So you’re throwing a baby shower…you get to the restaurant early to decorate the room….there is one thing you must remember, you’re not in charge. Do not order me about. Do not give me attitude. The cake is in the cooler, so I bring it out, only to find you have crap all over the cake table, and you look at me, like I’m a nuisance and tell me, “It’ll be cleared when we’re done, besides that, there is a mousse filling, so it could stay in the fridge.” Okay, I can’t see through the frosting, I don’t know that, although I could certainly poke my finger in it, if necessary.
(Okay, time to go into totally professional mode, not bitchy, just professional, you can't argue with that.)
Had you made your comments in a nice manner, I probably would not have been irritated. Now, you send a 13 year old kid to ask if you can tape a sign up right outside the door, so people will know there’s a baby shower in there. “No, I’m afraid the tape will damage the paint, besides there is a hostess at the door directing everyone to where they should be. (This was not the only event going on)
So then Grandma (of the mousse attitude) approaches me and says, “It’s not wallpaper.”
“Yes, I can see that. But we don’t want tape marks all over the wall, the hostess will direct everyone here.”
No sign was taped to the wall. (Pulled the whole tape marks on the wall thing out of my ass)
Twenty minutes after their start time, everyone is still milling about the room. Time to get this show in the road. I ask Grandma if they will be playing any games. “Maybe one.” Maybe one? Don’t you know? So I tell her, “We need to get everyone seated, tell them to look over their menu (There was choice of 3 items) I’m going to take the order, then you play your game while I am getting the salads ready.”
See, most people have an idea of what they want to do, but when it comes down to actually figuring out the timing on everything, they are clueless, so I’m going to tell you how it works. We work these events all the time, if we left it up to Grandma, an hour later people would still be milling about. I got there and hour and half early to set up the room, and it will take me an hour to reset it, after you’ve gone. I’m not getting paid enough to stand around and watch everyone talk.
I was warned from the start that Grandma might be difficult to deal with. One of my fellow severs commented, “Maybe that’s why they assigned you to this party.” Thanks.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
You've had too much to drink, and I haven't even seen you......
We had a birthday party going on in one of the rooms last night. It was a 60th birthday party, there were no kids involved. They had an open bar for a few hours, and the servers were busily running back and forth getting drinks. One party goer, the son of the birthday girl, started out drinking a Manhattan, made with Wild Turkey bourbon. Okay. I noticed that this drink was being ordered in rapid succession, so I asked if it was the same person drinking all these, or was there more than one person drinking them. Nope, no one else, they were all for the same guy.
After drinking three of them, he wanted a Wild Turkey Manhattan, made without the Sweet Vermouth. Why not just order what you want? Wild Turkey on the rocks. Was he thinking that ordering a Manhattan without the vermouth sounded classier than just ordering booze on the rocks? Maybe, maybe not. Or maybe thinking just isn’t one of his strong points.
Upon receiving his third Wild Turkey on the rocks, he declared to the server that it was WAY too sweet…..now I know, that class has nothing to do with it…..he’s just an idiot. There is nothing sweet about Wild turkey….and if you think there is way too much of the non-existent vermouth in your drink, then you’ve had too much. I don’t think this guy was old enough to have had his taste buds totally obliterated by mass quantities of alcohol yet, but he is well on his way.
Was he trying to impress the group with his knowledge of liquor? Perhaps. But all he did was to prove to us that he should probably be cut off now. If you think you’re that knowledgeable, and your palate is that finely tuned, AND don’t realize that you’re drinking straight booze….again, back to the idiot thing. But my guess would be that alcohol isn’t the only thing you shoot off your mouth about, and remove all doubt.
After drinking three of them, he wanted a Wild Turkey Manhattan, made without the Sweet Vermouth. Why not just order what you want? Wild Turkey on the rocks. Was he thinking that ordering a Manhattan without the vermouth sounded classier than just ordering booze on the rocks? Maybe, maybe not. Or maybe thinking just isn’t one of his strong points.
Upon receiving his third Wild Turkey on the rocks, he declared to the server that it was WAY too sweet…..now I know, that class has nothing to do with it…..he’s just an idiot. There is nothing sweet about Wild turkey….and if you think there is way too much of the non-existent vermouth in your drink, then you’ve had too much. I don’t think this guy was old enough to have had his taste buds totally obliterated by mass quantities of alcohol yet, but he is well on his way.
Was he trying to impress the group with his knowledge of liquor? Perhaps. But all he did was to prove to us that he should probably be cut off now. If you think you’re that knowledgeable, and your palate is that finely tuned, AND don’t realize that you’re drinking straight booze….again, back to the idiot thing. But my guess would be that alcohol isn’t the only thing you shoot off your mouth about, and remove all doubt.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Stupid Questions.....
A woman took a sip of her water the other day, and asked me if it was well water. In some areas this would be a reasonable question…..around here, it’s just stupid. No one has well water around here. No one! Was I supposed to be impressed with her discerning palate? (Actually we were all staring at her beehive hairdo, and wondering how she could even get in her car) It was also very apparent that woman had not only never missed a meal, but probably had quite a few extra meals over the years, on a daily basis. (I'm not buying the discerning palate thing) So I got her a new glass of water, with lemon, no less…..and this one was much better. Go figure. Then she was looking at two items on the menu, having a hard time deciding, and asked me if the spinach that came on the Portobello sandwich was cooked or raw. I told her it was cooked, but she could have it raw if she wanted to. “Oh, it doesn’t matter, I just wanted to know.” Uh-huh.
