Okay, it took a few minutes to sink in….but I got to experience something Friday night, that I don’t think lot of authors get to witness. (It was very cool)
I finally got all my T’s crossed and I’s dotted….and my book, The Bar Wench From Hell is finally in print once again. So I did what any author wanting to promote their book would do, I brought a stack of them to work with me. Well, since I had been emailing, facebooking and texting everyone telling them I would have them at the bar, I sort of had to.
Enter Fred and Jackie……it was Friday night….things were rolling along….and here they come…..walking to their table wanting to know where their books are! So I bring them a book, set it on the table (which is right in front of the bar) and Jackie wants to know where hers is! “You mean you want two?!?” Great!
The next thing I know, the singer, Deb, is announcing to everyone that we have an author in the crowd! As if on cue, Fred and Jackie start waving their books in the air like one would wave a giant foam finger at a football game!!!! Then she points to a guy at another table and tells me to drop one off there, he wants to see it too! Then the next table wants to see it! Then one of there servers tells me her table is gonna ask about the book!
As I’m standing back behind the bar perusing the crowd….I see 4 tables, all with books, and everyone is flipping through them. Then they put them down for a second, then pick them up again, read a few more lines…go back to the table of contents, something catches their eye and they flip through it some more. And they are chuckling and laughing!!!!
A singer or comedian goes on stage and gets instant feedback. I can’t think of when an author got a group of people together, passed out books, “On your mark, get set, read!” The feedback comes after the fact.
So it was a rare opportunity indeed, to actually SEE peoples reactions.
I was a little blown away….humbled…and truly grateful for the experience.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Does doing something 200 times make it a habit?
I’ve heard many things over the years about how may times you have to do something before it becomes a habit. “You have to do something 7 days in a row, and then it becomes a habit” Or, “It takes two weeks to develop a habit,” or “After 28 consecutive days, you will have developed a habit.” Yesterday, I wrote my 200th blog! I’m pretty sure I may have fallen into the habit category.
When I started writing these blogs, I was working at a corporate restaurant, shortly after that, I was fired. Then I had to give up my apartment and move in with my son. I was sued…actually didn’t even know when the court date was…..but the outcome would’ve been the same….my book was published and available online…..didn’t have enough money to buy any copies myself….but I kept writing this blog 5 days a week.
Then my publisher ran afoul of….whatever…..never got paid for the books that were sold….but I kept writing the blog.
Started my own publishing company…..as most things, it took much longer to get going than I had originally anticipated, was more frustrating than I thought it would be….but I kept on writing this blog….
But that old saying, “Keep on keeping on” kept running through my mind…..(I think of that as the “hippie” version of “Keep putting one foot in front of the other“)
So now at long last….my book is once again available! It can be found at the Barnes & Noble website, just type in the title, The Bar Wench From Hell, and it’ll pop up. (To me, that’s magic) Or…you can come and see me at work, at The Courthouse Grille, in Plymouth, Michigan…..I’ll have copies with me.
Since I seem to have developed a habit, I’ll keep on writing this blog. I think it’s really cool that I got to celebrate two things in one day, my 200th blog was written on the same day my box of books arrived. I’m feeling pretty good about all of this…..I have but one word to say: “WHEW!”
When I started writing these blogs, I was working at a corporate restaurant, shortly after that, I was fired. Then I had to give up my apartment and move in with my son. I was sued…actually didn’t even know when the court date was…..but the outcome would’ve been the same….my book was published and available online…..didn’t have enough money to buy any copies myself….but I kept writing this blog 5 days a week.
Then my publisher ran afoul of….whatever…..never got paid for the books that were sold….but I kept writing the blog.
Started my own publishing company…..as most things, it took much longer to get going than I had originally anticipated, was more frustrating than I thought it would be….but I kept on writing this blog….
But that old saying, “Keep on keeping on” kept running through my mind…..(I think of that as the “hippie” version of “Keep putting one foot in front of the other“)
So now at long last….my book is once again available! It can be found at the Barnes & Noble website, just type in the title, The Bar Wench From Hell, and it’ll pop up. (To me, that’s magic) Or…you can come and see me at work, at The Courthouse Grille, in Plymouth, Michigan…..I’ll have copies with me.
Since I seem to have developed a habit, I’ll keep on writing this blog. I think it’s really cool that I got to celebrate two things in one day, my 200th blog was written on the same day my box of books arrived. I’m feeling pretty good about all of this…..I have but one word to say: “WHEW!”
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Yay for Ace bandages!
When you’re in your 50’s, it’s not always easy running around waiting tables or tending bar for 6 to 12 hours at a stretch! (Especially when there are stairs involved) you’ve gotta be on your game in order to keep up with the 20 somethings.
After a couple of decades, you start to feel the wear and tear on your joints. When you’re in your third decade of this, it becomes a question of not whether anything is going to be sore today, but which one(s) will be aching. The knees are a given…sometimes it’s the ankle. The last couple of days, it’s been the left elbow. That’s my tray arm, I sort of need it.
This is where I give a big thanks to Ace Bandages1 Not the old-fashioned ones, that you had to wrap round and round, but for the ones that you can just pull on, over the aching joint of choice for the day.
I have acquired the full set over the years. The ones that support the knees are the ones I use the most. Today I have to dig out the elbow wrap, haven’t used it in years. The pictures that keep going through my mind are, A- having my elbow give out in the middle of lowering a big tray of plates, elbow gives out and I dump the whole thing, or B- I realize I can’t set the tray down, and stand in the middle of the dining room, trying to look as casual as one can with a loaded tray on their shoulder, while trying to get the attention of another server to come and help me with it.
So again, thank you Ace, for allowing me to avoid the potentially embarrassing situations of A or B!
After a couple of decades, you start to feel the wear and tear on your joints. When you’re in your third decade of this, it becomes a question of not whether anything is going to be sore today, but which one(s) will be aching. The knees are a given…sometimes it’s the ankle. The last couple of days, it’s been the left elbow. That’s my tray arm, I sort of need it.
This is where I give a big thanks to Ace Bandages1 Not the old-fashioned ones, that you had to wrap round and round, but for the ones that you can just pull on, over the aching joint of choice for the day.
I have acquired the full set over the years. The ones that support the knees are the ones I use the most. Today I have to dig out the elbow wrap, haven’t used it in years. The pictures that keep going through my mind are, A- having my elbow give out in the middle of lowering a big tray of plates, elbow gives out and I dump the whole thing, or B- I realize I can’t set the tray down, and stand in the middle of the dining room, trying to look as casual as one can with a loaded tray on their shoulder, while trying to get the attention of another server to come and help me with it.
So again, thank you Ace, for allowing me to avoid the potentially embarrassing situations of A or B!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The nitty gritty on coupons, separate checks and tipping.......
Okay, just like the heading says, let’s get to the nitty gritty of things…..
We’ll start with coupons. (Many people don’t need to hear this, but then, many do) The idea of the coupon is to get in the door. Judging from the number of coupons we are getting, apparently this is working. The value of these coupons ranges anywhere from $5.00 to $75.00, and you must spend a minimum amount of money in order to use them. One coupon even states that 18% gratuity will be added to the original amount of the bill.
