I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

First.

I just re read my posts from the last few days.

Please know I’m not stupid.

But I reverted to writing my posts on my phone. In bed. So I don’t end up at my computer for 4 hours.

The autocorrect is the worst.

Now.

I guarantee that my staff’s interest is peaked.

I had a tough shift tonight.

It was a comedy of errors.

Seriously.

And I managed to offend everyone.

But that’s not what I’m writing about.

We had our first table with two reservations wanting to sit together tonight.

I was at the new restaurant when they arrived so they were accommodated.

They sat at 8:30.

Everything was fine except the who table would go out to smoke.

Every 15 minutes.

And they were gone for forever.

6 of them.

It took forever to get a dessert order because they smoking so long.

At 10:30 the moved from their table to the bar.

They’d been the only table for 30 minutes.

The bartenders has been gone just as long.

They were chatting. Making out. Going out to smoke.

I gave them till 10:45 and then did some thing I’ve never done before.

I got up, turned around and said, okay folks. Time to go.

They were very nice.

We packaged up their wine.

Said good night.

And they were out the door.

I don’t feel guilty.

Now back to the comedy of errors.

It’s almost a full moon.

And we’ll leave it at that.

PS. Thank you for not quitting. 😀😀😀

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Here was my day.

Alarm was set at 8:00.

A/C guys woke me an hour before that.

Did I mentioned that yesterday Adam called me to the window to show me how cute they all were.

I went to bed at 2:00.

Turned off the light at 3:00.

I get up and go to get to my appointment.

I’m exhausted.

My appointment goes well.

I can have one more shot before surgery.

I stop for a soda water at McDonald’s.

And start toward work.

I can hardly hold my eyes open.

I decide I need a nap. Or I’m not going to make it.

I end up parking at a park across from the restaurant.

I’m in the shade.

I turn up the A/C, put a jacket over me. Put my seat back and nap for 90 minutes.

I’m still napping when I get a text that some gas come for an interview.

I tell him I’ll be there in 30 minutes and nap some more.

I get to work.

My interview is there.

All goes well till he tells me he is going to Scotland for 16 days in July.

I thank him but say sorry.

I get caught up.

My emails are answered.

The calls are answered.

A girk comes for an interview. She’ll get hired tomorrow.

Then a guy comes in. He is not on my calendar. Perhaps I made a mistake.

I interview him.

He doesn’t have experience as a server.

I them tell him what I’ve told lots of people.

I don’t/can’t/won’t hire people to serve without experience

I don’t have the bandwidth.

Or the dollars to give someone basic training.

You need to know about food and wine. You need to be able to open a bottle of wine. You need to understand the principals.

I go on to say GO TO THE MALL.

So many people I know got their starts at the mall.

Me.

My first real waiting job was at Bennigan’s.

A server at work started at Red Lobster.

Corporate restaurants have trading dollars.

They can teach you the basics the spend a week making sure you can do it.

Corporate restaurants also have steps of service you must adhere to. I don’t like them all but it servers understand when I say make sure the bread basket is off the table at the end of the meal.

He seemed annoyed when he left.

But he’ll never work in a high end restaurant unless he gets the training.

PS. As I said to someone today. No one wakes up and says I want to be a restaurant manager. They don’t say they want to be a server.

But serving will pay for a master’s degree.

Server will send you to Greece on vacation.

And serving us a respectable way to make a living. I know servers here in Maine making six figures working as a server. I know servers making more than me work 25 hours a week.

So get the experience.

Grow.

Be best.

My staff arrives.

It’s a good night.

But this time of year. With the patio open. The inside business is quiet because we split it with the patio.

That being said.

It was a long but easy night.

My day was really capped off with my meeting with Chef.

I told him about my anxiety.

I told him about my concerns.

I told him about the things that keep me up at night.

He was very kind. And reminded me of why I work there.

We addressed the things we could.

An assistant is the most important.

I have another interview on Sunday. A candidate from a restaurant group I should write about. interviewed there in 2018.

All in all a great day.

Talking about my struggles right now is freeing.

And many of my staff read this.