Her friend wanted some hot tea. “What kinds of tea do you have?” “I’ll bring you out the tea box.” “Oh, okay, what kinds of tea do you have?” I’ll bring you out the tea box.” “Oh, what kinds of tea are in it?” Did my eyes just roll so far back in my head you could only see the whites?
A guy at the bar wants to buy a shot of tequila for him and his friend. He orders Cuervo….I tell him the Cuervo is empty, but I will run downstairs and get another bottle. So he says, “Just substitute Patron, instead, for the same price.” “I’ll run down and get a bottle of Cuervo.” “Just substitute Patron, instead.” “I’ll run down and get a bottle of Cuervo.” “Just substitute Patron, instead.” “I’ll run down and get a bottle of Cuervo.”
So then he asks me how long this is gonna go on. “As long as you keep on saying that, but I AM going to run down and get a bottle of Cuervo.
This is the same guy who ordered the cheapest Orange Vodka we had, mixed with soda, in a TALL glass. The next drink he orders, he requests less soda. Really guy, I’m not going to replace the “less soda” with more vodka. Why did you order it in a tall glass, if you wanted less soda?
Her friend wanted some hot tea. “What kinds of tea do you have?” “I’ll bring you out the tea box.” “Oh, okay, what kinds of tea do you have?” I’ll bring you out the tea box.” “Oh, what kinds of tea are in it?” Did my eyes just roll so far back in my head you could only see the whites?
A guy at the bar wants to buy a shot of tequila for him and his friend. He orders Cuervo….I tell him the Cuervo is empty, but I will run downstairs and get another bottle. So he says, “Just substitute Patron, instead, for the same price.” “I’ll run down and get a bottle of Cuervo.” “Just substitute Patron, instead.” “I’ll run down and get a bottle of Cuervo.” “Just substitute Patron, instead.” “I’ll run down and get a bottle of Cuervo.”
So then he asks me how long this is gonna go on. “As long as you keep on saying that, but I AM going to run down and get a bottle of Cuervo.
This is the same guy who ordered the cheapest Orange Vodka we had, mixed with soda, in a TALL glass. The next drink he orders, he requests less soda. Really guy, I’m not going to replace the “less soda” with more vodka. Why did you order it in a tall glass, if you wanted less soda?
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
I hate shopping for a used car!
I haven’t gone out car shopping for a used car in over 20 years. I’m looking for something to get me back and forth to work. It used to be that you could drive up and down any main thoroughfare, and see cars parked all over the place with “For sale” signs in the window. Not anymore, the internet has changed all that. I know, because I’ve driven all over, and only seen a handful of vehicles.
Then I started searching on Craigs List…..found a couple, but it’s not as easy as just making a phone call on some of these……noooo…you have to email them….then wait for an answer…although I did get a hold of one person by phone…he said to call back in 45 minutes when he would be home from work. So I did….no answer…..gave him the benefit of the doubt, tried back 40 minutes later…..no answer again. I went back to looking on Craig’s List, and saw that in that 45 minute time span, he had raised the price of the car. He could of told me this had he just picked up the phone. (Ass hole)
Then I get an email reply…..I can see the car sometime between 4 and 7. Cool. So I email back saying I’d like to see it at 4.….again, no response….and again I see that he has raised the price on his listing.
So I expand the search. Start looking in other cities……find a bunch that actually have phone numbers…I’ll start calling on them shortly…..hopefully the monsoon we are currently experiencing will let up.
I am off work today, my goal is to find a vehicle TODAY. Maybe I’ve already weeded a couple ass holes out of the equation, and I can find someone who just wants to sell a vehicle. After all, I thought that was the purpose of posting a listing.
Then I started searching on Craigs List…..found a couple, but it’s not as easy as just making a phone call on some of these……noooo…you have to email them….then wait for an answer…although I did get a hold of one person by phone…he said to call back in 45 minutes when he would be home from work. So I did….no answer…..gave him the benefit of the doubt, tried back 40 minutes later…..no answer again. I went back to looking on Craig’s List, and saw that in that 45 minute time span, he had raised the price of the car. He could of told me this had he just picked up the phone. (Ass hole)
Then I get an email reply…..I can see the car sometime between 4 and 7. Cool. So I email back saying I’d like to see it at 4.….again, no response….and again I see that he has raised the price on his listing.
So I expand the search. Start looking in other cities……find a bunch that actually have phone numbers…I’ll start calling on them shortly…..hopefully the monsoon we are currently experiencing will let up.
I am off work today, my goal is to find a vehicle TODAY. Maybe I’ve already weeded a couple ass holes out of the equation, and I can find someone who just wants to sell a vehicle. After all, I thought that was the purpose of posting a listing.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The old "Bar Crab" trick......
Every now and then, to amuse the bar patrons, you have to pull on old trick out of your bag. Last night I used the “bar crab.” I hadn’t given this a thought in about 20 years.
