I have worked with a number of owners and managers who feel it is necessary to try and micromanage things. This is so not cool!. Not only do they undermine the staff and show the customer that they have no confidence in anyone’s ability to do their job, oftentimes they end up putting the customer on the defense.
I have witnessed many occasions when upon delivering entrees to a table, I asked them if they would like more bread, and they declined. “Oh, no thank you, we’ve had plenty of bread, we don’t need any more.” Then suddenly the owner or manager swoops in, picks up the bread basket, says “Here, you need more bread!” Then rushes off to refill something they don’t want refilled. This gives us the message that they feel we are not doing our job. So they triumphantly return to the table with an over-flowing bread basket, that will all go to waste! On the flip side, how do you expect us to sell any desserts if you keep force feeding people bread?!?
You bitch at us for wasting half a pot of coffee (which is abut $2.50 a tanker on a freight train) yet you seem to be on some sort of stupid mission with the bread.
Thennnnn…….you walk by a table or someone eating at the bar and decide that there are plates that need to be removed. As you reach for the plate, the customer has to inform you that they are not done eating yet. (I’ve seen that happen a lot)
Last night the owner asked one of my customers at least ten questions. “Do you need more bread?” “No.” Do you want those leftover appetizers wrapped up?” “No.” Do you need a new plate?” “No.” :Should I get you more silverware?” Okay, now you’re getting really ridiculous. After a several more questions she finally told him….”I’m saving the appetizers for my friend, who will be here in a few minutes, we have another appetizer coming, but we’re not gonna order that one until he gets here, I’m fine , I don’t need anything. We have everything under control.”
See, you just forced the customer to take a defensive position. Way to make them feel comfortable! If this were a court of law, you would’ve been called out for badgering the witness.
Go do what you do best….greet people at the front door, seat them, and forget to give them menus.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
A Predictable Conversation...........
We all communicate with people we love to talk, people we don’t care if we talk to or not, and those we dread talking to.
The ones we love to talk with is a no-brainer….usually we have something in common with them….they can converse on a wide range of topics…..they have a little bit of knowledge about a lot of things…..share ideas….and they listen to what you have to say. It’s a great exchange of information.
The ones we don’t care if we talk to or not….well…..they are usually good to pass some time with if there is no other alternative available. But, sooner or later your conversations will have run the gamut of common interests….you’ll search your mind for other topics…try and keep it going…..it becomes work. These are the people you only want to have short conversations with. You find yourself hoping others will sit at the bar so you have an excuse to slip away.
Thennnnnn……there is the third group…….they say the same thing every time you see them. There is very little variance in this informational exchange, which is pretty much one-sided. You can easily predict what they talk will about….they will have the same complaints about everything they had the last time you had to endure their tiresome monologue. They are not interested in anything you may have to contribute, they just want to whine. And, as one of Murphy’s Laws would have it, they are usually the only one sitting at the bar. There is no one to sucker into taking over the conversation from your end. It seems that no one else sits at the bar and comes to your rescue, until they are about to leave. Since you’ve heard it all before, your mind starts to wander…..what if I had a gun with one bullet? Would I shoot them? Would I just shoot myself? If I shot them, I’m not sure they would even notice. Maybe I could just shoot myself in the foot, thus making it necessary to immediately seek first aid.
Oh c’mon! You know what I’m talking about…we’ve all run into these people….especially if you’ve spent any time standing behind a bar. So my question is, “Is a predictable conversation really worth having at all?”
The ones we love to talk with is a no-brainer….usually we have something in common with them….they can converse on a wide range of topics…..they have a little bit of knowledge about a lot of things…..share ideas….and they listen to what you have to say. It’s a great exchange of information.
The ones we don’t care if we talk to or not….well…..they are usually good to pass some time with if there is no other alternative available. But, sooner or later your conversations will have run the gamut of common interests….you’ll search your mind for other topics…try and keep it going…..it becomes work. These are the people you only want to have short conversations with. You find yourself hoping others will sit at the bar so you have an excuse to slip away.
Thennnnnn……there is the third group…….they say the same thing every time you see them. There is very little variance in this informational exchange, which is pretty much one-sided. You can easily predict what they talk will about….they will have the same complaints about everything they had the last time you had to endure their tiresome monologue. They are not interested in anything you may have to contribute, they just want to whine. And, as one of Murphy’s Laws would have it, they are usually the only one sitting at the bar. There is no one to sucker into taking over the conversation from your end. It seems that no one else sits at the bar and comes to your rescue, until they are about to leave. Since you’ve heard it all before, your mind starts to wander…..what if I had a gun with one bullet? Would I shoot them? Would I just shoot myself? If I shot them, I’m not sure they would even notice. Maybe I could just shoot myself in the foot, thus making it necessary to immediately seek first aid.
Oh c’mon! You know what I’m talking about…we’ve all run into these people….especially if you’ve spent any time standing behind a bar. So my question is, “Is a predictable conversation really worth having at all?”
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Common sense and etiquette......
It would seem that most of the time common sense and etiquette go hand in hand….so why is it some normally courteous people act as if they were royalty and we should be humbled to be their presence?
When one is seated at a table, perusing the menu and greeted by a server, “Hello, how are you this evening?” the proper response would be a one of a verbal nature…..not just staring at the menu as if the server did not exist.
“Bring me another diet coke!” Now, that’s not really a very polite way to request something. First of all, a third or fourth refill on a large beverage is not a need, it’s a want. And second, you’d probably get that unnecessary refill quicker, had you shown some modicum of manners and politely asked, “May I have another diet coke, please.”
Let’s talk about aisle ways again, for a moment…..they are for people and servers (yes, servers are people, too) to navigate through the restaurant. It is not okay for you to maneuver your chair so far back from the table, that you block the aisle. It is not okay for you to move a bar stool out of the way so you can stand, and leave the bar stool in the middle of the aisle, behind you. This aisle blocking tends to happen a lot at banquets. If you wish to speak to those at another table, it is not okay for you stand, bent over, with your butt blocking the entire aisle way….common sense would dictate that you find another place to stand, like at the other side of the table, where you will be blocking nothing.
And why is it (and this happens 99% of the time) that upon entering a banquet room, people take three steps in, stop and congregate, thus blocking the entrance to the room, and then get irritated when others try to pass?
Most people possess common sense in varying degrees, and were taught at least a little bit of etiquette……why does it go to ell when you enter a restaurant?
When one is seated at a table, perusing the menu and greeted by a server, “Hello, how are you this evening?” the proper response would be a one of a verbal nature…..not just staring at the menu as if the server did not exist.
“Bring me another diet coke!” Now, that’s not really a very polite way to request something. First of all, a third or fourth refill on a large beverage is not a need, it’s a want. And second, you’d probably get that unnecessary refill quicker, had you shown some modicum of manners and politely asked, “May I have another diet coke, please.”
Let’s talk about aisle ways again, for a moment…..they are for people and servers (yes, servers are people, too) to navigate through the restaurant. It is not okay for you to maneuver your chair so far back from the table, that you block the aisle. It is not okay for you to move a bar stool out of the way so you can stand, and leave the bar stool in the middle of the aisle, behind you. This aisle blocking tends to happen a lot at banquets. If you wish to speak to those at another table, it is not okay for you stand, bent over, with your butt blocking the entire aisle way….common sense would dictate that you find another place to stand, like at the other side of the table, where you will be blocking nothing.
And why is it (and this happens 99% of the time) that upon entering a banquet room, people take three steps in, stop and congregate, thus blocking the entrance to the room, and then get irritated when others try to pass?
Most people possess common sense in varying degrees, and were taught at least a little bit of etiquette……why does it go to ell when you enter a restaurant?
Monday, March 28, 2011
Don't pick on my co-workers!
Kelli and I worked a bridal shower last Saturday. The mother of the bride and a couple of others showed up early, (10:30 a.m., the same time I got there) to decorate the tables and set up their cup cakes. Apparently cup cakes are the new rage, as opposed to getting one big cake.
I chatted with these women for a few minutes, told them I put on a pot of coffee, if anyone cared for a cup….blah blah blah….and went about my business of setting up whatever was necessary.