Let’s say you just got $25.00 subtracted form your dinner for 2. That’s a significant savings. HOWEVER, it does not give you license to rip off your server. Don’t go cheap on us, (we have bills to pay, too) tip on the full amount of the original bill! Let’s look at it this way….suppose you work at a department store, they are having a huge sale, and then inform you that since they lowered prices, they are also lowering your pay for the week since they won't be bringing in as much revenue. (Not a happy thought)
Now for the separate check thing…..one day last week, me and another server split the dining room at lunch…..between a table of 11, and 2 tables of 12, we had to figure out 35 separate checks! This takes time, folks! Our tipping policy for groups of 8 or more, allows us to add 18% gratuity to all checks. Some people seem upset by this, so I always tell everyone, “Normally we add 18% gratuity on groups of 8 or more, however, I didn’t do this, I’m going to leave it up to you.”
Again, not a license to go cheap on us. Please realize we did a lot of extra work for in keeping track of who had what, and then separating and printing 12 checks. Not to mention, it is busy, and we are in a time crunch.
We’re glad you saved money, everyone likes to save money, but the line between tipping on the original bill and tipping on the discounted bill is not a fine one. It’s a big fat statement that you don’t want to hear.
We’ll start with coupons. (Many people don’t need to hear this, but then, many do) The idea of the coupon is to get in the door. Judging from the number of coupons we are getting, apparently this is working. The value of these coupons ranges anywhere from $5.00 to $75.00, and you must spend a minimum amount of money in order to use them. One coupon even states that 18% gratuity will be added to the original amount of the bill.
Let’s say you just got $25.00 subtracted form your dinner for 2. That’s a significant savings. HOWEVER, it does not give you license to rip off your server. Don’t go cheap on us, (we have bills to pay, too) tip on the full amount of the original bill! Let’s look at it this way….suppose you work at a department store, they are having a huge sale, and then inform you that since they lowered prices, they are also lowering your pay for the week since they won't be bringing in as much revenue. (Not a happy thought)
Now for the separate check thing…..one day last week, me and another server split the dining room at lunch…..between a table of 11, and 2 tables of 12, we had to figure out 35 separate checks! This takes time, folks! Our tipping policy for groups of 8 or more, allows us to add 18% gratuity to all checks. Some people seem upset by this, so I always tell everyone, “Normally we add 18% gratuity on groups of 8 or more, however, I didn’t do this, I’m going to leave it up to you.”
Again, not a license to go cheap on us. Please realize we did a lot of extra work for in keeping track of who had what, and then separating and printing 12 checks. Not to mention, it is busy, and we are in a time crunch.
We’re glad you saved money, everyone likes to save money, but the line between tipping on the original bill and tipping on the discounted bill is not a fine one. It’s a big fat statement that you don’t want to hear.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Uncontrollables......
Like everyone else who works, we do it for money. However, there are many circumstances that are totally out of our control.
I was scheduled to work a memorial luncheon yesterday, that we painstakingly set up for 80 people. We had to start out by dragging five extra tables into the room we were using…these were not small tables, they each sat eight. Then we set up a coffee bar…then we had to move all the tables in the lounge so we could set up a buffet table, again dragging large tables through the restaurant….get five chafing pans ready….80 water glasses had to be polished, filled and set out….the carafes of ice water had to be put out on all 9 tables……and so on and so forth.
While we are in the middle of all this, the dining room got busier than expected, which is good, (but one of those uncontrollable things) so one of us to pick up a couple of tables.
Okay, so we step it up a notch, (there are 3 of us working this luncheon) start scurrying a little faster…..then 5 people show up really early….so in the midst of finishing our set up, we take care of them.
Alright, we’re finally good to go! All set for 80! Then we get a call informing us that there will only be about 50 people. Another uncontrollable. (That cuts our money almost in half) And then on top of that, it’s snowing. Actually it’s snowing pretty hard, which is screwing up the roads. Yep, you’ve got it, uncontrollable. Then, as if to pour salt in the wound, only 38 people show up. (uncontro….you know the drill) Okay, so now our money is at less than half of what we were expecting.
As we are standing there looking at the 42 unused place settings, 42 unused, polished and filled water glasses, four unnecessary tables that we dragged in…(that all have to be taken down and put back) and so on and so forth, we tell ourselves the only thing we can, “It’s more money than we had when we walked in the door.”
I was scheduled to work a memorial luncheon yesterday, that we painstakingly set up for 80 people. We had to start out by dragging five extra tables into the room we were using…these were not small tables, they each sat eight. Then we set up a coffee bar…then we had to move all the tables in the lounge so we could set up a buffet table, again dragging large tables through the restaurant….get five chafing pans ready….80 water glasses had to be polished, filled and set out….the carafes of ice water had to be put out on all 9 tables……and so on and so forth.
While we are in the middle of all this, the dining room got busier than expected, which is good, (but one of those uncontrollable things) so one of us to pick up a couple of tables.
Okay, so we step it up a notch, (there are 3 of us working this luncheon) start scurrying a little faster…..then 5 people show up really early….so in the midst of finishing our set up, we take care of them.
Alright, we’re finally good to go! All set for 80! Then we get a call informing us that there will only be about 50 people. Another uncontrollable. (That cuts our money almost in half) And then on top of that, it’s snowing. Actually it’s snowing pretty hard, which is screwing up the roads. Yep, you’ve got it, uncontrollable. Then, as if to pour salt in the wound, only 38 people show up. (uncontro….you know the drill) Okay, so now our money is at less than half of what we were expecting.
As we are standing there looking at the 42 unused place settings, 42 unused, polished and filled water glasses, four unnecessary tables that we dragged in…(that all have to be taken down and put back) and so on and so forth, we tell ourselves the only thing we can, “It’s more money than we had when we walked in the door.”
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Hey! Mother Nature! What gives?!?
Okay, so a short time ago I told you about the night we had a party of 100 booked, and it snowed, and the roads were terrible, and it took three times as long to get anywhere…..and only 50 people showed up. Had it snowed the day before or the day after, it wouldn’t have affected the party.
Now we’re looking forward to working Friday and Saturday night….should be nice and busy….no snow in the forecast…..however it got ridiculously cold. If I didn’t have to work, I probably would not have left the house….so a huge thank you to all those who braved the elements and came out.
We only had about half the crowd of a normal Friday night. Oh we still had fun… we always do. Of course twice the people would have made it twice as fun.
On the plus side, at 10:00 p.m. we were out the door. The thermometer on my car said it was 2 degrees outside. No wonder everyone stayed home.
The small town that we are on the outskirts of, about a mile down the road, (that used to sit off by itself until it got gobbled up by suburbia) was having it’s annual “Ice Festival.“ We were hoping to get part of the crowd from that. It’s not so far fetched…..this is a big festival, people come from all over the world to compete in the ice carving! You know, come to think of it…..it seems every year when they have the festival, it’s either single digit temperatures, or it’s in the 40’s and everything melts.