What you do, is, take a bevnap, open it out, then twist the corners, make each twist about an inch and half long, thus creating a dome in the center of the bevnap. Then you get a lime, set it on the bar and put the domed bevnap over it. Now give it a little push so it rolls down the bar. Since a lime is not perfectly round, it rolls funny…not in a perfectly straight….it takes a few little turns here and there….and it looks like a little critter moving down the bar.
Of course, now everyone wants a turn. So they push it up and down the bar to each other….every now and then it takes a turn in a direction no one planned on, and falls off the bar. When this would happen, I started hearing “Crab overboard!” So I’d pick it up and put it back on the bar, and the merriment would continue. Much the same way you would throw a beach ball back in the pool when the kids are swimming.
One latecomer stared at it in amazement, and asked “How’d you do that?!?” “It’s magic.” (standard answer)
Then the poor little bar crab would sit , lonely and forlorn, forgotten about, for all of ten minutes, then someone would start playing with it again. I was thinking of making another one, so they could have races, but I don’t know how many times I could listen to “Crab overboard” before I picked it up and threw it out.
I may have created a (short-lived) monster. Next time anyone from this group comes in, they’re gonna want to show the bar crab to someone else…just like a kid wants to show off a new toy. Then I’ll be hearing, “Let’s make one with a lemon! OH! Let’s try an orange!”
I sent a text to the bartender who is working tonight, and told her if they ask for a lime, to humor them.
What you do, is, take a bevnap, open it out, then twist the corners, make each twist about an inch and half long, thus creating a dome in the center of the bevnap. Then you get a lime, set it on the bar and put the domed bevnap over it. Now give it a little push so it rolls down the bar. Since a lime is not perfectly round, it rolls funny…not in a perfectly straight….it takes a few little turns here and there….and it looks like a little critter moving down the bar.
Of course, now everyone wants a turn. So they push it up and down the bar to each other….every now and then it takes a turn in a direction no one planned on, and falls off the bar. When this would happen, I started hearing “Crab overboard!” So I’d pick it up and put it back on the bar, and the merriment would continue. Much the same way you would throw a beach ball back in the pool when the kids are swimming.
One latecomer stared at it in amazement, and asked “How’d you do that?!?” “It’s magic.” (standard answer)
Then the poor little bar crab would sit , lonely and forlorn, forgotten about, for all of ten minutes, then someone would start playing with it again. I was thinking of making another one, so they could have races, but I don’t know how many times I could listen to “Crab overboard” before I picked it up and threw it out.
I may have created a (short-lived) monster. Next time anyone from this group comes in, they’re gonna want to show the bar crab to someone else…just like a kid wants to show off a new toy. Then I’ll be hearing, “Let’s make one with a lemon! OH! Let’s try an orange!”
I sent a text to the bartender who is working tonight, and told her if they ask for a lime, to humor them.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Feast and famine, all in two days......
We often joke around about how if Friday is slow, then Saturday will be busy, or vice versa. Well, this past weekend, I wasn’t paying much attention to that….Friday wasn’t super busy, I left early. This would be the famine part of the equation.
Saturday morning I went in to work a memorial luncheon…it was a buffet…..went smooth…..then I found out we were short some servers at night…I was the only bartender on, and may have to take some tables. So I took a 20 minute break, quaffed down mass quantities of iced coffee, and got busy. Cut my finger while slicing fruit, no biggie, nothing a band aid couldn’t take care of…..a couple of servers were helping to stock glassware…..had to get super stocked on wine….found out there were going to be 2 wedding receptions going on, plus a couple of other parties…..and….the reservation sheet was looking good! This would be the feast part.
It didn’t take long to get into full tilt boogie mode…..there was no way I could take any tables….I was pouring drinks for everyone in there, all the parties and open dining. What a blast!!! I haven’t been that busy in years! I was running out of beer glasses…so those at the parties with an open bar, got beer in any glass I could find…the garbage can was quickly filling up with empty liquor and wine bottles…..
The singer was rockin’ the room…the busboy came behind the bar and did the high kicks to “New York, New York” with me…..it was 9:30 before I knew it! We ended the night with a Conga Line through the lounge….those who didn’t join in the dancing, were having just as much fun as those of us who did….. gotta love it!
Oh! That’s right1 I was working and got paid! Gotta love this job!
Saturday morning I went in to work a memorial luncheon…it was a buffet…..went smooth…..then I found out we were short some servers at night…I was the only bartender on, and may have to take some tables. So I took a 20 minute break, quaffed down mass quantities of iced coffee, and got busy. Cut my finger while slicing fruit, no biggie, nothing a band aid couldn’t take care of…..a couple of servers were helping to stock glassware…..had to get super stocked on wine….found out there were going to be 2 wedding receptions going on, plus a couple of other parties…..and….the reservation sheet was looking good! This would be the feast part.
It didn’t take long to get into full tilt boogie mode…..there was no way I could take any tables….I was pouring drinks for everyone in there, all the parties and open dining. What a blast!!! I haven’t been that busy in years! I was running out of beer glasses…so those at the parties with an open bar, got beer in any glass I could find…the garbage can was quickly filling up with empty liquor and wine bottles…..
The singer was rockin’ the room…the busboy came behind the bar and did the high kicks to “New York, New York” with me…..it was 9:30 before I knew it! We ended the night with a Conga Line through the lounge….those who didn’t join in the dancing, were having just as much fun as those of us who did….. gotta love it!