We realize that these are important events in people’s lives. Oftentimes we encounter women who deem themselves to be the chiefs in these situations, and think because they are the chief, they can bark orders at anyone they want. Well, they thought wrong. We work these events all the time, we know what we are doing, and contrary to what they believe, they are not the ones who are really in charge of the show, we are.
Kelli was putting out water glasses, and the one of the women started barking orders at her. She came back to the wait station and was telling me what they said. “Change that linen over there! (On the table they just got cup cake crumbs all over) Fix that ceiling tile!” And bunch of other shit I can’t remember right now. I told Kelli to let the boss know about the ceiling tile (it had just gotten nudged out of place, a quick fix) and I would take care of the rest.
I grabbed a cloth napkin, went to the cup cake table and started brushing the crumbs off. One of the women came over and apologized for making a mess. “I’ve got it taken care of.”
I went back to the wait station, told Kelli what the woman had said and she was wondering why they were being so mean to her. I know why, it’s because she’s twenty, and they feel they can order her around. (Get over yourself) I’m older than Kelli’s mom….probably in the same age bracket as the woman barking orders. Don’t think because she’s young, she doesn’t know what she’s doing, she does. And…..she’s my partner for the next few hours, and I’m not going to let anyone walk all over her.
Time to take charge of this shindig……I told the head honcho that since they had a noon start time, that appetizers would be on the table at noon. Since they were playing no silly shower games, everyone needed to be seated at 12:15 so we could get the orders taken.
Why is it, upon arrival, these women can’t enter a room and take a seat? No…..they’ve gotta stand around, blocking the aisles, talking. I know for a fact that the ability to speak does not go away because one is sitting. So park it!
At 12:13 I tell the one “in charge” to have everyone take a seat. (If you can’t handle this, I will.) I am always amazed at the inability of the masses to make a decision as to where to sit. This is not someplace you are going to spend the rest of your life, you’ll only be here for a couple of hours!
I chatted with these women for a few minutes, told them I put on a pot of coffee, if anyone cared for a cup….blah blah blah….and went about my business of setting up whatever was necessary.
We realize that these are important events in people’s lives. Oftentimes we encounter women who deem themselves to be the chiefs in these situations, and think because they are the chief, they can bark orders at anyone they want. Well, they thought wrong. We work these events all the time, we know what we are doing, and contrary to what they believe, they are not the ones who are really in charge of the show, we are.
Kelli was putting out water glasses, and the one of the women started barking orders at her. She came back to the wait station and was telling me what they said. “Change that linen over there! (On the table they just got cup cake crumbs all over) Fix that ceiling tile!” And bunch of other shit I can’t remember right now. I told Kelli to let the boss know about the ceiling tile (it had just gotten nudged out of place, a quick fix) and I would take care of the rest.
I grabbed a cloth napkin, went to the cup cake table and started brushing the crumbs off. One of the women came over and apologized for making a mess. “I’ve got it taken care of.”
I went back to the wait station, told Kelli what the woman had said and she was wondering why they were being so mean to her. I know why, it’s because she’s twenty, and they feel they can order her around. (Get over yourself) I’m older than Kelli’s mom….probably in the same age bracket as the woman barking orders. Don’t think because she’s young, she doesn’t know what she’s doing, she does. And…..she’s my partner for the next few hours, and I’m not going to let anyone walk all over her.
Time to take charge of this shindig……I told the head honcho that since they had a noon start time, that appetizers would be on the table at noon. Since they were playing no silly shower games, everyone needed to be seated at 12:15 so we could get the orders taken.
Why is it, upon arrival, these women can’t enter a room and take a seat? No…..they’ve gotta stand around, blocking the aisles, talking. I know for a fact that the ability to speak does not go away because one is sitting. So park it!
At 12:13 I tell the one “in charge” to have everyone take a seat. (If you can’t handle this, I will.) I am always amazed at the inability of the masses to make a decision as to where to sit. This is not someplace you are going to spend the rest of your life, you’ll only be here for a couple of hours!
Friday, March 25, 2011
So you think you're a big shot......
Okay….so you walk in the restaurant like you own it. You don’t. You have an air about you like you’re some kind of big shot…..(all four of you)….you’re not. You expect any server who walks by to jump at the sound of your voice. Not gonna happen. See, we’ve seen you before, and we are not impressed. If you wanna be a big shooter….you’ve got to do it all the way.
As you all sit there full of self-importance, barking orders, we are doing everything we can to avoid you. This is the lunch hour, when you swagger through the door, life around you does not stop. Yesterday we were very busy…..you’re not gonna get special treatment…you’re no more special than anyone else….actually in our eyes, you’re a waste of time. When I came to take your order, you again barked that you wanted soup. Okay, what’s the rest of your order? “I don’t know, I haven’t looked at the menu yet.”
Like I said, we were very busy, I’m not gonna make 300 hundred trips back to your table. I see no reason why you can’t order like everyone else. You tell me what you want, I ask if you want soup or salad, I get said soup or salad and send your order to the kitchen. Simple. I’m too busy for you to turn this into a convoluted mess. So I tell you I’m gonna do a couple of things, give you time to look at the menu, and then I’ll get your entire order. So what do these guys do? Stop another server and tell them I said I didn’t have time to wait on you. If you’re gonna quote me, you’d better get it right, if you start putting words in my mouth, I’ll find a way to make you eat those words along with your lunch.
So like I said in the first paragraph, if you wanna be a big shooter, you’ve got to do it all the way. A 10% tip every time you are there, is NOT adequate. Even little old ladies in red hats with fixed incomes tip better than you!
I guess in one way you’ve attained your goal…..every server knows exactly who you are…..and not in a good way, not as the self-perceived big shots you see in the mirror. No, we see you as the cheap ass holes you really are.
As you all sit there full of self-importance, barking orders, we are doing everything we can to avoid you. This is the lunch hour, when you swagger through the door, life around you does not stop. Yesterday we were very busy…..you’re not gonna get special treatment…you’re no more special than anyone else….actually in our eyes, you’re a waste of time. When I came to take your order, you again barked that you wanted soup. Okay, what’s the rest of your order? “I don’t know, I haven’t looked at the menu yet.”
Like I said, we were very busy, I’m not gonna make 300 hundred trips back to your table. I see no reason why you can’t order like everyone else. You tell me what you want, I ask if you want soup or salad, I get said soup or salad and send your order to the kitchen. Simple. I’m too busy for you to turn this into a convoluted mess. So I tell you I’m gonna do a couple of things, give you time to look at the menu, and then I’ll get your entire order. So what do these guys do? Stop another server and tell them I said I didn’t have time to wait on you. If you’re gonna quote me, you’d better get it right, if you start putting words in my mouth, I’ll find a way to make you eat those words along with your lunch.
So like I said in the first paragraph, if you wanna be a big shooter, you’ve got to do it all the way. A 10% tip every time you are there, is NOT adequate. Even little old ladies in red hats with fixed incomes tip better than you!
I guess in one way you’ve attained your goal…..every server knows exactly who you are…..and not in a good way, not as the self-perceived big shots you see in the mirror. No, we see you as the cheap ass holes you really are.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The revolving door wardrobe.......
I’m gonna go off on a different tangent today…..first of all,, I don’t like clothes shopping…. (especially for work clothes)…..I’ve always been very price conscious, which takes out any fun there could have been….usually I only buy something if it’s on sale, or off season, which is another term for on sale. I have a terrible time finding slacks that are long enough…..I have to compare the length of every pair, and hope to find the one’s that were cut too long….or get something that has a large enough hem that I can redo it, to make them longer.
Thennnnnnn…. I went shopping with a friend at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. I went in with mixed feelings…I was looking for a black dress, for the next show. My friend told me she was really good at finding stuff…..okay, I’m game. She also had a 50% off coupon, and since it was Saturday, anything with a yellow tag was a dollar, but you had to buy 5 things. Okay, sounds cool.
Upon entering the store, she immediately commandeers a shopping cart. (I’m wondering why we need a shopping cart.) She points out to me where the black dresses are…I start looking through them….see a couple of possibilities….keep them in mind, and move to a different area of the store. I catch up with her a couple of minutes later….and there is a bunch of stuff in the cart. She found some stuff for herself, some stuff for her daughter ..…some stuff for me….(this woman is a pro)…so before I know it, we’ve found 12 dresses for me to try on. Okay, cool. So as I am trying these one, I shout from the dressing room that I need some black dress shoes. “Okay! What size?” “8 ½!” By the time I have the next dress on, open the door to see what she thinks of it, a pair of shoes has been found! And they fit perfectly! Double cool! The real kicker is, they have a yellow tag, and if between us we get 5 yellow tag items, I get the shoes for a dollar!