Saturday night was a little better, but I think that’s because everyone was a little stir crazy from holding themselves house bound on Friday night.
It’s supposed to warm up tomorrow…it’ll be in the 20's! Oooooh…nice and balmy….can leave the gloves in my pocket. Something just ain’t right when you’re hoping for a warm 20 degree day.
Now we’re looking forward to working Friday and Saturday night….should be nice and busy….no snow in the forecast…..however it got ridiculously cold. If I didn’t have to work, I probably would not have left the house….so a huge thank you to all those who braved the elements and came out.
We only had about half the crowd of a normal Friday night. Oh we still had fun… we always do. Of course twice the people would have made it twice as fun.
On the plus side, at 10:00 p.m. we were out the door. The thermometer on my car said it was 2 degrees outside. No wonder everyone stayed home.
The small town that we are on the outskirts of, about a mile down the road, (that used to sit off by itself until it got gobbled up by suburbia) was having it’s annual “Ice Festival.“ We were hoping to get part of the crowd from that. It’s not so far fetched…..this is a big festival, people come from all over the world to compete in the ice carving! You know, come to think of it…..it seems every year when they have the festival, it’s either single digit temperatures, or it’s in the 40’s and everything melts.
Saturday night was a little better, but I think that’s because everyone was a little stir crazy from holding themselves house bound on Friday night.
It’s supposed to warm up tomorrow…it’ll be in the 20's! Oooooh…nice and balmy….can leave the gloves in my pocket. Something just ain’t right when you’re hoping for a warm 20 degree day.
Friday, January 21, 2011
You can't always pick your crowd.....
As much as we would like to, (when tending the bar) we can’t always pick our own customers. There will always be those in the crowd who drive you up the wall. And just to pour salt in the wound, they always seem to be the one’s who show up when no one else is there. They have the SAME conversation every time they are there, and it wasn’t interesting from the get go.
This is exactly what happened last night. This guy comes in, sits down and start “the conversation”. (I could probably record my answers and just play it back, complete with pauses) To keep yourself from going insane, you find things to make you look like you are busy, like polishing bottles.
The owner comes back behind the bar, does his obligatory hello, chats for a minute….but he’s always got an escape….there’s always something (real or imagined) that needs his attention.
Finally, someone else comes in. Whew! Someone else to talk to! He’s one of our regulars…I start talking to him, interesting guy….the owner wanders back around again, he starts talking to him, we both glom onto him so as to avoid Mr. Duller-than-Dirt. It’s almost as if we are jockeying for position….. (Talk to me! No, talk to ME!) Neither one of us wants to go back to the other end of the bar.
Wouldn’t ya know it…they both end up leaving about the same time. Now there’s just me and the owner. Kind of feels like we’re the last two kids left on the playground, all the other kids left and took their toys with them. Oh well, at least it’s time to clean up and go home.
This is exactly what happened last night. This guy comes in, sits down and start “the conversation”. (I could probably record my answers and just play it back, complete with pauses) To keep yourself from going insane, you find things to make you look like you are busy, like polishing bottles.
The owner comes back behind the bar, does his obligatory hello, chats for a minute….but he’s always got an escape….there’s always something (real or imagined) that needs his attention.
Finally, someone else comes in. Whew! Someone else to talk to! He’s one of our regulars…I start talking to him, interesting guy….the owner wanders back around again, he starts talking to him, we both glom onto him so as to avoid Mr. Duller-than-Dirt. It’s almost as if we are jockeying for position….. (Talk to me! No, talk to ME!) Neither one of us wants to go back to the other end of the bar.
Wouldn’t ya know it…they both end up leaving about the same time. Now there’s just me and the owner. Kind of feels like we’re the last two kids left on the playground, all the other kids left and took their toys with them. Oh well, at least it’s time to clean up and go home.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Happenstance
Happenstance. Love that word. That’s best way I can describe last night.
It started out like any other Wednesday night…..there was a banquet going on, the dining room had some traffic, and the bar was slow. Then all of a sudden two old friends from high school showed up, to talk a little business. One is a musician who broke the top 100 of the Nashville’s Music Row chart, and is currently at #62. The other is a promoter who’s worked with some of the top names in the music industry. Then….. A local publisher comes in (who’s helping me with my book)…I told him the musician had read my book, and the musician said since he knew me, he read it my voice. I thought that was pretty cool…..well…..it made for really interesting conversation.
A short time later the publisher had to leave. Then the owner comes behind the bar and starts talking to the other two. What do they start talking about? Restaurants! Then they moved on to politics. I became an observer. It was fascinating to watch three such different people share their views.
The owner used to be pretty high up with one of the Big 3 auto companies…turns out they all knew some people in common. (Ya gotta love this small world stuff) They kept talking….the restaurant emptied out…. The rest of the staff was gone, they kept talking. So I kept listening and observing. These guys were having a blast! More than an hour after everyone else had gone, this little impromptu soiree broke up.
Moral of the story: Sometimes you learn a whole lot more by listening.
It started out like any other Wednesday night…..there was a banquet going on, the dining room had some traffic, and the bar was slow. Then all of a sudden two old friends from high school showed up, to talk a little business. One is a musician who broke the top 100 of the Nashville’s Music Row chart, and is currently at #62. The other is a promoter who’s worked with some of the top names in the music industry. Then….. A local publisher comes in (who’s helping me with my book)…I told him the musician had read my book, and the musician said since he knew me, he read it my voice. I thought that was pretty cool…..well…..it made for really interesting conversation.
A short time later the publisher had to leave. Then the owner comes behind the bar and starts talking to the other two. What do they start talking about? Restaurants! Then they moved on to politics. I became an observer. It was fascinating to watch three such different people share their views.
The owner used to be pretty high up with one of the Big 3 auto companies…turns out they all knew some people in common. (Ya gotta love this small world stuff) They kept talking….the restaurant emptied out…. The rest of the staff was gone, they kept talking. So I kept listening and observing. These guys were having a blast! More than an hour after everyone else had gone, this little impromptu soiree broke up.
Moral of the story: Sometimes you learn a whole lot more by listening.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Walker Brigade
Yesterday was going to start out being a day a leisure, for a couple of hours, followed by running around getting a ton of stuff done. Or so I thought. Well……I thought wrong….I had checked the schedule that is always posted on the kitchen wall, and it said I was off yesterday. Guess what? Wrong schedule, it was from last week. I got a call asking where I was….so I had to hop to, pull on my uniform and make a mad dash to work. (Had to do a quick hair spray sculpture, my hair looked like a fright wig)
Upon arrival I see three large tables set up for two groups of 11 and a group of 12. Oh yeah, when I pulled in the parking lot, a senior citizen bus had pulled in just before I did. I beat them inside by about 10 minutes.
So enter…The Walker Brigade….and they were all wearing red hats. Once they finally got situated, we had a total of 5, yes count ‘em 5 walkers scattered about the table. (I do not mean this in a disparaging manner, I’m simply making an observation) They were concerned as to whether or not the walkers were in the way…we told them not to worry, we would move them as needed.
What really surprised us was when they started ordering wine! But, what the hell, why not, none of them were driving!