Oh! That’s right1 I was working and got paid! Gotta love this job!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Energy breeds energy, but coffee helps too.......
Whenever we do a show, I never realize how much energy is expended until it’s all over. All day we walk around, or pace, if you prefer, making sure all details are covered, everything is in it’s place, did we forget anything, will Lady Gaga have a cordless mic for her entrance, if extra people show up do we have seats for them, hope there’s not too many no-shows, is the room too hot, is it too cold, yes to both depending on who you ask, do we have our water glasses in place, how long can I last before my feet start screaming in these shoes, do I have lipstick on my teeth, (yes) and the list goes on and on. Silly stuff, yes, some of it is…..but it uses up energy.
At the end of the show, when all the guests have left, it hits us. We’re exhausted. And now we get to break down all the equipment, gather up all the costumes and make up and shoes and full length mirrors and haul it out to our cars. While driving home, you’re physically exhausted, but your mind hasn’t shut off yet. Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!
What sucks is when you have to work a double the next day. So I got up, had my usual mass quantities of coffee, dragged my ass to work, (My hair looked worse than a cheap wig on a mannequin) so I did a hair spray sculpture, waited for the lunch rush to hit, and then suddenly you’re off and running, no time to think, energy reserves kick in and you’re good to go. Then the shift is over. Whew, time for a break. You look at the clock and realize it’s 3:30, and you only have half an hour before the next shift begins. Shit. So I drive 2 block to Tim Horton’s, get a frozen coffee drink and a donut, walk back in the restaurant, take a big slug of the frozen coffee, great, now I’ve got brain freeze. Ouch! Only 5 or 6 hours to go….oh look! Chocolate cake! Yeah, I’m on overload, my mind is shot.
At the end of the show, when all the guests have left, it hits us. We’re exhausted. And now we get to break down all the equipment, gather up all the costumes and make up and shoes and full length mirrors and haul it out to our cars. While driving home, you’re physically exhausted, but your mind hasn’t shut off yet. Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!
What sucks is when you have to work a double the next day. So I got up, had my usual mass quantities of coffee, dragged my ass to work, (My hair looked worse than a cheap wig on a mannequin) so I did a hair spray sculpture, waited for the lunch rush to hit, and then suddenly you’re off and running, no time to think, energy reserves kick in and you’re good to go. Then the shift is over. Whew, time for a break. You look at the clock and realize it’s 3:30, and you only have half an hour before the next shift begins. Shit. So I drive 2 block to Tim Horton’s, get a frozen coffee drink and a donut, walk back in the restaurant, take a big slug of the frozen coffee, great, now I’ve got brain freeze. Ouch! Only 5 or 6 hours to go….oh look! Chocolate cake! Yeah, I’m on overload, my mind is shot.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
A show that surpassed our expectations
Okay, so I gotta ramble on about our show last night! It was our DOUBLE TAKE IMPERSONATORS SHOW……and it was the best one yet! There are times when I have to pinch myself, when I realize what incredibly talented people I get to work with. Being the emcee, I get to see the entire show…I’m always in the room standing or sitting off to the side when the singing is going on.
“Katy Perry” was awesome, she started out the show. Next was “Karen Carpenter”…there were people at every table singing along, men included. Then we threw in a surprise, (as we like to do)……”Karen” said there was a song she never recorded, but always loved, and she was going to sing it now…..the music started, and she sang the first coupe of lines, “You don’t bring me flowers……” then all of a sudden she is joined by “Neil Diamond.” they blew everyone away….it was mesmerizing…..it was so well done and heartfelt…..it brought tears to people’s eyes throughout the entire room. Incredible, just incredible.
“Neil Diamond” rocked the house! He was singing to the ladies and they were eating it up! It astounded everyone that this unassuming guy, just sitting in the background working the sound, in the blink of eye totally transformed himself into Neil Diamond. Absolutely wow!
“Lady Gaga” made her entrance…..she was wheeled in on a dessert cart! Singing a capella! How cool is that!?!
And then we finished up with “Cher.” No one can work a crowd like her…..she was moving throughout the room, singing to all the men….one woman even moved her chair out of the way so “Cher” could sing to her husband and father-in-law!
It was an exhilarating evening! I’ve never had so many people want to know when the next how was going to take place!
“Katy Perry” was awesome, she started out the show. Next was “Karen Carpenter”…there were people at every table singing along, men included. Then we threw in a surprise, (as we like to do)……”Karen” said there was a song she never recorded, but always loved, and she was going to sing it now…..the music started, and she sang the first coupe of lines, “You don’t bring me flowers……” then all of a sudden she is joined by “Neil Diamond.” they blew everyone away….it was mesmerizing…..it was so well done and heartfelt…..it brought tears to people’s eyes throughout the entire room. Incredible, just incredible.
“Neil Diamond” rocked the house! He was singing to the ladies and they were eating it up! It astounded everyone that this unassuming guy, just sitting in the background working the sound, in the blink of eye totally transformed himself into Neil Diamond. Absolutely wow!
“Lady Gaga” made her entrance…..she was wheeled in on a dessert cart! Singing a capella! How cool is that!?!
And then we finished up with “Cher.” No one can work a crowd like her…..she was moving throughout the room, singing to all the men….one woman even moved her chair out of the way so “Cher” could sing to her husband and father-in-law!