Ya know what? This is kind of fun! I like 2 of the 12 dresses, so they go in the cart along with the shoes. Now we need 3 more yellow tag items..…(she has one)so she points out the blazers….(knowing I like those) and tells me to look for yellow tags….I find three.
When all was said and done, I bought 1 pair of shoes, 2 dresses and 3 blazers for $20.00!
While shopping, I heard an announcement that they need donations….so I start thinking about all the stuff I seldom, or never wear…..and realize I should just donate it all! Since I can replace anything, dirt cheap, what’s the sense in holding on to it?!? If I get bored with any of my purchases, I don’t have to feel guilty about not wanting it anymore…if it’s still in good shape, I can donate it back! Thus, the revolving door, ever-changing wardrobe!
Upon telling my co-workers about my new shopping experience (with much enthusiasm) I find out just how many people get their work clothes from these thrift stores. It was like WOW! I see the light!
Thennnnnnn…. I went shopping with a friend at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. I went in with mixed feelings…I was looking for a black dress, for the next show. My friend told me she was really good at finding stuff…..okay, I’m game. She also had a 50% off coupon, and since it was Saturday, anything with a yellow tag was a dollar, but you had to buy 5 things. Okay, sounds cool.
Upon entering the store, she immediately commandeers a shopping cart. (I’m wondering why we need a shopping cart.) She points out to me where the black dresses are…I start looking through them….see a couple of possibilities….keep them in mind, and move to a different area of the store. I catch up with her a couple of minutes later….and there is a bunch of stuff in the cart. She found some stuff for herself, some stuff for her daughter ..…some stuff for me….(this woman is a pro)…so before I know it, we’ve found 12 dresses for me to try on. Okay, cool. So as I am trying these one, I shout from the dressing room that I need some black dress shoes. “Okay! What size?” “8 ½!” By the time I have the next dress on, open the door to see what she thinks of it, a pair of shoes has been found! And they fit perfectly! Double cool! The real kicker is, they have a yellow tag, and if between us we get 5 yellow tag items, I get the shoes for a dollar!
Ya know what? This is kind of fun! I like 2 of the 12 dresses, so they go in the cart along with the shoes. Now we need 3 more yellow tag items..…(she has one)so she points out the blazers….(knowing I like those) and tells me to look for yellow tags….I find three.
When all was said and done, I bought 1 pair of shoes, 2 dresses and 3 blazers for $20.00!
While shopping, I heard an announcement that they need donations….so I start thinking about all the stuff I seldom, or never wear…..and realize I should just donate it all! Since I can replace anything, dirt cheap, what’s the sense in holding on to it?!? If I get bored with any of my purchases, I don’t have to feel guilty about not wanting it anymore…if it’s still in good shape, I can donate it back! Thus, the revolving door, ever-changing wardrobe!
Upon telling my co-workers about my new shopping experience (with much enthusiasm) I find out just how many people get their work clothes from these thrift stores. It was like WOW! I see the light!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Gearing up again.....
Once again it’s mid-week, never a super busy time, but we’re looking forward to the weekend. Oh, there’s a buffet breakfast going on this morning…..I was supposed to work it, but the number of people attending shrank, so they called me off. I am not unhappy about this….working days was never my thing.
We’ve got another “DOUBLE TAKE IMPERSONATORS” show coming up on April 6th. Tickets are officially on sale now. As before, they are $25.00, that includes dinner. (Reservations are a must, call 734-507-0716) (last time we sold out 8 days before the show, so call early)
As with everything, one always wants to work out the glitches. So we are tweaking the show…..although no one knew about any glitches last time, we just ad libbed our way through it. It’ll never be exactly the same show twice…the audience is always different, we’ll always get slightly different reactions. But, that’s part of what makes it exciting…. playing off the crowd. What an adrenaline rush! It also keeps you on your toes!
I learned last time, that due to the angle of the spotlight, I can only see half the audience. So, I scoped out the room, and if I wanted to address any comments to the side I was blinded to, I just turned my head in that direction and pretended I could see them. Who knew? Maybe I’ll wear sunglasses this time, though I doubt that would help.
We’re working on a new Lady Gaga entrance….we figure we can get as outrageous as we want…pretty much nothing would put us out of character. We’re also working on a little choreography for the servers for the last number.
I gotta go work on a collage of scenes from the last show….enjoy the day…talk to ya later.
We’ve got another “DOUBLE TAKE IMPERSONATORS” show coming up on April 6th. Tickets are officially on sale now. As before, they are $25.00, that includes dinner. (Reservations are a must, call 734-507-0716) (last time we sold out 8 days before the show, so call early)
As with everything, one always wants to work out the glitches. So we are tweaking the show…..although no one knew about any glitches last time, we just ad libbed our way through it. It’ll never be exactly the same show twice…the audience is always different, we’ll always get slightly different reactions. But, that’s part of what makes it exciting…. playing off the crowd. What an adrenaline rush! It also keeps you on your toes!
I learned last time, that due to the angle of the spotlight, I can only see half the audience. So, I scoped out the room, and if I wanted to address any comments to the side I was blinded to, I just turned my head in that direction and pretended I could see them. Who knew? Maybe I’ll wear sunglasses this time, though I doubt that would help.
We’re working on a new Lady Gaga entrance….we figure we can get as outrageous as we want…pretty much nothing would put us out of character. We’re also working on a little choreography for the servers for the last number.
I gotta go work on a collage of scenes from the last show….enjoy the day…talk to ya later.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wine tastings, from the server point of view....
We had a wine tasting dinner at the restaurant last night. Upon my arrival, I saw that those who got there ahead of me were all busy polishing wine glasses. The room was set for 78, and we were to put two wine glasses at each setting. Plus another 78 glasses on a separate table, where there was also a selection of cheeses, so they could pick up their first wine of the evening to go along with said cheese.
I think we used every wine glass in the restaurant, as we were scrambling about to get two at every setting. For all I know, the customers upstairs in the dining room, who may have ordered wine, had to drink their wine out of tumblers.
Anyways, as we were getting the glasses out, I asked my fellow servers what the game plan for the evening was. Stuff like how long will the speaker (a man from the oldest family run vineyard in America) be talking, when should we pour the second wine, how long in between courses (there were five) etc. No one knew, because no one had given us any information on how they wanted this to go.
At the last minute, we finally get some info. We’re ready to go, we just need to know the timing. And as per usual, there were a couple of last minute things thrown in to glitch it up. Being professionals, we ignored a last minute request we deemed unnecessary. (No one knew)
We know how to work together, and fell into a comfortable routine, which took some hustling, seeing as how we had to gather up all used wine glasses a quickly as possible, wash and polish them (again) so we could set then out for the last two wines. It was cool, everything was under control.
THEN……at the end of the meal….we passed out order sheets so people could mass quantities of wine at discount prices. This is when it turned into a complete cluster f***. The boss hadn’t given one thought to this part of the process. People were waving their order forms in our faces…wanting to check out and leave. Since zero planning had put into this, we were left to our own devices as to how to fill orders. Then we find out we have to give all who bought wine, two checks, one for the dinner, and one for the wine. Did I mention that all the computers were upstairs? We all came up with a slightly different variation on the same procedure, but it worked. Then we started running out of wine. The boss was nowhere to be found during all this mayhem. In hindsight, that was a good thing. He too, sat through this dinner of miniscule portions and five wines, so along with everyone else, he was pretty much half in the bag.
So we did what we do best, powered through it all, and cussed our brains out in the back room.
I think we used every wine glass in the restaurant, as we were scrambling about to get two at every setting. For all I know, the customers upstairs in the dining room, who may have ordered wine, had to drink their wine out of tumblers.
Anyways, as we were getting the glasses out, I asked my fellow servers what the game plan for the evening was. Stuff like how long will the speaker (a man from the oldest family run vineyard in America) be talking, when should we pour the second wine, how long in between courses (there were five) etc. No one knew, because no one had given us any information on how they wanted this to go.
