Tonight as a couple was leaving I asked how their dinner was.

He said fucking amazing.

His wife went to the restroom.

He asked me how I liked hosting at the restaurant.

Hmmm.

I replied.

I enjoy it. Just not as much as I enjoy being the GM.

He didn’t know what to say back.

I explained that I was the best paid host in southern Maine.

He laughed.

I then said, not necessarily a well paid manager but definitely a well paid host.

We continued to chat.

They were super happy.

I explained that I loved being the face of the restaurant and chatting g with the guests.

His wife came out of the restaurant.

They leave.

They were happy.

I was happy.

Yay.

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Sometimes you are made speechless by the most unexpected people.

There is a couple that comes in every Saturday night. I’ve written about them. They are funny. We joke with each other.

Last night on their way out I asked them how their dinner was.

He responds horrible. Awful. I think we got food poisoning.

I replied, sounds about right but fun fact you dont get food poisoning that fast. It takes about 24 hours.

He replied.

We know. We got food poisoning at a ch*#k restaurant last year.

I choked on my reply.

Thanked them for coming in.

And I walked away, thinking to myself that my first impression of them wasn’t as far off as I thought it was.

We got the following survey back today. He gave us a score of 70 with the following feedback.

……..

the steaks, food and service are always outstanding. I love the place and have recommended to many others. I have only one criticism. The management policy of a 2 hour meal, pushing customers to order their entrees quickly and refusal to seat customers at your bar for a quick drink even when reservations are not oversold detracts from the otherwise high quality of the experience. Its a rough edge to an otherwise outstanding experience.

………..

Yes.

Our reservation site asks that you limit your experience to 2 hours so that we may serve as many of our guests as possible.

Fun fact.

Not one server leads with this. Mentions this. Enforces this.

Only twice since I’ve worked here have I asked someone to get up.

Both times it was guests I’d sat after I explained that I could accommodate them, but I needed to table back by a certain time.

No one asks them day of to limit their stay. No one asks them to get up after 2 hours.

And they stayed more than 3 hours. So I know this was true.

As for the bar.

This group arrived fifteen minutes before their reservation. Their table was ready. I sat them.

Fifteen minutes is not enough time to sit at the bar. Get waited on. Enjoy your drink. Pay. And be ready to be seated in 15 minutes.

And I stand by my belief that if you need a drink that badly you seriously need a meeting far more than a drink.

As for not being reserved.

How do you know? A common misconception is that an empty chair means an available spot to sit. You have no idea what the reservations are. And not being over sold is different than being reserved?

On the night he was here the bar did 35 covers. So I’m pretty sure if there were empty chairs they weren’t empty for long.

PS. It wa 2 criticisms. Not 1.

Something that I will never understand are people who support the industry that don’t comprehend how the industry works.

For example.

The time to make a sales call is not at 4:50 on Friday evening when I’m trying to get the doors open.

Tonight at 4:50 a man is banging on the front door.

I tried to ignore him because we are still scurrying around trying to cross our t’s and dot our i’s.

He’s persistent.

I go to the door.

He holds up a bottle and a business card and says he’s there to discuss his companies cleaning supplies.

I said not at 4:50 on Friday night. I take his sample and card and close the door and lock it.

About 5 or six weeks ago a winecrep showed up at 5:15 on a Friday night. He stands in line with all the other people wanting to get seated.

I ask him if he has a reservation.

He says no. That he’s actually here to speak to someone about his wine portfolio. He asks if the owner or the manager is available to taste some things.

I laugh.

Out loud.

And I say not at 5:15 on Friday night.

The owner is cooking. I’m the manager and I’ll be on the door till 10:00.

He asks if he can wait.

I say perhaps you could leave your card. He doesn’t have a card.

I’m handed a catalog.

And they leave.

And I’m still amazed they are in the business without understanding you don’t sell your wares on the 2nd busiest day of the week.

I came home without a thing to write about today.

Work was great.

Everyone was nice.

Nothing but compliments at the door.

We were fairly busy for a Wednesday too.

So we’ll just be grateful and leave it at that!

Tonight I had reservations for dinner with some coworkers. We had about 45 minutes to kill so we met at a bar near the restaurant.

We gathered in the bar at a table.

The bartender presented us with menus immediately. Told us about happy hour etc.

And she never came back.

Nope.

Never.

They weren’t busy. There were six people on one side. And one person near us.

The clock ticked. And ticked.

At first we were amused.