The next group started arriving, they were all ambulatory under their own power, however they were not sporting red hats, but were of a similar age group. I asked the owner (who is in his late 60’s) to run over with a pot of decaf and refill their cups. I glanced at the table while he was doing this…and when he came back to the kitchen told him, “Hey, they really enjoyed the attention from you, young stuff!”
The third group arrived and we had to rearrange the walkers so they could get to their table. Just as we were bringing the food out for table number 3, The Walker Brigade was leaving, thus creating a bottleneck in the aisle we needed to use….so we had to circumnavigate the dining room…creating new aisles where there were none, moving chairs with our feet and squeezing between tables while hoisting trays over people’s heads.
Did I mention that between these 3 tables we had a total of 34 separate checks?
My day off finally began at 3:30.
Upon arrival I see three large tables set up for two groups of 11 and a group of 12. Oh yeah, when I pulled in the parking lot, a senior citizen bus had pulled in just before I did. I beat them inside by about 10 minutes.
So enter…The Walker Brigade….and they were all wearing red hats. Once they finally got situated, we had a total of 5, yes count ‘em 5 walkers scattered about the table. (I do not mean this in a disparaging manner, I’m simply making an observation) They were concerned as to whether or not the walkers were in the way…we told them not to worry, we would move them as needed.
What really surprised us was when they started ordering wine! But, what the hell, why not, none of them were driving!
The next group started arriving, they were all ambulatory under their own power, however they were not sporting red hats, but were of a similar age group. I asked the owner (who is in his late 60’s) to run over with a pot of decaf and refill their cups. I glanced at the table while he was doing this…and when he came back to the kitchen told him, “Hey, they really enjoyed the attention from you, young stuff!”
The third group arrived and we had to rearrange the walkers so they could get to their table. Just as we were bringing the food out for table number 3, The Walker Brigade was leaving, thus creating a bottleneck in the aisle we needed to use….so we had to circumnavigate the dining room…creating new aisles where there were none, moving chairs with our feet and squeezing between tables while hoisting trays over people’s heads.
Did I mention that between these 3 tables we had a total of 34 separate checks?
My day off finally began at 3:30.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
More than meets the eye......
I went in yesterday to work a memorial luncheon…we used to call them funeral luncheons, but I guess memorial luncheon has become the more politically correct term now.
Anyways…..I just wanted to point out a few things to those who think this may be really easy, or have never worked in a restaurant.
We arrive one and half to two hours early to set up, and this is no easy job. We completely understand that there is no way to give an exact number of people on these events, so we set up for the max. Yesterday we set up for 70. Annnnnd…..it was in a room on the lower level, so EVERYTHING had to be carried down the stairs, and there are 17 steps to the flight of stairs.
We set up a coffee bar, had to bring down the big coffee urns to keep it hot…but we still had to brew the coffee upstairs, one pot at a time, pour it in the urn. Then there’s the coffee cups, saucers, spoons, cream, you get the picture. None of these are particularly heavy items , but you can only carry so much at a time, so you run up the stairs, because time is of the essence…what if they arrive early?
Water glasses come 25 to a rack, so there’s 3 racks, (we also have to polish every glass) then there’s the glasses for soft drinks. We have to get a tub of ice, carafes so there can be water on every table, pitchers of iced tea and soft drinks, every time a drink is ordered from the bar, that’s another trip. The buffet table has to be set, chafing dishes, you’ve gotta fill those with water, remember the sterno, serving utensils, butter, parmesan cheese, dessert plates, and of course the dinner plates, which are pretty heavy. We can usually carry about 15 plates at a time, so there’s another 5 trips. Then all the pans of food have to carried down. Oh whoops, we forgot straws for the soft drinks, another trip.
Oh yeah, and if you arrive 40 minutes early, (like yesterday) we have to do everything in double time. By the time we have to start hauling EVERYTHING back upstairs, we’ve slowed down a little bit.
After the last guest is gone, we have to completely strip the tables and reset them all. All those nicely folded linen napkins at every place setting have to be folded. There are no little elves running around doing this for us (although we have tried to get the ghosts to help, but thus far that has been to no avail). Every piece of silverware has to be polished. (where are those darn elves) Even the garbage can has to be dragged back up the stairs. An hour and a half to two hours after the last guest has gone, we’re still there.
So if you think we don’t earn our money, walk a mile in our shoes…better yet….do 50 flights of stairs, up and down, while balancing trays or hauling heavy objects. Then tell me how your knees feel.
Anyways…..I just wanted to point out a few things to those who think this may be really easy, or have never worked in a restaurant.
We arrive one and half to two hours early to set up, and this is no easy job. We completely understand that there is no way to give an exact number of people on these events, so we set up for the max. Yesterday we set up for 70. Annnnnd…..it was in a room on the lower level, so EVERYTHING had to be carried down the stairs, and there are 17 steps to the flight of stairs.
We set up a coffee bar, had to bring down the big coffee urns to keep it hot…but we still had to brew the coffee upstairs, one pot at a time, pour it in the urn. Then there’s the coffee cups, saucers, spoons, cream, you get the picture. None of these are particularly heavy items , but you can only carry so much at a time, so you run up the stairs, because time is of the essence…what if they arrive early?
Water glasses come 25 to a rack, so there’s 3 racks, (we also have to polish every glass) then there’s the glasses for soft drinks. We have to get a tub of ice, carafes so there can be water on every table, pitchers of iced tea and soft drinks, every time a drink is ordered from the bar, that’s another trip. The buffet table has to be set, chafing dishes, you’ve gotta fill those with water, remember the sterno, serving utensils, butter, parmesan cheese, dessert plates, and of course the dinner plates, which are pretty heavy. We can usually carry about 15 plates at a time, so there’s another 5 trips. Then all the pans of food have to carried down. Oh whoops, we forgot straws for the soft drinks, another trip.
Oh yeah, and if you arrive 40 minutes early, (like yesterday) we have to do everything in double time. By the time we have to start hauling EVERYTHING back upstairs, we’ve slowed down a little bit.
After the last guest is gone, we have to completely strip the tables and reset them all. All those nicely folded linen napkins at every place setting have to be folded. There are no little elves running around doing this for us (although we have tried to get the ghosts to help, but thus far that has been to no avail). Every piece of silverware has to be polished. (where are those darn elves) Even the garbage can has to be dragged back up the stairs. An hour and a half to two hours after the last guest has gone, we’re still there.
So if you think we don’t earn our money, walk a mile in our shoes…better yet….do 50 flights of stairs, up and down, while balancing trays or hauling heavy objects. Then tell me how your knees feel.
Monday, January 17, 2011
What a great Friday night!
Gotta love it when the whole room is rocking!
Friday night was magic…..there are two of us behind the bar on Friday’s now…..Angela worked at a nearby bar that closed….so now she works with us, and a bunch of her regular customers have followed her over here. We had standing room only at the bar, but we also get to take a bunch of tables…which means I got to run all over the lounge on Friday!