At the last minute, we finally get some info. We’re ready to go, we just need to know the timing. And as per usual, there were a couple of last minute things thrown in to glitch it up. Being professionals, we ignored a last minute request we deemed unnecessary. (No one knew)
We know how to work together, and fell into a comfortable routine, which took some hustling, seeing as how we had to gather up all used wine glasses a quickly as possible, wash and polish them (again) so we could set then out for the last two wines. It was cool, everything was under control.
THEN……at the end of the meal….we passed out order sheets so people could mass quantities of wine at discount prices. This is when it turned into a complete cluster f***. The boss hadn’t given one thought to this part of the process. People were waving their order forms in our faces…wanting to check out and leave. Since zero planning had put into this, we were left to our own devices as to how to fill orders. Then we find out we have to give all who bought wine, two checks, one for the dinner, and one for the wine. Did I mention that all the computers were upstairs? We all came up with a slightly different variation on the same procedure, but it worked. Then we started running out of wine. The boss was nowhere to be found during all this mayhem. In hindsight, that was a good thing. He too, sat through this dinner of miniscule portions and five wines, so along with everyone else, he was pretty much half in the bag.
So we did what we do best, powered through it all, and cussed our brains out in the back room.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Okay, you've crossed the line......
Most of us learn throughout our lives what is appropriate behavior when out in public, and what is not. I have mentioned before that we do not have a dance floor, per se, however on occasion people do like to get up and dance to the music, and that’s okay. They either dance next to their table, or move to the one small open area. Even those who do not dance, seem to have a good time vicariously through those that do. It doesn’t matter whether you can dance well or not, no one cares, it just adds to the festive mood of the lounge.
However……we had what I at first thought was a gentleman, get up and dance by himself next to his table. If I had to guess his age, I would say he was in his 70’s. When he first started dancing, the other seven people at his table were getting a kick out of it. Hey, after all, he’s just having fun. Then he crossed the line. He stood next to his table and started thrusting his groin in a most inappropriate manner. It was this point that most were no longer amused. I mean, sir, (and I use that term loosely) a person of any age would know that that is not acceptable behavior in public, especially where there are folks still eating their dinner.
When he stopped doing that we were hoping the disgusting display was done. We were wrong. The next thing we see, is him dragging his chair over to the baby grand piano….we have no idea what he plans on doing….now he is climbing on the chair, standing on it….we’re all freaking out that he is going to fall and break multiple bones….(this is not good)….so then he sits on the piano! What the hell!!!! (It gets worse) He then lays on his back and spreads his legs, (which are now sticking straight up in the air) in a “vee.” Okay, totally uncalled for behavior, for anyone of either gender or any age.
The overall mood just went from festive to grossly uncomfortable. As he climbed off the piano back onto the chair, he decided to stand on it and dance some more. Two guys who were at the bar were now standing ready to dash should he start to topple off of the chair. There was a collective sigh of relief when he finally got down from the chair, dragged it back to his table and sat down.
I see two solutions for this situation, the first being we bind you to the chair with a seat belt. The second, (and my preferred choice) is that you just stay home.
However……we had what I at first thought was a gentleman, get up and dance by himself next to his table. If I had to guess his age, I would say he was in his 70’s. When he first started dancing, the other seven people at his table were getting a kick out of it. Hey, after all, he’s just having fun. Then he crossed the line. He stood next to his table and started thrusting his groin in a most inappropriate manner. It was this point that most were no longer amused. I mean, sir, (and I use that term loosely) a person of any age would know that that is not acceptable behavior in public, especially where there are folks still eating their dinner.
When he stopped doing that we were hoping the disgusting display was done. We were wrong. The next thing we see, is him dragging his chair over to the baby grand piano….we have no idea what he plans on doing….now he is climbing on the chair, standing on it….we’re all freaking out that he is going to fall and break multiple bones….(this is not good)….so then he sits on the piano! What the hell!!!! (It gets worse) He then lays on his back and spreads his legs, (which are now sticking straight up in the air) in a “vee.” Okay, totally uncalled for behavior, for anyone of either gender or any age.
The overall mood just went from festive to grossly uncomfortable. As he climbed off the piano back onto the chair, he decided to stand on it and dance some more. Two guys who were at the bar were now standing ready to dash should he start to topple off of the chair. There was a collective sigh of relief when he finally got down from the chair, dragged it back to his table and sat down.
I see two solutions for this situation, the first being we bind you to the chair with a seat belt. The second, (and my preferred choice) is that you just stay home.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Another St. Patrick's Day in a non-Irish bar.......
The weather cooperated beautifully yesterday, for St. Patrick’s Day. After a winter of snowstorms, (getting twice what we expected on some days) it was a great day to stand outside in line, waiting to get in to one of the so-called Irish Pubs.
The three previous St. Patrick’s Day, I spent at an Italian restaurant located right next door to an Irish place. The managers were all scurrying about telling us we were going to be busy, because we would get the overflow crowd. Didn’t happen, not once. We spent our day watching the people in line next door. The only reason anyone in line came in our restaurant, was to use the restroom.
It’s amazing, people start lining up at about 7:00 a.m. to be the first one’s in. They start drinking like it was 7:00 p.m. I’m pretty sure it’s so they can begin the puking by noon. Green beer abounds. I think if beer was meant to be green, they’d find a way to make it out of lawn clippings.
This year, I was again working in a totally non-Irish environment. The only hint that it was St. Patrick’s Day, was the green tie one serving was wearing.
Two women who wear spending their day bar hopping, stopped in. They kept whining about wanting to hear some music. We pointed out that we have live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. “Can’t you turn any music on?” (there’s that whine, yet again) I explained that in order to put some music on, I’d have to put the television on one of the music channels. The fact that the March Madness college basketball tournament was on, and people were actually watching it, was totally lost on them. (I think I can state with reasonable certainty, that is not all that is lost on them)
So another St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone….there are a lot of hung-over people dragging their sorry butts into work today….many saying the same thing…..”Yeah, but it was worth it.” Worth what?
The three previous St. Patrick’s Day, I spent at an Italian restaurant located right next door to an Irish place. The managers were all scurrying about telling us we were going to be busy, because we would get the overflow crowd. Didn’t happen, not once. We spent our day watching the people in line next door. The only reason anyone in line came in our restaurant, was to use the restroom.
It’s amazing, people start lining up at about 7:00 a.m. to be the first one’s in. They start drinking like it was 7:00 p.m. I’m pretty sure it’s so they can begin the puking by noon. Green beer abounds. I think if beer was meant to be green, they’d find a way to make it out of lawn clippings.
This year, I was again working in a totally non-Irish environment. The only hint that it was St. Patrick’s Day, was the green tie one serving was wearing.
Two women who wear spending their day bar hopping, stopped in. They kept whining about wanting to hear some music. We pointed out that we have live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. “Can’t you turn any music on?” (there’s that whine, yet again) I explained that in order to put some music on, I’d have to put the television on one of the music channels. The fact that the March Madness college basketball tournament was on, and people were actually watching it, was totally lost on them. (I think I can state with reasonable certainty, that is not all that is lost on them)
So another St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone….there are a lot of hung-over people dragging their sorry butts into work today….many saying the same thing…..”Yeah, but it was worth it.” Worth what?
Thursday, March 17, 2011
I love talking to "ghost" people......
A friend of the new chef came in last night, he was checking out the building, roaming around, stopped in the lounge for a minute…so we started talking. He was commenting on what an interesting old building this was. I asked him if the chef told him it was haunted. He lit up like a light bulb! Started telling me about other old buildings he had been in, a couple old restaurants the chef had worked at, that were similar to this one, in that they too were haunted. He told he was one of those people who was “susceptible” to feelings of things supernatural.
I love talking to these “ghost” people! I started doing my own little independent study of this a while back. (I’ve been doing some research on the history of the building and it’s former occupants. The local library and historical museum have a wealth of information.) Anyways……it was slow last night, and I had some time to kill, so I told him I was gonna take him on the “ghost tour.” Now, when I do this, I don’t tell them what room or rooms, anyone else has had feelings about…..I just take them through the building and watch their reactions. It’s getting really interesting….they all have the same reaction to the same areas. It’s not so much what they say, but their actual physical reaction is what intrigues me.
