Ya gotta love that Valentine’s Day fell on a Monday this year….and Monday, not being a popular night to go out, made the weekend busier. Friday brought us what is now becoming our usual Friday night crowd. Some are there to hit the last couple hours of Happy Hour, some just go out every Friday. The other bartender was out of town on Friday, so that left me as a solo act. Had a full bar most of the night….we were on a wait for tables, so I’m assuming that it was part of the “Let’s get a jump on Valentine’s Day crowd.”
Saturday had us lined up with a lot of reservations, again the pre-Valentines Day thing, so we knew we would have a line at the door with all the walk-ins. We have a small amount of seating in the lobby…so when that gets filled, and the host or hostess tells you are welcome to wait at the bar in the lounge, let me tell you what that really means.
It means: You are welcome to sit at the bar and BUY A DRINK!!!! It does not mean that you can park your butt at the bar, and just sit there. “Oh, we don’t want anything, we’re just waiting for a table.” That is not okay with any bartender! We have a limited number of seats…we make our money from the people who sit there and order drinks, or decide to have dinner at the bar. We only have 11 bar stools, so if a party of 4 comes in, sits down, and doesn’t want anything, you just cut my ability to earn any income, by a third. I am pointing this out, because many of you (the ones who parked their butts) don’t seem to understand this concept.
It gets even more frustrating when you see more people wander in, who would like to order something, but it is too crowded. Oh sure, some will order drinks, and are content with standing…..others just walk away. I see dollar signs flashing before my eyes, flying out the window. I can think of no business that allows people to wander into their lobby, or whatever, cop a seat, and just pass the time. If you go to a hair salon, they don’t let you sit at a chair with a dryer attached to it, or sit in a chair at a shampoo sink…those chairs serve a purpose, they are tools of the trade…..and so are bar stools.
What if you were at work, (no matter where you work) and someone came in and told you, “We’re going to hinder your ability to get anything done for the next 30 minutes, so just go stand in a corner, and by the way, you’re not getting paid for this time”…well… that just wouldn’t fly, would it.
For those who are now enlightened and will think twice before doing this, we thank you. We’re just trying to earn a living. If you’re elderly or handicapped, and no able-bodied person sitting in the lobby has given up a seat for you, we’ll find somewhere for you to sit.
There are days when we are on our feet for 8 to 10 hours at a stretch, sometimes longer, so really, we have little sympathy because you have to stand for 15 minutes.
For those who can’t seem to grasp this concept, and think it’s their God-given right to plop their butts down wherever they feel like it, well, you’re just inconsiderate and self-centered. Probably always have been, probably always will be.
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