The more fun you have, the more fun the crowd will have. No matter where I was in the room, when the singer finished a song, I would start clapping and most of the room would follow suit. I even stopped mid-order (said “excuse me”, started clapping) the customers clapped along with me, then we finished up the order, as if that was the norm.
When Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline’ was being sung, one of our regulars, whose name happened to be Caroline, was walking to a table with her 3 companions, arms waving in the air, half dancing, (okay, so they’d had a few drinks already) I was coming through the swinging door at that moment, just in time to ad “Da da daaaa” right after the Sweet Caroliiiiine……phrase. (While clapping my hands over my head)
Deb, the singer saw me talking to one table for a few minutes, and asked me if I had told them “the story.” This got their attention, “What story?”, they asked, along with some people at the next table who heard this exchange (their ears perked up) and I told them it was okay to listen in, so we told them the “We think we’re sisters-in-law because we were both married to the same man” story. Every time we tell this story, they always get this incredulous look on their faces, and their heads turn back and forth looking at Deb, then looking at me, then back to Deb, then back at me, as if they were watching a tennis match.
The more you get the crowd involved in the merriment, the more they feel like they belong. This is a good thing, after all, they went out to have a good time, and we did our best to give it to them. A lot of these people will be back, and we’ll have another rockin’ Friday night!
Friday night was magic…..there are two of us behind the bar on Friday’s now…..Angela worked at a nearby bar that closed….so now she works with us, and a bunch of her regular customers have followed her over here. We had standing room only at the bar, but we also get to take a bunch of tables…which means I got to run all over the lounge on Friday!
The more fun you have, the more fun the crowd will have. No matter where I was in the room, when the singer finished a song, I would start clapping and most of the room would follow suit. I even stopped mid-order (said “excuse me”, started clapping) the customers clapped along with me, then we finished up the order, as if that was the norm.
When Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline’ was being sung, one of our regulars, whose name happened to be Caroline, was walking to a table with her 3 companions, arms waving in the air, half dancing, (okay, so they’d had a few drinks already) I was coming through the swinging door at that moment, just in time to ad “Da da daaaa” right after the Sweet Caroliiiiine……phrase. (While clapping my hands over my head)
Deb, the singer saw me talking to one table for a few minutes, and asked me if I had told them “the story.” This got their attention, “What story?”, they asked, along with some people at the next table who heard this exchange (their ears perked up) and I told them it was okay to listen in, so we told them the “We think we’re sisters-in-law because we were both married to the same man” story. Every time we tell this story, they always get this incredulous look on their faces, and their heads turn back and forth looking at Deb, then looking at me, then back to Deb, then back at me, as if they were watching a tennis match.
The more you get the crowd involved in the merriment, the more they feel like they belong. This is a good thing, after all, they went out to have a good time, and we did our best to give it to them. A lot of these people will be back, and we’ll have another rockin’ Friday night!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday ramblings.....
Ahhhh Friday….
It’s delicately snowing out right now…..it snowed last night, not a heavy snow, we haven’t been getting heavy snow around here, just enough to make it pretty, sort of “Currier & Ives” Christmas card pretty. We may get another inch today, certainly not enough to screw up a busy Friday night.
We thought the deer in the woods across the street from the restaurant would be easier to spot with snow on the ground. Oddly enough, we haven’t seen them since it first snowed. Maybe we haven’t been looking hard enough, or they have a really good hiding place. I’ll see if I can spot them today. I’m working a double, so it’ll give me something to do at lunch, now that we’re into the January doldrums and things have slowed down.
The bar crowd is slowly building….and then we got a shot in the arm. A bartender friend of the chef, whose place of employment closed shortly before the holidays, came and helped us out through December, she called all her regulars and they came flocking in! I’ve been trying to get my old crowd in there, but it’s not so easy when you haven’t seen them in 7 years. So she will be working with me on Friday’s from now on. Yay! We’ll have a lot of people in there tonight, live music, gonna be a lot of fun! Can’t wait! But right now I’ve gotta get ready to go in for the day shift. Have a great weekend! Oh, and stop in and see us.
It’s delicately snowing out right now…..it snowed last night, not a heavy snow, we haven’t been getting heavy snow around here, just enough to make it pretty, sort of “Currier & Ives” Christmas card pretty. We may get another inch today, certainly not enough to screw up a busy Friday night.
We thought the deer in the woods across the street from the restaurant would be easier to spot with snow on the ground. Oddly enough, we haven’t seen them since it first snowed. Maybe we haven’t been looking hard enough, or they have a really good hiding place. I’ll see if I can spot them today. I’m working a double, so it’ll give me something to do at lunch, now that we’re into the January doldrums and things have slowed down.
The bar crowd is slowly building….and then we got a shot in the arm. A bartender friend of the chef, whose place of employment closed shortly before the holidays, came and helped us out through December, she called all her regulars and they came flocking in! I’ve been trying to get my old crowd in there, but it’s not so easy when you haven’t seen them in 7 years. So she will be working with me on Friday’s from now on. Yay! We’ll have a lot of people in there tonight, live music, gonna be a lot of fun! Can’t wait! But right now I’ve gotta get ready to go in for the day shift. Have a great weekend! Oh, and stop in and see us.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Ordinary situations......or are they?
So what do you do when you get that late table, it’s the snowiest night of the year, everyone else is one their way out, and you could’ve been on your way out the door also?
Nothing. However……you can go in the kitchen and vent….and then hope they will hurry along….after all, you’re not the only one stuck there. The cook has to stay, I was bartending that night and I had to stay along with the server, and of course, the manager has to stay.
Then as if to pour salt on the wound, they take their sweet time. Do they not notice that they are the only ones there? Are they oblivious to the weather conditions? And then you find out it is their first date.
So yes, they are oblivious to the weather and all else. If you have any compassion in your heart, you put yourself in their shoes and do whatever you can to make it a memorable evening. You realize in the overall scheme of things, another 30 or 40 minutes doesn't matter all that much.
I am amazed at how many people come in and say, “We had our first date here.” The time span for this statement ranges anywhere from last year to forty years ago. So just like the couple on that first date, we too, only get one chance to make a first impression.
This may become their “special place”, the night they’ll remember that they had the whole dining room to themselves, it was really rather romantic, and no one hurried them along, they just enjoyed their first date…..or someplace they want to share their fond memories with others. Either way, you’ve just gained some lifelong customers.
Of course on the flip side…….(you knew that was coming)….if it’s a night where you absolutely don’t feel like cooking or just don’t have the time, you just want a bite to eat….then “Let’s move it along people! The roads aren’t getting any better!”
Nothing. However……you can go in the kitchen and vent….and then hope they will hurry along….after all, you’re not the only one stuck there. The cook has to stay, I was bartending that night and I had to stay along with the server, and of course, the manager has to stay.
Then as if to pour salt on the wound, they take their sweet time. Do they not notice that they are the only ones there? Are they oblivious to the weather conditions? And then you find out it is their first date.
So yes, they are oblivious to the weather and all else. If you have any compassion in your heart, you put yourself in their shoes and do whatever you can to make it a memorable evening. You realize in the overall scheme of things, another 30 or 40 minutes doesn't matter all that much.