It always starts on the staircase leading up to the second story. They take a step or two up and hesitate…their entire body starts to tense up a little bit…...they start looking around in every direction…..walk a little slower….say they can definitely feel “something”……(okay, so far the same reaction as the others that can “feel things,” that I have taken on the ghost tour)…..near the top of the staircase is a landing, and then two more steps up, to the left. Now we are in a hallway……I let them look around for a moment ……”Okay, let’s look in this room first”…..(I always do this in the same order)…and lead them to a small room at the back of the building…..I enter the room, they slowly follow me….and you can see them relax…..shoulders drop….they look around…..”Nothing”…..then we go to the next room…..you can see them tense up again immediately upon entering the room…..they nervously look all around, several times…..(this guy from last night was getting goose bumps) …you can tell that they can’t wait to leave the room…..as soon as we exit, their bodies start to relax again. On to the third room…..by this time they are really hesitant to enter…but as soon as they do….they remain relaxed, casually look around, “Nothing.”
After that, it’s always back to the second room again, as if to reassure themselves of their earlier feelings. This time they exit quickly, and seem to be in a hurry to go back down the stairs.
I’m noticing the same reaction, to the same room, every time. Interesting. Hmmmm…..
I love talking to these “ghost” people! I started doing my own little independent study of this a while back. (I’ve been doing some research on the history of the building and it’s former occupants. The local library and historical museum have a wealth of information.) Anyways……it was slow last night, and I had some time to kill, so I told him I was gonna take him on the “ghost tour.” Now, when I do this, I don’t tell them what room or rooms, anyone else has had feelings about…..I just take them through the building and watch their reactions. It’s getting really interesting….they all have the same reaction to the same areas. It’s not so much what they say, but their actual physical reaction is what intrigues me.
It always starts on the staircase leading up to the second story. They take a step or two up and hesitate…their entire body starts to tense up a little bit…...they start looking around in every direction…..walk a little slower….say they can definitely feel “something”……(okay, so far the same reaction as the others that can “feel things,” that I have taken on the ghost tour)…..near the top of the staircase is a landing, and then two more steps up, to the left. Now we are in a hallway……I let them look around for a moment ……”Okay, let’s look in this room first”…..(I always do this in the same order)…and lead them to a small room at the back of the building…..I enter the room, they slowly follow me….and you can see them relax…..shoulders drop….they look around…..”Nothing”…..then we go to the next room…..you can see them tense up again immediately upon entering the room…..they nervously look all around, several times…..(this guy from last night was getting goose bumps) …you can tell that they can’t wait to leave the room…..as soon as we exit, their bodies start to relax again. On to the third room…..by this time they are really hesitant to enter…but as soon as they do….they remain relaxed, casually look around, “Nothing.”
After that, it’s always back to the second room again, as if to reassure themselves of their earlier feelings. This time they exit quickly, and seem to be in a hurry to go back down the stairs.
I’m noticing the same reaction, to the same room, every time. Interesting. Hmmmm…..
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Not so smooth sailing........
I was off for the last three days, so I guess my work week begins today. Sunday was a laid back day…Monday we went out and had a celebratory lunch, for our show last week. We are pushing ahead and planning for the next one. Making little changes here and there…..seeing where we can improve….it was an enjoyable lunch….took care of a few odds and ends after that….and then that evening, the shit sort of hit the fan.
I got home a little after 9:00 p.m. to find some paperwork waiting for me, informing me that I am being sued. Again. It’s the aftermath of my credit going down the toilet. Then I check my messages, to discover one of them is from an EMT with the local fire department, letting me know that they are taking my brother to the hospital. So I call my sister, who had also left a message about our brother, and by 10:00 p.m. we are at the hospital to find out what happened.
They ran some tests on him…it’s now Wednesday morning and we still don’t know if he had a seizure, a stroke, or if it was just that his medications needed to be adjusted. Perhaps we’ll have an answer today.
I have 12 days to find a really cheap car. My lease will be up, and because the aforementioned credit is so screwed up, I won’t be able to finance anything (and if anyone will finance it, the interest rate will be obscene) My son and I took a drive to see if we could find any cars for sale. You know how you always see them in parking lots on main thoroughfares. It was astounding! We saw zero!
Turns out our celebration was short-lived. But, there will be more to come. Sometimes it may feel as if life is really testing you, pushing your limits. But if your limits are never pushed, you never grow. Guess I’ve gotta do a lot of growing this week. But this too, shall pass. After all, I play to win.
I got home a little after 9:00 p.m. to find some paperwork waiting for me, informing me that I am being sued. Again. It’s the aftermath of my credit going down the toilet. Then I check my messages, to discover one of them is from an EMT with the local fire department, letting me know that they are taking my brother to the hospital. So I call my sister, who had also left a message about our brother, and by 10:00 p.m. we are at the hospital to find out what happened.
They ran some tests on him…it’s now Wednesday morning and we still don’t know if he had a seizure, a stroke, or if it was just that his medications needed to be adjusted. Perhaps we’ll have an answer today.
I have 12 days to find a really cheap car. My lease will be up, and because the aforementioned credit is so screwed up, I won’t be able to finance anything (and if anyone will finance it, the interest rate will be obscene) My son and I took a drive to see if we could find any cars for sale. You know how you always see them in parking lots on main thoroughfares. It was astounding! We saw zero!
Turns out our celebration was short-lived. But, there will be more to come. Sometimes it may feel as if life is really testing you, pushing your limits. But if your limits are never pushed, you never grow. Guess I’ve gotta do a lot of growing this week. But this too, shall pass. After all, I play to win.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Activities we do not allow......
This is an excerpt from the book:
SINGING
Whether one will or will not be allowed to sing at the bar is up to the discretion of the bartender. For the most part, not too many people can carry a tune very well. If I find that you are bothering me, or anyone else, but especially me, I will enforce the “No Singing” rule that I came up with.
Even if you can carry a tune, I may not like your selection of song, so you will need to be quieted. If you are tone deaf, are asked not to sing, and do not heed this request, I may have to take drastic action. You need to remember, just because you are asked not to sing, you should not feel personally affronted. Just because no one else you know has the good sense to tell you that they would rather listen to nails on a chalkboard accompanied by a squealing pig while a dog walks on piano keys than to listen to you try and screech out what will surely be a musical atrocity, even to the hearing impaired, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t. I just feel it is my duty as a bartender and a fellow human being to stop you from humiliating yourself any further.
I knew that after two notes your singing would cause the small children in the dining room to have nightmares for years to come. The neighborhood dogs would start to howl, drivers with their windows open would start to swerve, and glasses would break. Thank God we’re not near the zoo!
It’s hard to be brutally honest, but some day you’ll thank me.
SINGING
Whether one will or will not be allowed to sing at the bar is up to the discretion of the bartender. For the most part, not too many people can carry a tune very well. If I find that you are bothering me, or anyone else, but especially me, I will enforce the “No Singing” rule that I came up with.
Even if you can carry a tune, I may not like your selection of song, so you will need to be quieted. If you are tone deaf, are asked not to sing, and do not heed this request, I may have to take drastic action. You need to remember, just because you are asked not to sing, you should not feel personally affronted. Just because no one else you know has the good sense to tell you that they would rather listen to nails on a chalkboard accompanied by a squealing pig while a dog walks on piano keys than to listen to you try and screech out what will surely be a musical atrocity, even to the hearing impaired, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t. I just feel it is my duty as a bartender and a fellow human being to stop you from humiliating yourself any further.
I knew that after two notes your singing would cause the small children in the dining room to have nightmares for years to come. The neighborhood dogs would start to howl, drivers with their windows open would start to swerve, and glasses would break. Thank God we’re not near the zoo!
It’s hard to be brutally honest, but some day you’ll thank me.
Monday, March 14, 2011
I'm glad we weren't your last stop.....
Ya know, ya gotta love (or not) the small groups of people who go on their weekend bar-hop-a-thons. We got to experience this group on Saturday night. Six of them spill into the lounge…..belly up to the bar….”Hi! Do you remember me?” “Of course I do!” (Doesn’t matter if I do or don’t) After the initials greets are out of the way, a couple of them order. Trying to get an order from the rest of them was like trying to pull teeth out. (Preferably not your own) Some wanted to know what others had ordered, and it took a minute for them to get an answer. Like it really matters. I mean, if you order scotch on the rocks, it doesn’t matter to me, I don’t like scotch and am not going to order it because you did……so I find “What are you having?” to be a totally irrelevant question and a waste of time.