It was an exhilarating evening! I’ve never had so many people want to know when the next how was going to take place!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
By any other name.......
I was thinking about the evolution of cocktails, the other day. When I first started bartending, a Martini, was a Martini, and that was it. You either drank gin or vodka, and if it was made with anything else, it wasn’t a Martini. Your only other choice in the matter was whether you wanted it dry or not. And if you ordered your Martini “very dry,” you were pretty much looking for straight gin or vodka.
But that was then, and this is now, and I am constantly amazed at the vast array of flavors that one can now find in liquor. We have vodka that comes in vanilla, chocolate, cherry, mango, orange, pomegranate, wild berry, espresso, tomato and even bubblegum! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Once I finally got over the bastardization of the name “Martini,” I looked at all the liquor on the back bar, and about 30 different flavors of martini’s popped in my head. These bear no resemblance to the original Martini, but it’s that word, “Martini” that sells the drink. There’s an old drink that combines White Crème de Menthe and Dark Crème de Cacao, we used to call it a Mint Patty, or a Girl Scout Cookie. No one wants to belly up to the bar and order a “Girl Scout Cookie,” so now we call it a Chocolate Mint Martini.
Apple Pucker Schnapps is one of the ingredients used to make a Sour Apple Martini…. I can use Caramello, a caramel flavored liquor and Frangelico, and make a Butter Pecan Martini….and it goes on and on…..I feel like a kid in a candy store, and I’m allowed to let my imagination run wild!
Vermouth, the other ingredient in the original Martini, doesn’t even enter into the vocabulary, much less the mixing cup.
The Martini is no longer a drink you have to “acquire” a taste for, in other words, you don’t’ have to gag one down until you’ve destroyed your taste buds. I can make any flavor drink you want, we’ll call it some sort of Martini, and call it a day.
So would a Martini by any other name sell as well? Probably not.
But that was then, and this is now, and I am constantly amazed at the vast array of flavors that one can now find in liquor. We have vodka that comes in vanilla, chocolate, cherry, mango, orange, pomegranate, wild berry, espresso, tomato and even bubblegum! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Once I finally got over the bastardization of the name “Martini,” I looked at all the liquor on the back bar, and about 30 different flavors of martini’s popped in my head. These bear no resemblance to the original Martini, but it’s that word, “Martini” that sells the drink. There’s an old drink that combines White Crème de Menthe and Dark Crème de Cacao, we used to call it a Mint Patty, or a Girl Scout Cookie. No one wants to belly up to the bar and order a “Girl Scout Cookie,” so now we call it a Chocolate Mint Martini.
Apple Pucker Schnapps is one of the ingredients used to make a Sour Apple Martini…. I can use Caramello, a caramel flavored liquor and Frangelico, and make a Butter Pecan Martini….and it goes on and on…..I feel like a kid in a candy store, and I’m allowed to let my imagination run wild!
Vermouth, the other ingredient in the original Martini, doesn’t even enter into the vocabulary, much less the mixing cup.
The Martini is no longer a drink you have to “acquire” a taste for, in other words, you don’t’ have to gag one down until you’ve destroyed your taste buds. I can make any flavor drink you want, we’ll call it some sort of Martini, and call it a day.
So would a Martini by any other name sell as well? Probably not.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
So you had to wait a few minutes.....
Let’s say you work in an office….the boss tells you he needs a few changes made to a certain report, and he wants it done in the next 10 minutes. You are currently working on something else, which is also time sensitive, but you have to stop what you are doing, find the report he wants changed, make the changes, as you check the changes you just made, you find a typo, correct it, check everything again, finally get it printed, get it to the boss…..it took 12 minutes. Should you be fired?
You’re a delivery driver….you’re 10 minutes away from your destination, there’s an accident on the road, traffic has come to stand still, you’re stuck in the middle of it, all you can do is wait it out…..you arrive at your destination 10 minutes late. Should you be fired?
You walk into a restaurant at the height of the dinner rush…the hostess seats you, hands you menus, the busboy hurries over to fill your water glasses…..it takes a few minutes for your server to get to your table…..perhaps the server is in the middle of delivering entrees to another table, after all, we want to get the food out while it’s still hot. After serving the last entrée, someone at the table asks for an extra side of sauce. So instead of just running back to the kitchen to drop off the tray, the server now has to ask a frenzied kitchen for an extra side of sauce, perhaps wait a moment for it, bring it out to the table, so they don’t have to wait until they are half way done with their meal before they have it. All of this took probably two to three minutes. But now, that table is all set, and the server rushes over to your table to get a drink order.
Two to three minutes…. No big deal…..but instead of using this time to look over the menu or converse with your fellow diners….. You use it to build up an indignant attitude, that increases at 15 second intervals….stop and think for a moment, how would you feel if it was your entrees that were being served, another table is seated after half the entrees have been set down, the server left the rest on the tray to run over and greet the new table…not too happy, I would imagine.
So instead of relaxing for a few minutes, after all, you are sitting in a nice comfortable chair, it’s not like we left you in the middle of a blinding snowstorm without benefit of coat or shoes…..you decide to cop an attitude. What you must remember is, EVERYONE who came to dine, is just as important as you are.