I am amazed at how many people come in and say, “We had our first date here.” The time span for this statement ranges anywhere from last year to forty years ago. So just like the couple on that first date, we too, only get one chance to make a first impression.
This may become their “special place”, the night they’ll remember that they had the whole dining room to themselves, it was really rather romantic, and no one hurried them along, they just enjoyed their first date…..or someplace they want to share their fond memories with others. Either way, you’ve just gained some lifelong customers.
Of course on the flip side…….(you knew that was coming)….if it’s a night where you absolutely don’t feel like cooking or just don’t have the time, you just want a bite to eat….then “Let’s move it along people! The roads aren’t getting any better!”
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Ya just can't fight Mother Nature.....
So that 100% chance of snow yesterday turned out to be 100% correct. The day started out innocently enough…..it was overcast…not one ray of sunshine broke it’s way through all the cloud cover…the sky looked like a giant gray flannel blanket. And then, around noon, the snow started to drift down. I like to measure it by how much snow I will have scrape off of my car.
By the time I left for work at 3:30 p.m. I had to brush off the entire car. Just doing the windows wasn’t going to be good enough…..I had to brush off the hood, or it would just blow back on the windshield, and the roof, or it would end up covering the back window. So I did all that and began my journey to work, which normally takes 7 to 10 minutes, depending on how many lights I made. At a top speed of 25 m.p.h. it took about 20 minutes. This does not make for a very promising evening.
Upon arrival, I find out that we are expecting a group of 75 to 100, that will have a cash bar, so there are 2 bartenders on. Cool. Sounds good. Except……the roads suck…the snow is not letting up….driving is a real slow go…..and we’ll be lucky if half the people show up.
That’s exactly what happened. Only half the people showed up. And those that did make it were not interested in consuming very much alcohol, considering the rotten drive home they were facing.
It was one of those nights where you have to look at the small amount of money you made and tell yourself, “It’s more than I had then when I walked in the door.”
Mother Nature always wins.
On a side note, the guy with the quickest trip home: the one who lives a 5 minute walk away. He was home in less time than it took the rest of us to clean off our cars. Again.
By the time I left for work at 3:30 p.m. I had to brush off the entire car. Just doing the windows wasn’t going to be good enough…..I had to brush off the hood, or it would just blow back on the windshield, and the roof, or it would end up covering the back window. So I did all that and began my journey to work, which normally takes 7 to 10 minutes, depending on how many lights I made. At a top speed of 25 m.p.h. it took about 20 minutes. This does not make for a very promising evening.
Upon arrival, I find out that we are expecting a group of 75 to 100, that will have a cash bar, so there are 2 bartenders on. Cool. Sounds good. Except……the roads suck…the snow is not letting up….driving is a real slow go…..and we’ll be lucky if half the people show up.
That’s exactly what happened. Only half the people showed up. And those that did make it were not interested in consuming very much alcohol, considering the rotten drive home they were facing.
It was one of those nights where you have to look at the small amount of money you made and tell yourself, “It’s more than I had then when I walked in the door.”
Mother Nature always wins.
On a side note, the guy with the quickest trip home: the one who lives a 5 minute walk away. He was home in less time than it took the rest of us to clean off our cars. Again.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
This is a most strange flu bug....
Okay, yesterday morning I felt good….thought I was gonna get a lot of stuff done…..well, I thought wrong. You know, you wake up thinking that this flu bug, or whatever it is has run it’s course, and you can’t wait to get out and make up for lost time. Then a couple of hours later you realize that you’re not going anywhere except back to bed. What a drag!
It’s really irritating! You’re not sick enough to not care that you’re still in bed…but you know if you push it and start running around, you’re gonna end up right where you started. So I stayed home, laid low, slept some more.
So today’s plan is to try and fake it out. (right, like that’s gonna work) I have to go to work tonight, so as soon as I write this, it’s back to bed.
I’m figuring I can get through the night if I get enough rest. There are two things in my favor for not having to over do it tonight. First of all, it’s Tuesday, not known for being particularly busy, and second, we’re supposed to have a snowstorm today. The weather report said there was a 100% chance of snow. In this area we never really trust the weather report, but if they’re saying it’s 100% chance of snow, I’ll go with it. Which means it will be slower that normal. If the weather does what’s predicted, this will be our biggest snow of the season so far. Which means everyone will just hibernate tonight. I’m good with that today.
I’ve been off work for three days in a row, and that rarely happens. I think I’m going through work withdrawal. (I know, I know, you’ve got to be kidding me) So on with my plan, and back to sleep before this catches up with me again. And yes, I know I’m only fooling myself, but I can dream, can’t I?
It’s really irritating! You’re not sick enough to not care that you’re still in bed…but you know if you push it and start running around, you’re gonna end up right where you started. So I stayed home, laid low, slept some more.
So today’s plan is to try and fake it out. (right, like that’s gonna work) I have to go to work tonight, so as soon as I write this, it’s back to bed.
I’m figuring I can get through the night if I get enough rest. There are two things in my favor for not having to over do it tonight. First of all, it’s Tuesday, not known for being particularly busy, and second, we’re supposed to have a snowstorm today. The weather report said there was a 100% chance of snow. In this area we never really trust the weather report, but if they’re saying it’s 100% chance of snow, I’ll go with it. Which means it will be slower that normal. If the weather does what’s predicted, this will be our biggest snow of the season so far. Which means everyone will just hibernate tonight. I’m good with that today.
I’ve been off work for three days in a row, and that rarely happens. I think I’m going through work withdrawal. (I know, I know, you’ve got to be kidding me) So on with my plan, and back to sleep before this catches up with me again. And yes, I know I’m only fooling myself, but I can dream, can’t I?
Monday, January 10, 2011
It started out in the ususal way.....
Last weekend, starting out with Friday night, seemed to be progressing in the usual way…..the dinner crowd came in, we got a little busy, the singer was singing, we were having fun, had a nice bar crowd, everyone was chatting…nice night for the first week of January. Okay, let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Saturday morning, having coffee, doing some writing, and then I felt exhausted. Hey wait! How can I be so tired, I’ve only been up for a couple of hours! So I gave in and went back to sleep for another hour. Woke up, felt even worse. My head was pounding, my stomach was churning….where the hell did this come from?!? Back to sleep for another hour….woke up, felt worse. How can I go to work, if I can’t even make it to the kitchen for something to drink?
I hate being sick, and even more, I hate calling off work! But I had to. My head hurt so bad, the light was hurting my eyes, and I had the blinds closed! My stomach was tossing and turning so bad, I figured anything I consumed was gonna come right back up. So I called off. I’m thankful for cell phones, and that I didn’t have to get out of bed to do that.
Back to sleep, with the blanket pulled over my eyes to hide them from the glaring winter light that was forcing it’s way through the blinds. (Somehow that just doesn’t seem right)
I was hoping this was gonna be a one day thing, I had great expectations for Sunday. Set the alarm to go to church, got up to put the coffee on…uh-oh….it’s starting all over again, better get back to bed. I guess that marathon gym visit I had planned is a no-go.