I didn’t know who was with who, or if anyone was with anyone…so I asked them if they wanted this all on one tab, or how should I split it up. Again, the answer involved dentistry, and I never did get a straight answer from any of them, so I threw it all on one. I can separate later if I need to
Then four of them decided to dance. Now, we don’t have a dance floor per se, but when on occasion the mood strikes, people just get up and dance next to their table…or move to a small area where there are no tables. Not this group. One, who wasn’t dancing took it upon herself to move some tables out of the way. She started doing this part way through the song. I realized there was probably no stopping her, so I just watched. By the time she was done….the song was half way over, and when the song was done, so was the dancing.
I’m glad she had fun moving the tables, but those who were more sober, (everyone else in the restaurant) could see that it had been a wasted effort.
Shortly thereafter, I heard the words that were the most beautiful music I’d heard all night, “Let’s go to the next bar!”
I’m really glad that we weren’t your last stop.
I didn’t know who was with who, or if anyone was with anyone…so I asked them if they wanted this all on one tab, or how should I split it up. Again, the answer involved dentistry, and I never did get a straight answer from any of them, so I threw it all on one. I can separate later if I need to
Then four of them decided to dance. Now, we don’t have a dance floor per se, but when on occasion the mood strikes, people just get up and dance next to their table…or move to a small area where there are no tables. Not this group. One, who wasn’t dancing took it upon herself to move some tables out of the way. She started doing this part way through the song. I realized there was probably no stopping her, so I just watched. By the time she was done….the song was half way over, and when the song was done, so was the dancing.
I’m glad she had fun moving the tables, but those who were more sober, (everyone else in the restaurant) could see that it had been a wasted effort.
Shortly thereafter, I heard the words that were the most beautiful music I’d heard all night, “Let’s go to the next bar!”
I’m really glad that we weren’t your last stop.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Whew! Friday.......
So once again it’s my favorite day of the week….Friday. It snowed again last night…. and once again the forecast was wrong. We were supposed to get less than an inch, but it looks like we’ve got another 3 to 4 inches of snow out there. Don’t care!
It’s Friday! This is our busiest night in the lounge….the roads will all be cleared by this evening… looking forward to a fun night….
Hey, my mind is kind of shot this week…..we put so much energy, and spent so much time planning our show (and it was worth it) I’m running out of things to ramble on about…..but….
There was that one table a lunch yesterday, who after ordering, and making a mess of the table, informed us that they had one more person coming, and could they move to larger table…..Sure! Go ahead! Why not!?! Cleaning up twice the mess is what most servers live for! NOT!
And for the guy who kept wanting to sample different wines, we’re not gonna do this all day….I could tell from your dialogue that you know two wine terms, dry and sweet. You don’t know shit, and it’s all a crap shoot with you anyways, you’re not impressing anyone….so just close your eyes and point to one. And then you want calamari for four, and inform me that the boss always figures it out and gives you a good price….well, the boss wasn’t in at the moment….so I told the cook, “Two orders of calamari, throw it all on one plate!”
So for all those who think they are special….they must realize one thing (but probably never will) everyone who walks through the door is special…..however most are not as pompous you.
It’s Friday! This is our busiest night in the lounge….the roads will all be cleared by this evening… looking forward to a fun night….
Hey, my mind is kind of shot this week…..we put so much energy, and spent so much time planning our show (and it was worth it) I’m running out of things to ramble on about…..but….
There was that one table a lunch yesterday, who after ordering, and making a mess of the table, informed us that they had one more person coming, and could they move to larger table…..Sure! Go ahead! Why not!?! Cleaning up twice the mess is what most servers live for! NOT!
And for the guy who kept wanting to sample different wines, we’re not gonna do this all day….I could tell from your dialogue that you know two wine terms, dry and sweet. You don’t know shit, and it’s all a crap shoot with you anyways, you’re not impressing anyone….so just close your eyes and point to one. And then you want calamari for four, and inform me that the boss always figures it out and gives you a good price….well, the boss wasn’t in at the moment….so I told the cook, “Two orders of calamari, throw it all on one plate!”
So for all those who think they are special….they must realize one thing (but probably never will) everyone who walks through the door is special…..however most are not as pompous you.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Glitches? What glitches?
Our impersonator show last night was a huge success! It went over even better than we had imagined!
Everything was well planned out, but there’s always room for improvisation, there has to be. When’s there’s a little glitch, you just improvise your way around it, and no even knows there was a glitch.
When “Madonna” made a surprise entrance…..her mic wasn’t on. So she boldly strode across the room like she owned it….the sound man saw her, and turned her mic on. We just improvised a little dialogue…no one knew……
We had a GREAT crowd! They were all out to have fun! And they did!
When one of the entertainers would sing to sing someone at a particular table, pictures were being snapped right and left…..some were singing along…..many were dancing in their seats….and then they just couldn’t contain themselves and they stood up and danced!
The “Lady Gaga” entrance was spectacular! We had one of the servers wheel her in on a dessert cart! The crowd loved it!
By the time we got to our last number….(we went out of character and finished with “We Are Family”, we had a great lead into it)…we had the servers up front with us….we were all dancing……then the servers roamed through the audience and got them all up dancing. Entire tables were getting up and dancing….two table were haven an unspoken contest to see who could be the most lively!
So we planned and planned and tweaked and tweaked…..we were a little nervous…..we turned that into energy…..and when all was said and done……it worked…and it was exhilarating!
Everything was well planned out, but there’s always room for improvisation, there has to be. When’s there’s a little glitch, you just improvise your way around it, and no even knows there was a glitch.
When “Madonna” made a surprise entrance…..her mic wasn’t on. So she boldly strode across the room like she owned it….the sound man saw her, and turned her mic on. We just improvised a little dialogue…no one knew……
We had a GREAT crowd! They were all out to have fun! And they did!
When one of the entertainers would sing to sing someone at a particular table, pictures were being snapped right and left…..some were singing along…..many were dancing in their seats….and then they just couldn’t contain themselves and they stood up and danced!
The “Lady Gaga” entrance was spectacular! We had one of the servers wheel her in on a dessert cart! The crowd loved it!
By the time we got to our last number….(we went out of character and finished with “We Are Family”, we had a great lead into it)…we had the servers up front with us….we were all dancing……then the servers roamed through the audience and got them all up dancing. Entire tables were getting up and dancing….two table were haven an unspoken contest to see who could be the most lively!
So we planned and planned and tweaked and tweaked…..we were a little nervous…..we turned that into energy…..and when all was said and done……it worked…and it was exhilarating!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Sooooo... my mind is scattered today
Okay, I was gonna take an excerpt from the book today…..my mind is going in about 30 different directions…but I decided to just wing it with whatever popped in my head. If you find you are having trouble following along, don’t worry about it, there’s probably not going to be any rhyme or reason to this.
Fred came in the other night…it was snowing outside….so upon his arrival, I discovered that he had reverted back to being a 12 year old boy, and threw a snowball at me. Not having any snow readily available inside the restaurant, so I could throw one back, I did the next best thing….I picked up the snowball he had thrown, stuffed it into a glass and used it to ice his drink. Why waste a perfectly good snowball?
On a totally unrelated subject…I have to be at Connie’s at noon. Connie has been cutting, dying and perming my hair for about 20 years, and she very graciously volunteered to do my hair and make up for tonight’s show. Lord knows what it would like if I attempted this all on my own! Thank you, Connie!
I’ve gotta go and finish writing some last minutes notes for myself, for this evening, because if I didn’t, many of these thoughts would just blow through my head, like the wind going in through one ear and out the other. I have been accused on an occasion or two of being an airhead…..and I have no desire to remove all doubt in a public forum.
So off I go…yes….to wherever…..(I warned you this may not make a lot of sense) oh! I’m going to “break a leg”……talk to you tomorrow…..