So instead of practicing even a miniscule amount of patience, you get up and march your (overly indignant, overly inflated ego) ass out the door. Congratulations, through your inability to keep yourself amused for the eternity of 120 seconds, you’ve just ruined your own dining experience. Now, as you break both arms patting yourself on the back while stomping out to your car, did you ever stop to think about the time you are wasting driving to another restaurant, to probably repeat the same procedure.
You’re a delivery driver….you’re 10 minutes away from your destination, there’s an accident on the road, traffic has come to stand still, you’re stuck in the middle of it, all you can do is wait it out…..you arrive at your destination 10 minutes late. Should you be fired?
You walk into a restaurant at the height of the dinner rush…the hostess seats you, hands you menus, the busboy hurries over to fill your water glasses…..it takes a few minutes for your server to get to your table…..perhaps the server is in the middle of delivering entrees to another table, after all, we want to get the food out while it’s still hot. After serving the last entrée, someone at the table asks for an extra side of sauce. So instead of just running back to the kitchen to drop off the tray, the server now has to ask a frenzied kitchen for an extra side of sauce, perhaps wait a moment for it, bring it out to the table, so they don’t have to wait until they are half way done with their meal before they have it. All of this took probably two to three minutes. But now, that table is all set, and the server rushes over to your table to get a drink order.
Two to three minutes…. No big deal…..but instead of using this time to look over the menu or converse with your fellow diners….. You use it to build up an indignant attitude, that increases at 15 second intervals….stop and think for a moment, how would you feel if it was your entrees that were being served, another table is seated after half the entrees have been set down, the server left the rest on the tray to run over and greet the new table…not too happy, I would imagine.
So instead of relaxing for a few minutes, after all, you are sitting in a nice comfortable chair, it’s not like we left you in the middle of a blinding snowstorm without benefit of coat or shoes…..you decide to cop an attitude. What you must remember is, EVERYONE who came to dine, is just as important as you are.
So instead of practicing even a miniscule amount of patience, you get up and march your (overly indignant, overly inflated ego) ass out the door. Congratulations, through your inability to keep yourself amused for the eternity of 120 seconds, you’ve just ruined your own dining experience. Now, as you break both arms patting yourself on the back while stomping out to your car, did you ever stop to think about the time you are wasting driving to another restaurant, to probably repeat the same procedure.
Monday, May 16, 2011
At What Point?.........
It’s Saturday night….we’re running full steam…..6 of the 8 banquet rooms are in full swing…the only 2 not being used are the one’s that seat 10 and 12. There’s a ton of reservations on the books for general dining. There are 2 of us behind the bar, we’re a little short handed again, so we also have all 10 tables in the lounge.
People from some of the parties, for whatever reason are coming up to the bar to get their drinks. If your party has a tab going, then coming up to the bar is stupid, because I have to charge you for your drinks. There’s no way we can keep track of what your dinking, then find out what room you’re in, and try and find your server. Then one guy asks, “Can I run a tab?” “NO! You can only run a tab with us if you are physically sitting at the bar!” Like we’ve got time to chase you down, when you’re at the other end of the restaurant. Not gonna remember what you look like, either.
We were explaining to our tables that we were short staffed, it’s prom season and some of our help was at their prom. So, please bear with us, we ask a little patience, we’re doing the best we can. Everyone was cool with that. Two ladies at one table said, “No problem, we’re just gonna talk for a while, we haven’t even opened up the menus…..on my next 3 stops at their table, same thing, “We’re fine, no, our drinks are fine, we don’t need anything else right now, still haven’t looked at the menu”……on my fourth stop at their table I’m met with, “I wanna see the manager!” “Okay, is there something I can do for you?” “Nope! I wanna see the manager!” So at what point in time did you get a burr up your ass? You tell me everything is okay, should I call you a liar? Are you complaining so you can try and get something for free? You’ve had 4 opportunities to order, YOU chose not to take advantage of any of them….so what’s your problem? Ya know what? Never mind! I don’t care. We’ve got 298 other people to make drinks for! Trust me, your attitude is only impressing yourself. (Your friend sitting across the table from you didn’t look so thrilled about your attitude either.)
People from some of the parties, for whatever reason are coming up to the bar to get their drinks. If your party has a tab going, then coming up to the bar is stupid, because I have to charge you for your drinks. There’s no way we can keep track of what your dinking, then find out what room you’re in, and try and find your server. Then one guy asks, “Can I run a tab?” “NO! You can only run a tab with us if you are physically sitting at the bar!” Like we’ve got time to chase you down, when you’re at the other end of the restaurant. Not gonna remember what you look like, either.
We were explaining to our tables that we were short staffed, it’s prom season and some of our help was at their prom. So, please bear with us, we ask a little patience, we’re doing the best we can. Everyone was cool with that. Two ladies at one table said, “No problem, we’re just gonna talk for a while, we haven’t even opened up the menus…..on my next 3 stops at their table, same thing, “We’re fine, no, our drinks are fine, we don’t need anything else right now, still haven’t looked at the menu”……on my fourth stop at their table I’m met with, “I wanna see the manager!” “Okay, is there something I can do for you?” “Nope! I wanna see the manager!” So at what point in time did you get a burr up your ass? You tell me everything is okay, should I call you a liar? Are you complaining so you can try and get something for free? You’ve had 4 opportunities to order, YOU chose not to take advantage of any of them….so what’s your problem? Ya know what? Never mind! I don’t care. We’ve got 298 other people to make drinks for! Trust me, your attitude is only impressing yourself. (Your friend sitting across the table from you didn’t look so thrilled about your attitude either.)
