautiful.

The prices are less than 2 years ago.

And yes we got rid of the memorabilia although it’s in storage as Chef looks for a buyer.

But we also got rid of the dirt. The grime.

When the kitchen walls were opened they were filled with dead rats. The construction team found rats and mice everywhere. The ceilings were filled with droppings.

There was a live raccoon that lived under the dining room floor.

Yes the pub was remodeled but now it’s safe to eat there.

And it’s sad because we don’t respond because we don’t want the fight.

Someone actually told Chef to go suck an egg.

Meanwhile the new space is stunning. It’s still a bar. The food is amazing. The service is great.

Its an improvement.

And based on Saturday and Sunday it will be very successful.

But if you wanted to go to our Facebook and instagram page and lift us up I wouldn’t say no.

PS. No. Proofreading.

It’s 3:40.

I worked 65 hours in 5 days.

I’m going to bed.

Don’t call because I won’t be up till 4:00.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

The first real shift at the new restaurant went great.

As for the rest of my day.

We fielded at least ten calls today asking us about gift cards.

For the previous restaurant.

Plus several emails.

Plus a hand written letter from a week ago.

No one seems to understand we didn’t buy the business. We bought the real estate.

We aren’t honoring the old gift cards.

And I can’t tell you how to get your money back.

And I’m sad that you have a $150 gift card.

But there’s nothing I can do.

However perhaps drinking a beer on our patio will help.