I just want do a good job. But when you have 543,865 balls in the air. You drop one every so often.

And I’ll end by saying my team is my saving grace.

They get me coffee so I don’t have to negotiate stairs.

The get me soda water.

They work hunches at the new restaurant as supervisors so I can get caught up.

They move my laptop from my car to the office to the car again.

And last but not least they know about the phone call and stick around to escort me to my car. So I don’t get hit over the head.

Actually last last but not least.

We’ll two actually.

Chef told me to stop running at work tonight. When we have a re-cook. I run it. So I can check in and make sure all is well. It means moving quickly. He told me to stop tonight. And protect my knee.

We also changed parking rules tonight.

I offered to park farther away.

He told me to park closer.

To park hugging the line of the dodge the runners use to get to the patio. They can still get by. And I’m next to the back door.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!!

Today.

Was.

A.

Day.

It started out in the shitter.

And ended awesomely.

First.

I’m fucking stressed.

And I’ve learned in the past 58 years, but mostly in the last two, that to hold on to it makes it worse.

I don’t hide it. I don’t pretend it’s not happening.

I just say It’s all good. Which is how everyone I work with knows there’s a restaurant called Saul Good in Kentucky.

That being said. I’m stressed.

I had the mother of all anxiety attacks last night getting ready for bed.

Heart racing.

Nauseous.

Cold sweat.

Shaking.

I shared all this with Adam when I came to bed.

Share it and it will get better.

He talked me off the ledge

Mostly by reminding me that in 12 months we’l be saying remember last year when everything was a disaster.

I finished my bourbon. Turned off the light. And had work dreams all night.

I got to work still off kilter.

I said good morning to everyone at the new restaurant.

It was 11:08.

I have a supervisor who is cover lunch shifts as much as he can.

Then I headed to my old restaurant.

I have not been there during the day in three weeks.

In fact the lovely woman who cleans for us, was so excited to see me. It’s usually just the two of us for at least a few hours each day.

She told me how much she missed me and how lonely it was without me.

I made coffee.

I set up my computer.

Only to realize my battery was dead.

My charger was at the new restaurant.

I decide I’ll check and write down all the messages first. Then head to get my charger and then return calls.

I hit play.

It’s a woman wanting a reservation for Saturday.

I record her number.

Hit delete.

The next message starts.

I listen.

2 minutes later it finishes.

I start it over.

I listen.

2 minutes later it finishes.

Who had Jeff getting called a F*G on voicemail today on their bingo card.

First.

This hasn’t happened in a long time.

Second.

I was taken aback.

A little frightened.

And a bit fucking mad.

Here’s the thing with a phone today. Especially one with a 1996 answering machine attached.

It has a recording. That is saved till I erase it.

It also has called ID.

Fun fact.

Before the message started I knew who you were.

When I recorded the message on my phone 5 minutes later I knew who you were.

I knew who you were when I told Chef about it.

I knew who you were when I followed Chef’s advice and called the police.

I knew who you were when I shared the recording with the hot detective (chef’s words or mine).

He knew who you were as well.

He knew you very well.

Here’s the thing.

You are probably harmless.

But so were lots of other people.

Till they weren’t.

I’ve written about the person three times.

But now there’s a public record of their harassment.

But.

That’s not why I shared this story.

Not at all.

I shared it because I was impressed with Chef’s defense of me. His employee.

He thought I should press charges. Phone harassment is a crime.

I chose a warning.

Most of all. It was a distraction.

And when I looked up at midnight tonight from my computer.

I realized it was a good day.

I’m caught up for 45 seconds.

And everything is good.

And my anxiety is at bay.

And I’ll have a/c when I get home tomorrow. M

And as I told the cop, I’ve been called worse by far smarter people.

And in truth.

I am a F*G.

With a capital F.

I hate that word.

But for the last 30 years I’ve never let it be used to degrade me.

Fuck that shit.

Now. It’s 3:00 am.

I gave to be at my knee doctor at 9:30.

I’m going to ge tired.

But it will have been so worth it.

PS. No editing tonight.

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.