Thursday, May 12, 2011
The drudgery of uniform shopping......
Let’s talk about something a little different today……it starts with uniform shopping. I don’t think I’m alone when I say I hate spending money on work clothes. When I first started in the restaurant business a few decades back in the previous millennium, we still wore traditional waitress uniforms. You had to go to a store that carried them, they were the old typical waitress dress, they came in many colors, we wore black, with white piping around the color and pockets, they were made of an indestructible fabric, nothing stained them, I’m pretty sure they would melt, before they caught on fire, and they were pretty reasonable in price.
Shortly thereafter, uniforms started to change, women started wearing slacks and shirts, or regular skirts and blouses. Then polo shirts became popular, and you usually bought them from the restaurant, that would keep a supply of them on hand.
Now we’re into black slacks and either white or black button down shirts. These you have to buy at a regular store, and pay regular prices. We hate doing that!!!!!
Thennnnnn….a friend introduced me to thrift store shopping. I had always pictured these places being filled with junk. I could not have been more wrong in my thinking. Especially when you learn how all their specials work. First of all, on any given day, they have a sign telling you what color tag is the “color of the day.” For instance everything marked with a green tag, is 50% off for that day. Cool! If you shop on Friday or Saturday, again with the color coded tags, you can get 5 for 5. So if the specified color is blue, you can get anything with a blue tag for a dollar, as long as you buy 5 items. You can get 2 pairs of black pants, 2 black shirts and a tie for $5.00! You now have 2 uniforms for less than it would cost to buy a tie at a typical retail store. You can’t beat that! Especially since these clothes are gonna go through a lot of wear and tear…..it’s a guarantee that things will get spilled on them…even if you are the neatest person in the world, these clothes are gonna go through hell.
So Yay! For the thrift stores, and thank you for saving us hundreds of dollars in uniform costs.
P.S. I buy all my clothes at thrift stores now. Where else can you get a Calvin Klein jacket for $3.00? (It would have been $6.00, but we had a 50% off coupon) This jacket originally sold for $100.00, I looked it up in the internet.
Shortly thereafter, uniforms started to change, women started wearing slacks and shirts, or regular skirts and blouses. Then polo shirts became popular, and you usually bought them from the restaurant, that would keep a supply of them on hand.
Now we’re into black slacks and either white or black button down shirts. These you have to buy at a regular store, and pay regular prices. We hate doing that!!!!!
Thennnnnn….a friend introduced me to thrift store shopping. I had always pictured these places being filled with junk. I could not have been more wrong in my thinking. Especially when you learn how all their specials work. First of all, on any given day, they have a sign telling you what color tag is the “color of the day.” For instance everything marked with a green tag, is 50% off for that day. Cool! If you shop on Friday or Saturday, again with the color coded tags, you can get 5 for 5. So if the specified color is blue, you can get anything with a blue tag for a dollar, as long as you buy 5 items. You can get 2 pairs of black pants, 2 black shirts and a tie for $5.00! You now have 2 uniforms for less than it would cost to buy a tie at a typical retail store. You can’t beat that! Especially since these clothes are gonna go through a lot of wear and tear…..it’s a guarantee that things will get spilled on them…even if you are the neatest person in the world, these clothes are gonna go through hell.
So Yay! For the thrift stores, and thank you for saving us hundreds of dollars in uniform costs.
P.S. I buy all my clothes at thrift stores now. Where else can you get a Calvin Klein jacket for $3.00? (It would have been $6.00, but we had a 50% off coupon) This jacket originally sold for $100.00, I looked it up in the internet.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Blame it on the Ghost
Last Saturday night, which was really busy…the boss decided to bring up some bottles of red wine, so we could get a head start on stocking up for Mother’s Day. So I gave him a list, he started hauling up wine…placing the bottles on the back bar…when I had a second I started putting them in the wine racks above the back bar. (If you’re short, you can’t reach these racks) I’m 5’8” and have to really stretch to reach the bottles at the top of the rack. So anyways……I put a bottle in the rack, and just after I pulled my hand away, the bottle slid out of the rack, I didn’t have time to stop it, (it was one of those slow motion moments) as I watched it fall right into a bunch of scotch bottles.
Oh No! How many are going to break?!?! I held my arms in front of the scotch bottles, thinking I could at least stop them from all falling on the floor, closed my eyes for a second as the wine bottle hit them, (didn’t want to get flying glass shards in my eyes) as soon as the initial crash was over, I opened my eyes, the wine bottle was on the floor, intact (it fell on the rubber mat) and much to my amazement, only one bottle broke!
I picked up the bigger pieces of broken glass, threw them out…..the rest of the clean up would have to wait until later, when it slowed down.
As I later reviewed the situation in my mind…..I decided to blame it on the ghost. I had heard a story, from several eye witnesses, about 3 wine bottles shooting out from the rack, actually shooting out about 4 feet, and crashing into the bar itself. Unusual behavior for inanimate objects. So I decided that the bottle had a little help in falling out of the rack.
Sure, there’s probably a logical scientific reason for why the wine bottle slid out of the rack, but there have been ghost stories flying around about this place for decades….many many stories, with many credible witnesses. So I’m going with the ghost story….why over think it?