Fred came in the other night…it was snowing outside….so upon his arrival, I discovered that he had reverted back to being a 12 year old boy, and threw a snowball at me. Not having any snow readily available inside the restaurant, so I could throw one back, I did the next best thing….I picked up the snowball he had thrown, stuffed it into a glass and used it to ice his drink. Why waste a perfectly good snowball?
On a totally unrelated subject…I have to be at Connie’s at noon. Connie has been cutting, dying and perming my hair for about 20 years, and she very graciously volunteered to do my hair and make up for tonight’s show. Lord knows what it would like if I attempted this all on my own! Thank you, Connie!
I’ve gotta go and finish writing some last minutes notes for myself, for this evening, because if I didn’t, many of these thoughts would just blow through my head, like the wind going in through one ear and out the other. I have been accused on an occasion or two of being an airhead…..and I have no desire to remove all doubt in a public forum.
So off I go…yes….to wherever…..(I warned you this may not make a lot of sense) oh! I’m going to “break a leg”……talk to you tomorrow…..
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Ahhhhh....details....
Tomorrow is the debut of our Double Take Impersonators show. We’re wrapping up all the details, and there’s a lot of them. Like all the little thing you don’t generally think about….electrical cords, power strips, batteries, table numbers, to name a few. And then there’s the bigger things…..from which door will each entertainer make an entrance…. the order of the entertainers…what’s to be said in between each act…..and so on and so forth.
Then there’s the seating! The tables each seat 10...and we have groups in size anywhere form 1 to 10 people, and we want to make sure everyone gets to sit with their friends. It’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
Then there’s the hair and make up….(neither of which I’m good at)…my hairdresser very generously volunteered to do my hair and make! Lord knows what it would look like if I had to do it myself!
Never underestimate the kindness and willingness of others to help. An old friend and singing partner of Deb, agreed to work the sound system. AND…he’s letting us use his spotlight! All we need is someone to work it…..so while we at the restaurant working out details last night…..we were talking with Nash, one of our servers (who is also helping us out with a few aspects of the show) Nash and his brother were putting up some shelving, we told him we had to find someone to work the spotlight….Nash poked his head through a door and said ,”Hey Randy! Whattya doing Wednesday night?”
“Nothing.”
“Perfect! Can you work the spotlight?”
“Sure, what do I do?”
Sometimes you just have to trust the process of life.
Then there’s the seating! The tables each seat 10...and we have groups in size anywhere form 1 to 10 people, and we want to make sure everyone gets to sit with their friends. It’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
Then there’s the hair and make up….(neither of which I’m good at)…my hairdresser very generously volunteered to do my hair and make! Lord knows what it would look like if I had to do it myself!
Never underestimate the kindness and willingness of others to help. An old friend and singing partner of Deb, agreed to work the sound system. AND…he’s letting us use his spotlight! All we need is someone to work it…..so while we at the restaurant working out details last night…..we were talking with Nash, one of our servers (who is also helping us out with a few aspects of the show) Nash and his brother were putting up some shelving, we told him we had to find someone to work the spotlight….Nash poked his head through a door and said ,”Hey Randy! Whattya doing Wednesday night?”
“Nothing.”
“Perfect! Can you work the spotlight?”
“Sure, what do I do?”
Sometimes you just have to trust the process of life.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday morning ramblings......
So three ladies sat at the bar the other night, for some after dinner drinks. They were having a good time…chatting away…I talked with them for a few minutes…one of them told she was also a bartender.
Okay, so if you tell me you’re a bartender, then a $3.00 tip on a $26.00 tab, that doesn’t cut it. I’m not so sure I believe the bartender story, we just don’t do that to each other. Annnnd, if you really area a bartender, then I need to know where you work, because I don’t want to go in there.
Just about every restaurant nowadays has a host or hostess to seat people…..from fine dining to my favorite local Coney Island. For those who have never worked in a restaurant, there are many reasons for this. The most important being, to avoid total chaos. The method used for seating guests is not totally random. Each server has a section of tables, and we try to seat each section in rotation, that way no one gets overwhelmed with 3 or 4 tables at once, and we try and keep the number of tables each server gets as even as possible.
I have worked several places were there was more than one entrance and logic dictates that the host stand be at the main entrance. So if you come in the back or side entrance, or whatever, see some empty tables, please don’t look at me like a deer in the headlights and ask if you can sit anywhere you want. The answer is no. Do not look surprised at that. I’d be willing to bet this isn’t your first trip out. I’m nowhere near the host stand, I’m behind the bar and do not know which tables are reserved.
Okay, so if you tell me you’re a bartender, then a $3.00 tip on a $26.00 tab, that doesn’t cut it. I’m not so sure I believe the bartender story, we just don’t do that to each other. Annnnd, if you really area a bartender, then I need to know where you work, because I don’t want to go in there.
Just about every restaurant nowadays has a host or hostess to seat people…..from fine dining to my favorite local Coney Island. For those who have never worked in a restaurant, there are many reasons for this. The most important being, to avoid total chaos. The method used for seating guests is not totally random. Each server has a section of tables, and we try to seat each section in rotation, that way no one gets overwhelmed with 3 or 4 tables at once, and we try and keep the number of tables each server gets as even as possible.
I have worked several places were there was more than one entrance and logic dictates that the host stand be at the main entrance. So if you come in the back or side entrance, or whatever, see some empty tables, please don’t look at me like a deer in the headlights and ask if you can sit anywhere you want. The answer is no. Do not look surprised at that. I’d be willing to bet this isn’t your first trip out. I’m nowhere near the host stand, I’m behind the bar and do not know which tables are reserved.
Friday, March 4, 2011
So you think you're a big shooter......
Every restaurant has it’s vast array of customers….from those who like to have a quiet meal, just keep to themselves……to those who like to interact with the staff, they talk to the bartenders, the servers and the busboys, they genuinely like people, and they treat everyone with the same amount of respect.
You get your laid back customers who go with the flow…you get your high maintenance customers, the one’s who think (although they are surrounded by a sea of people) that they are the only one’s in there…..and you get the one’s who don’t necessarily think of themselves as big shooters….but they eat, they drink, they are merry, they interact with the staff, we laugh, and they appreciate everything and tip well. We will make sure they have a good time each and every time the come in.
Thennnnnn….you get the one’s who are legends in their own minds and self-perceived big shooters. They have an air about them, an arrogance, really…..they’re easy to spot, they feel they deserve special treatment…they’re demanding…..they want a special dish, (they are not the only one’s we do this for)…they dismiss you with the wave of a hand and tell you to go talk to the boss, he’ll say it’s okay, he knows who we are.
You don’t bother talking to the boss, you just send the order in. These are the same guys who will send you on a million trips to the kitchen…..after the food is served, they will decide they want french fries to go with their sandwich, (because apparently they didn’t know this at the time they ordered)…thank you for the extra trip, we’ll alert the media about your decision to have french fries.
When all is said and done, and they've treated themselves well, run up a pretty good tab….(ran us around like crazy) we present the bill…a grand gesture is made to pull out a credit card…..we run the card, bring it back, the charge slip is filled out and signed like one were signing the Declaration of Independence…..finally they’re gone, whew.
Upon opening up the check presenter book, we once again see that they have left a 10% tip. Big shooters? NOT! We have but one word for them….ass.
You get your laid back customers who go with the flow…you get your high maintenance customers, the one’s who think (although they are surrounded by a sea of people) that they are the only one’s in there…..and you get the one’s who don’t necessarily think of themselves as big shooters….but they eat, they drink, they are merry, they interact with the staff, we laugh, and they appreciate everything and tip well. We will make sure they have a good time each and every time the come in.
Thennnnnn….you get the one’s who are legends in their own minds and self-perceived big shooters. They have an air about them, an arrogance, really…..they’re easy to spot, they feel they deserve special treatment…they’re demanding…..they want a special dish, (they are not the only one’s we do this for)…they dismiss you with the wave of a hand and tell you to go talk to the boss, he’ll say it’s okay, he knows who we are.
You don’t bother talking to the boss, you just send the order in. These are the same guys who will send you on a million trips to the kitchen…..after the food is served, they will decide they want french fries to go with their sandwich, (because apparently they didn’t know this at the time they ordered)…thank you for the extra trip, we’ll alert the media about your decision to have french fries.