Then we watched her make a drink.

And then talk to the one person sitting near us.

Then make a service drink.

And we sat there. And sat there.

And I’m pretending that it’s okay because I suggested the bar.

But after 15 minutes I finally say. Okay. This was a bad idea and we left.

And I don’t think the bartender even noticed.

Instead we went to the bar of the restaurant we had reservations at and had oysters and cocktails.

We didn’t complain. Or make a scene. It just made me sad.

Around 7:00 I’m standing in my office door when a man enters the lobby.

I ask him how his dinner was.

He’s says it was okay.

I step into the lobby and say just okay?

He says, I don’t mean to complain but it wasn’t very good. Neither of our steaks were cooked well. Mine was over cooked

I interrupt to ask if he sent it back.

He did not.

He continues. His wife’s steak was so full of gristle, that she couldn’t eat it.

He continues saying this is his third time here and it’s never been good. The quality is less than stellar and sometimes barely edible.

He then says, he noticed a lot of people eating burgers at the bar and maybe we should just stick to burgers.

I kind of apologize.

He leaves.

90 seconds later he’s standing in my door wanting to know where we source our meat, because he used to be in the business and says we should definitely be ordering a better quality.

I thank him for his advice.

He leaves.

A few points.

Yes, people at the bar eat burgers. People at the bar also eat 175 dollar Wagyu tomahawk ribeyes so there’s that.

I speak to about 80% of the people who come in our restaurant. 99.999 of them love it.

When I ask how their dinners were:

Do you even need to ask?

We’ve never had a bad meal here.

This was the best steak I’ve ever had.

This place is amazing.

So.

For the same man to have had three bad experiences either means he has the worst luck ever or he’s never going to be happy.

I know what I think.

Tonight around 5:30, a server approached me in the office to let me know a guest was unhappy.

She’d ordered a medium rare filet. And she was insisting it came out medium well.

The server suggested they’d perhaps they’d given her, her husbands filet by mistake. But no. His was great.

The server had taken the steak back to the kitchen and shown the chef the steak.

His head might have exploded.

Why you ask?

The server said the chef wanted to see me.

So I walk through the dining room so I can get a look at the table.

I get to the kitchen, and the chef hands me the plate. It’s the picture of a perfect medium rare filet. Like they’d put this steak in a magazine as to what it should look like.

The chef looks at me and says I’m not cooking her another one. This one is perfect.

I ask what he wants me to do.

He says I don’t care. She can leave for all I care. I shouldn’t have to pay for a steak that was prepared exactly as she ordered it.

I ask him to replate the steak.

And I take it back to the table.

I set it down in front of the woman and say, my server said you asked for your steak to be prepared medium rare. This is a picture perfect medium rare. We are confused as to why you sent it back.

She looks at me.

I look at her.

I should point out that when she first got the steak she cut it into five or six pieces. Don’t do this if there is a chance you might send it

I walk away.

Thirty seconds later the server comes back to the kitchen with the steak and says she’s refusing to eat it.

The chef eventually sends out a black and blue steak which she still complains about.

She did tip well.

But informed the server that she was appalled that I brought the steak back to the table. That I was rude and inappropriate. She then asked for my name and the server said it’s Jeff. He’s our general manager.

I can’t wait to field that call next week.

Around 5:30 tonight the host comes up to me saying a woman on the phone is insisting she talk to me.

I ask who she is, and I’m informed that the woman wants to make a reservation for the chef’s table in two weeks. The host has done what she has been instructed to do. She has told the woman that she will make a note of the request but she can’t guarantee it will be available.

The woman is insisting that she speak to me.

I tell the host to take her name and number and that I will call her back. It’s 5:30 on Saturday night. It will wait.

The information is gathered.

The evening continues.

Around 7:00 during the middle of the 2nd turn I’m at the host stand. The phone rings. I pick up and it’s a woman who is outraged that I have not called her back yet. It’s been 90 minutes. It’s a Saturday night.

She asks if I’m Jeff. I say no. She then complains about me and wants to know if her reservation has been made. I explain it has not been made. She makes it. No mention of the chef’s table.

Seriously. Read the room.

I’m trying to decide now if I should call her back tomorrow.

We were busy tonight. But not as busy as the past few Saturday nights.

We were all chatting about it and someone mentioned that it might because of Lent. We are a steak house and people do give up meat, alcohol etc for Lent.

What are your thoughts.

PS. It also snowed today, so maybe you know it’s Winter.