I didn’t know I could sleep that much! At least I didn’t have to call off on Sunday, I wasn’t scheduled to work.
So now that the weekend is over, I feel human again! Yay! (Now all I want to do is eat)
Saturday morning, having coffee, doing some writing, and then I felt exhausted. Hey wait! How can I be so tired, I’ve only been up for a couple of hours! So I gave in and went back to sleep for another hour. Woke up, felt even worse. My head was pounding, my stomach was churning….where the hell did this come from?!? Back to sleep for another hour….woke up, felt worse. How can I go to work, if I can’t even make it to the kitchen for something to drink?
I hate being sick, and even more, I hate calling off work! But I had to. My head hurt so bad, the light was hurting my eyes, and I had the blinds closed! My stomach was tossing and turning so bad, I figured anything I consumed was gonna come right back up. So I called off. I’m thankful for cell phones, and that I didn’t have to get out of bed to do that.
Back to sleep, with the blanket pulled over my eyes to hide them from the glaring winter light that was forcing it’s way through the blinds. (Somehow that just doesn’t seem right)
I was hoping this was gonna be a one day thing, I had great expectations for Sunday. Set the alarm to go to church, got up to put the coffee on…uh-oh….it’s starting all over again, better get back to bed. I guess that marathon gym visit I had planned is a no-go.
I didn’t know I could sleep that much! At least I didn’t have to call off on Sunday, I wasn’t scheduled to work.
So now that the weekend is over, I feel human again! Yay! (Now all I want to do is eat)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Not another normal day!?!
One would think that a normal day is one where everyone who is scheduled actually shows up. But a normal day now seems to be a day of scrambling to cover those who call off sick or don’t show up because they misread the schedule.
Yesterday was no exception. I arrived at 10:30 a.m. to set up….get everything in order….figured when lunch slowed down about 1:30 or 2:00.….I’d get a break for a couple of hours before working the evening shift behind the bar. Not!
As soon as I got there, the boss told me one guy called off, I thought no big deal…..it’s happened before…..and then he told me who he called in…okay, cool…..and then he mentioned that we had to set up downstairs for the weekly lunch meeting of the local Kiwanis Club. Oh shit! I had forgotten about that! So I hop to…get the dining room in order, and then run downstairs…..the replacement he called just showed up, and we realize none of the tables are set. It’s no big deal to set a table, but it becomes one when you have to set tables for 70 people, and you’re in a severe time crunch. The third server shows up…we decide to pool the whole restaurant.
We have 8 ladies playing bridge, you know, the ones who don’t move the cards out of the way while you’re trying to serve lunch, and switch seats after the order is taken. They’re in a separate banquet room. Oh! Their new thing: hot water with lemon. I am less than thrilled to be running around getting you something you’re not even going to pay for. The group downstairs starts filtering in….the dining room starts getting some action…at about 2:00 p.m. we realize that those of us working a double shift, aren’t really going to get much of a break but we’re busy, the day goes by rather quickly…and as soon as a the first server for the next shift shows up, we tell her how glad we are to see her, and all bolt out the door saying, “Back in 20 minutes, bye.”
Yep, just another normal day.
Yesterday was no exception. I arrived at 10:30 a.m. to set up….get everything in order….figured when lunch slowed down about 1:30 or 2:00.….I’d get a break for a couple of hours before working the evening shift behind the bar. Not!
As soon as I got there, the boss told me one guy called off, I thought no big deal…..it’s happened before…..and then he told me who he called in…okay, cool…..and then he mentioned that we had to set up downstairs for the weekly lunch meeting of the local Kiwanis Club. Oh shit! I had forgotten about that! So I hop to…get the dining room in order, and then run downstairs…..the replacement he called just showed up, and we realize none of the tables are set. It’s no big deal to set a table, but it becomes one when you have to set tables for 70 people, and you’re in a severe time crunch. The third server shows up…we decide to pool the whole restaurant.
We have 8 ladies playing bridge, you know, the ones who don’t move the cards out of the way while you’re trying to serve lunch, and switch seats after the order is taken. They’re in a separate banquet room. Oh! Their new thing: hot water with lemon. I am less than thrilled to be running around getting you something you’re not even going to pay for. The group downstairs starts filtering in….the dining room starts getting some action…at about 2:00 p.m. we realize that those of us working a double shift, aren’t really going to get much of a break but we’re busy, the day goes by rather quickly…and as soon as a the first server for the next shift shows up, we tell her how glad we are to see her, and all bolt out the door saying, “Back in 20 minutes, bye.”
Yep, just another normal day.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Small World.....
When you spend your entire life in a small geographical area, it does indeed become a small world. (Although I did go on the “Small World” ride at Disneyland once, and to this day, I can’t stand that song)
Anyways……we have a group of about 6 or 7 gentlemen who come in for dinner every couple of weeks. Last night they were at a table right across from the bar. Considering they were the only table in the lounge….it was next to impossible not to hear them.
Near the end of the evening, they were talking about local high schools….and then they threw out some years…like “72.….’74.….so I got curious and walked around to the table and asked who graduated in ‘74, and from where. Turns out one of the guys and I graduated together. Not only that, we also went to the same junior high school. So once we had that established we started talking about all the people we remembered in common…..the 30th reunion……I even threatened to make a copy of his old year book picture and bring it in. lol!
They had also mentioned another name of someone I went to elementary school with, but had moved and went to another high school. Turns out he was the ’74 graduates accountant….and I knew the guys parents and sister from another restaurant I had worked at.
So then the ‘74 graduate throws out some more names, I remember them, and they are all the cousins of another guy at the table.
Considering there are 100,000 people in our city, and our graduating class had over 700 people, and this is 37 years later….it was a lot of fun to play who knows who.
It just goes to show you, you never know when your past is gonna pop up and bite you in the ass….. So behave…..
Anyways……we have a group of about 6 or 7 gentlemen who come in for dinner every couple of weeks. Last night they were at a table right across from the bar. Considering they were the only table in the lounge….it was next to impossible not to hear them.
Near the end of the evening, they were talking about local high schools….and then they threw out some years…like “72.….’74.….so I got curious and walked around to the table and asked who graduated in ‘74, and from where. Turns out one of the guys and I graduated together. Not only that, we also went to the same junior high school. So once we had that established we started talking about all the people we remembered in common…..the 30th reunion……I even threatened to make a copy of his old year book picture and bring it in. lol!
They had also mentioned another name of someone I went to elementary school with, but had moved and went to another high school. Turns out he was the ’74 graduates accountant….and I knew the guys parents and sister from another restaurant I had worked at.
So then the ‘74 graduate throws out some more names, I remember them, and they are all the cousins of another guy at the table.
Considering there are 100,000 people in our city, and our graduating class had over 700 people, and this is 37 years later….it was a lot of fun to play who knows who.
It just goes to show you, you never know when your past is gonna pop up and bite you in the ass….. So behave…..