When all is said and done, and they've treated themselves well, run up a pretty good tab….(ran us around like crazy) we present the bill…a grand gesture is made to pull out a credit card…..we run the card, bring it back, the charge slip is filled out and signed like one were signing the Declaration of Independence…..finally they’re gone, whew.
Upon opening up the check presenter book, we once again see that they have left a 10% tip. Big shooters? NOT! We have but one word for them….ass.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Really...did you see that in a movie?
There are times when people order in such a manner, that it makes you wonder where the hell they got that idea from. I’ve had people order a Martini, in what they perceived to be a James Bond manner, (we’ve talked about that before) “Shaken, not stirred.” James Bond isn’t a real person, and right now, neither are you. If you can’t see me making your drink, and most can’t…I could stir it with my finger and you’d never know. Oh, and remember, no one is as impressed with you, as you are with yourself. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the least impressive, we are at a zero.
Some folks came in and ordered 2 glasses of wine, they wanted one ice cube put in the glass, the wine poured over that, and then they wanted the one ice cube removed. (Really, I’m not making this up. The truth is always stranger than fiction)
They were explaining to the server how “room temperature”, is not really room temperature…..but should be the temperature of a wine cellar.(and this one ice cube, half melted, then removed, is gonna fix this) You can’t get all high and mighty, think you’re some sort of wine connoisseur, start shooting your mouth off about wine facts and then order a glass of the house wine. It just doesn’t jive. Apparently you’re the only one who doesn’t know this.
I’d bet $100.00 that you didn’t consider the temperature fluctuations caused by handling the glass by the bowl, and not the stem. Your sweaty little palm was probably wrapped tightly around it, as you gazed into this glass of house wine, not really knowing what you were looking for.
I have very little wine knowledge, I’ve been to a couple of classes…..(don’t even like wine that much)…talked to some sommeliers…picked up a few tidbits of information…basically just enough information to know how to spot a phony.
Ding ding ding ding! You’re it, ice cube guy!
Some folks came in and ordered 2 glasses of wine, they wanted one ice cube put in the glass, the wine poured over that, and then they wanted the one ice cube removed. (Really, I’m not making this up. The truth is always stranger than fiction)
They were explaining to the server how “room temperature”, is not really room temperature…..but should be the temperature of a wine cellar.(and this one ice cube, half melted, then removed, is gonna fix this) You can’t get all high and mighty, think you’re some sort of wine connoisseur, start shooting your mouth off about wine facts and then order a glass of the house wine. It just doesn’t jive. Apparently you’re the only one who doesn’t know this.
I’d bet $100.00 that you didn’t consider the temperature fluctuations caused by handling the glass by the bowl, and not the stem. Your sweaty little palm was probably wrapped tightly around it, as you gazed into this glass of house wine, not really knowing what you were looking for.
I have very little wine knowledge, I’ve been to a couple of classes…..(don’t even like wine that much)…talked to some sommeliers…picked up a few tidbits of information…basically just enough information to know how to spot a phony.
Ding ding ding ding! You’re it, ice cube guy!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Yes, showers can be good.....
When I say “showers” I mean the bridal and baby variety, not the nice hot water type.
I went in Sunday to work a bridal shower, wasn’t particularly looking forward to it…while we are trying to set up the room, you generally have a bunch of anal women running in every direction trying to decorate the room. Sprinkling stuff all over the tables, hanging things in doorways, of all places! We do need to use those!
But Sunday was different……these woman had some flowers to put on the tables, and little dishes of chocolates. That’s it. As they were setting up they ordered four Bloody Mary’s and two Peach Bellini’s. Cool start. They offered us chocolate. (No one ever does that!) So instead of running around, they got their flowers set out…stood around talking….drinking their Bloody Mary’s, joking around with us.
This was the most laid back group ever! Nope, no silly games….just eat and open presents…drink six carafes of wine…. A very relaxed atmosphere…..
There were three other showers going on in the building at the same time….by the luck of the draw….I got the cool one.
So ladies….take a hint from this group….relax…..there is no need to over decorate, more is not necessarily better…..by the time you get plates on the table…..drink glasses….bread baskets…..no one can see all the little sprinkle things (that we have to vacuum up)….or anything else. The tables are generally so full of stuff, it all blends together. Just because someone makes what you perceive as a cool decoration, doesn’t mean you have to buy it…..a centerpiece is nice. And by that I mean, just a centerpiece. Try and relax and enjoy your guests. There is no contest going on to see who can fill the tables with the most crap. Also remember, no matter where you hang it, a cheap cardboard thing hanging from the ceiling, is still a cheap cardboard thing.
I went in Sunday to work a bridal shower, wasn’t particularly looking forward to it…while we are trying to set up the room, you generally have a bunch of anal women running in every direction trying to decorate the room. Sprinkling stuff all over the tables, hanging things in doorways, of all places! We do need to use those!
But Sunday was different……these woman had some flowers to put on the tables, and little dishes of chocolates. That’s it. As they were setting up they ordered four Bloody Mary’s and two Peach Bellini’s. Cool start. They offered us chocolate. (No one ever does that!) So instead of running around, they got their flowers set out…stood around talking….drinking their Bloody Mary’s, joking around with us.
This was the most laid back group ever! Nope, no silly games….just eat and open presents…drink six carafes of wine…. A very relaxed atmosphere…..
There were three other showers going on in the building at the same time….by the luck of the draw….I got the cool one.
So ladies….take a hint from this group….relax…..there is no need to over decorate, more is not necessarily better…..by the time you get plates on the table…..drink glasses….bread baskets…..no one can see all the little sprinkle things (that we have to vacuum up)….or anything else. The tables are generally so full of stuff, it all blends together. Just because someone makes what you perceive as a cool decoration, doesn’t mean you have to buy it…..a centerpiece is nice. And by that I mean, just a centerpiece. Try and relax and enjoy your guests. There is no contest going on to see who can fill the tables with the most crap. Also remember, no matter where you hang it, a cheap cardboard thing hanging from the ceiling, is still a cheap cardboard thing.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
SHOWTIME!!!!!!
The Celebrity Impersonator Show is 8 days away….and we are almost sold out!!!!! There are a limited number of tickets left!
When we first started on this venture, our goal was to sell 40 tickets. Then we decided to up the goal, and kicked it into high gear. Then we decided to shoot for 70.…and now we’re almost maxed out at 100! We could very well hit that today.
When you really believe in something….you’ll work much harder to make it a success…and then something really cool happens. You realize that the work doesn’t seem like work at all…..it’s fun! The more you work at it, the more you start to find ways to fine tune everything….before you know it, hours have passed as you discuss all the details, and it felt like minutes.
Someone once told me… if you want to have a successful party, the most important thing is to have fun yourself. We want to deliver the best show possible…we want everyone to leave knowing they just got their money’s worth…and with a huge smile on their face! Fun is contagious, and I believe this is one bug that everyone is going to catch.
We now have a special surprise guest! (No, I’m not going to tell you who it is, that would ruin the surprise, silly) And on top of that…..we have a really killer finale planned! (Again, no hints)
I can’t wait for show time! We’re gonna rock the house!!!!
(Yes, I realize I used lot of exclamation points today…but I’m in a really fantastic mood!!!!)
When we first started on this venture, our goal was to sell 40 tickets. Then we decided to up the goal, and kicked it into high gear. Then we decided to shoot for 70.…and now we’re almost maxed out at 100! We could very well hit that today.
When you really believe in something….you’ll work much harder to make it a success…and then something really cool happens. You realize that the work doesn’t seem like work at all…..it’s fun! The more you work at it, the more you start to find ways to fine tune everything….before you know it, hours have passed as you discuss all the details, and it felt like minutes.
Someone once told me… if you want to have a successful party, the most important thing is to have fun yourself. We want to deliver the best show possible…we want everyone to leave knowing they just got their money’s worth…and with a huge smile on their face! Fun is contagious, and I believe this is one bug that everyone is going to catch.
We now have a special surprise guest! (No, I’m not going to tell you who it is, that would ruin the surprise, silly) And on top of that…..we have a really killer finale planned! (Again, no hints)
I can’t wait for show time! We’re gonna rock the house!!!!
(Yes, I realize I used lot of exclamation points today…but I’m in a really fantastic mood!!!!)
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