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Corporate vs. private restaurants.....again
I was just thinking about the last two December’s I worked, and the vast difference between them. In December of 2009, I was working at a corporate restaurant. There were a lot of hoops to jump through. First of all, management was on your ass every minute to sell gift certificates. They would have a contest every year to see who could well the most. They would even take one of the computer terminals and move it by the hostess stand so they cold sell gift certificates. It always baffled me why they would take a computer away from the servers during the busiest time of the year.
And then there were the performance scopes. To refresh your memory…..we were supposed to get every table to go home, go online and fill out a questionnaire…..oh yeah, and every answer had to be a “1”, on a scale of 1 to 4, (1 being the best) or it didn’t count. Okay, the logic here is lost on me.
Besides that…..I always the thought the purpose of dining out, was to relax and enjoy a meal….not be badgered by the server (that’s what I always felt I was doing to people) to go home and do homework.
Ah, but this most recent December it was a different story…..we actually focused on the food and drink and service. Despite the long 55 hour weeks (in a corporate restaurant you’re not allowed to work overtime) it was a far more relaxing experience. You get to actually enjoy your customers, since badgering is not a requirement.
And then there were the performance scopes. To refresh your memory…..we were supposed to get every table to go home, go online and fill out a questionnaire…..oh yeah, and every answer had to be a “1”, on a scale of 1 to 4, (1 being the best) or it didn’t count. Okay, the logic here is lost on me.
Besides that…..I always the thought the purpose of dining out, was to relax and enjoy a meal….not be badgered by the server (that’s what I always felt I was doing to people) to go home and do homework.
Ah, but this most recent December it was a different story…..we actually focused on the food and drink and service. Despite the long 55 hour weeks (in a corporate restaurant you’re not allowed to work overtime) it was a far more relaxing experience. You get to actually enjoy your customers, since badgering is not a requirement.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Where the action is.......
When it comes to New Year’s Eve….I always used to tell everyone, “If you really want to be where the action is, work!”
It makes perfect sense. First of all, you’re going to be busy, so the night will fly by fast. It’s one of the best money nights of the year, so take advantage of it. It’s usually a lot of fun…..everyone is always in a good mood. There’s a little electricity in the air!
Most places around here seem to have everything wrapped up by 10:00 or 11:00. That gives you plenty of time to get to that party, if that’s what you want to do. I also think of this as the “Hangover Savings Plan.” Sure, everyone at the party will have had a head start on the drinking…but that’s okay…they will have a worse hangover the next day than you will. That is, unless you do something stupid, like start power-drinking to catch up, in which case the day next, as you are moaning and can’t function…you will have no one to blame other than yourself.
When the New Year’s Eve rush was all over last Friday, we had a champagne toast in the kitchen, (we were still sporting out finery of beads, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, tiaras and antlers) and then our year of work was officially over. I was home by 10:30. Plenty of time to get settled to watch the ball drop. I was telling my son that I remember a New Year’s Eve or two, when the new year was 1960 something. (Whoa!)
At the stroke of midnight, we toasted the new year, I with my Gatorade, he with his Mountain Dew. I like starting off a new year without a hangover!
It makes perfect sense. First of all, you’re going to be busy, so the night will fly by fast. It’s one of the best money nights of the year, so take advantage of it. It’s usually a lot of fun…..everyone is always in a good mood. There’s a little electricity in the air!
Most places around here seem to have everything wrapped up by 10:00 or 11:00. That gives you plenty of time to get to that party, if that’s what you want to do. I also think of this as the “Hangover Savings Plan.” Sure, everyone at the party will have had a head start on the drinking…but that’s okay…they will have a worse hangover the next day than you will. That is, unless you do something stupid, like start power-drinking to catch up, in which case the day next, as you are moaning and can’t function…you will have no one to blame other than yourself.
When the New Year’s Eve rush was all over last Friday, we had a champagne toast in the kitchen, (we were still sporting out finery of beads, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, tiaras and antlers) and then our year of work was officially over. I was home by 10:30. Plenty of time to get settled to watch the ball drop. I was telling my son that I remember a New Year’s Eve or two, when the new year was 1960 something. (Whoa!)
At the stroke of midnight, we toasted the new year, I with my Gatorade, he with his Mountain Dew. I like starting off a new year without a hangover!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Retiring holiday work attire........
The holidays have come and gone once again, what a relief. It’s also time to retire the holiday work attire.
No more brightly colored gaudy holiday print ties…..I don’t have a holiday print tie, so my one festive piece of flare was a dancing reindeer pin that I used as a tie tack, that I had gotten from my son when he was in elementary school in the last decade of the previous millennium.
One of the servers wore a Santa hat throughout most of the season….others wore those headbands with little reindeer antlers attached to them. I never liked wearing the antlers. First of all, the headband drives me crazy…and I feel clumsy with them on….I keep banging them into stuff, like all the hanging glasses…just never been my style.
As we were readying ourselves for the New Year’s rush…one of the girls said she brought treats for everyone. My mind immediately went to food products, like candy. (Those of us who were working earlier that day, went through a dozen and a half donuts in what I’m pretty sure was record time. I was really hungry and picked them up on the way in.)
Okay, back to the treats…they weren’t candy or any type of food product at all….she had brought packages of brightly colored beads and glow-in-the-dark bracelets for everyone. The one who brought this stuff in was also sporting a shiny tiara that read “It’s my birthday!” for the most part, everyone just assumed it said “Happy New Year!”
We all acquiesced and wore some part of this finery. I had on blue beads and a blue glow-in-the-dark bracelet. One guy opted for a bracelet, however he hung it on his belt loop. I thought it was pretty cool that the boss let everyone wear all this stuff.
But it’s January now, and all the holiday attire is retired for another year, stuffed in a closet, probably to be lost forever. Maybe next year we’ll all wear Rudolph noses.
No more brightly colored gaudy holiday print ties…..I don’t have a holiday print tie, so my one festive piece of flare was a dancing reindeer pin that I used as a tie tack, that I had gotten from my son when he was in elementary school in the last decade of the previous millennium.
One of the servers wore a Santa hat throughout most of the season….others wore those headbands with little reindeer antlers attached to them. I never liked wearing the antlers. First of all, the headband drives me crazy…and I feel clumsy with them on….I keep banging them into stuff, like all the hanging glasses…just never been my style.
As we were readying ourselves for the New Year’s rush…one of the girls said she brought treats for everyone. My mind immediately went to food products, like candy. (Those of us who were working earlier that day, went through a dozen and a half donuts in what I’m pretty sure was record time. I was really hungry and picked them up on the way in.)
Okay, back to the treats…they weren’t candy or any type of food product at all….she had brought packages of brightly colored beads and glow-in-the-dark bracelets for everyone. The one who brought this stuff in was also sporting a shiny tiara that read “It’s my birthday!” for the most part, everyone just assumed it said “Happy New Year!”
We all acquiesced and wore some part of this finery. I had on blue beads and a blue glow-in-the-dark bracelet. One guy opted for a bracelet, however he hung it on his belt loop. I thought it was pretty cool that the boss let everyone wear all this stuff.
But it’s January now, and all the holiday attire is retired for another year, stuffed in a closet, probably to be lost forever. Maybe next year we’ll all wear Rudolph noses.
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