Oh No! How many are going to break?!?! I held my arms in front of the scotch bottles, thinking I could at least stop them from all falling on the floor, closed my eyes for a second as the wine bottle hit them, (didn’t want to get flying glass shards in my eyes) as soon as the initial crash was over, I opened my eyes, the wine bottle was on the floor, intact (it fell on the rubber mat) and much to my amazement, only one bottle broke!
I picked up the bigger pieces of broken glass, threw them out…..the rest of the clean up would have to wait until later, when it slowed down.
As I later reviewed the situation in my mind…..I decided to blame it on the ghost. I had heard a story, from several eye witnesses, about 3 wine bottles shooting out from the rack, actually shooting out about 4 feet, and crashing into the bar itself. Unusual behavior for inanimate objects. So I decided that the bottle had a little help in falling out of the rack.
Sure, there’s probably a logical scientific reason for why the wine bottle slid out of the rack, but there have been ghost stories flying around about this place for decades….many many stories, with many credible witnesses. So I’m going with the ghost story….why over think it?
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
An Uneventful Mother's Day.....
I’d have to say every restaurant looks forward to Mother’s Day as the busiest day of the year. However this year, was different. I saw some postings on Facebook, of servers complaining that they had to work, and didn’t make as much money as was anticipated. Neither did we. Of course it didn’t help that it was a picture perfect day outside, one of the best so far this spring.
The day started out busy, with those wanting to catch a brunch and quaff down Mimosa’s and Bloody Mary’s. I find it interesting that as soon as the brunch crowd slows down, so does the drinking. By mid-afternoon, we were totally in the doldrums. I went for 45 minutes at a stretch without pouring a single drink. I polished bottles that didn't need it, scrubbed sinks, did a few laps around the restaurant. The staff was gathered in some clusters here and there, talking, waiting to get busy again. It never really happened. There were no walk-ins, and not all the reservations showed up. It was jut too nice outside. I don’t blame them, had I not been working, I believe I would’ve have parked myself on the deck and enjoyed the day.
A few servers were cut from the floor and got to leave much earlier than they had anticipated. The rest of us milled about waiting for the 5:00 reservations to show up. We gathered in various places around the restaurant in groups of 4 or 5, talked a little (a lot of the conversation was about what we would be doing if we weren’t there) moved around, regrouped…..got a head start on our clean up…..regrouped yet again…..doing whatever we could to pass the time…and then it dawned on me…this day could’ve been a lot worse. But, we all genuinely like each other, the conversation is as varied as the personalities that work there….and we were all stuck there together….so we all passed the time together, and that’s a pretty cool thing. Camaraderie rocks.
The day started out busy, with those wanting to catch a brunch and quaff down Mimosa’s and Bloody Mary’s. I find it interesting that as soon as the brunch crowd slows down, so does the drinking. By mid-afternoon, we were totally in the doldrums. I went for 45 minutes at a stretch without pouring a single drink. I polished bottles that didn't need it, scrubbed sinks, did a few laps around the restaurant. The staff was gathered in some clusters here and there, talking, waiting to get busy again. It never really happened. There were no walk-ins, and not all the reservations showed up. It was jut too nice outside. I don’t blame them, had I not been working, I believe I would’ve have parked myself on the deck and enjoyed the day.
A few servers were cut from the floor and got to leave much earlier than they had anticipated. The rest of us milled about waiting for the 5:00 reservations to show up. We gathered in various places around the restaurant in groups of 4 or 5, talked a little (a lot of the conversation was about what we would be doing if we weren’t there) moved around, regrouped…..got a head start on our clean up…..regrouped yet again…..doing whatever we could to pass the time…and then it dawned on me…this day could’ve been a lot worse. But, we all genuinely like each other, the conversation is as varied as the personalities that work there….and we were all stuck there together….so we all passed the time together, and that’s a pretty cool thing. Camaraderie rocks.
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Never Ending Shift
I just love it when I find out at 10:00 p.m. on a Friday night, that someone called off , and I have to be back at work at 10:30 Saturday morning, then that will segue right into my Saturday night bar shift, so I’ll be there from open to close.
On the plus side, someone brought in a couple boxes of donuts, (and I was out of coffee at home) so those were the first two things I grabbed upon arrival. I checked out my party sheet, only 3 items for them to choose from, so this would be pretty easy. There was 27 people in all, and some of them drank like fish, so they kept me running, but that’s okay.
There was another party scheduled for that room at 4:00, so I had to hustle to get the room re-set. As I was doing that, there was a wedding ceremony taking place in an adjacent room. I finished at 3:45, then went and sat on the deck for 15 minutes. I thought I could then go and set up the bar for the evening shift. I thought wrong. By this time, the wedding reception had begun, which was taking place in a different room from where the ceremony was, so they kept running in to get drinks. There was another banquet downstairs, they didn’t like the limited bar service down there, so a bunch of them kept running upstairs to get drinks. I had no time to restock. I gave one of the managers a list of wine and asked him to get it.
We had a ton of reservations Saturday night, I think for those who wanted to beat the Mother’s day crowds….So I had people drinking, while they were waiting for a table.
The busboys had to keep restocking the glassware….and of course the drink that is the biggest pain in the butt to make, (Sangria, we have 4 varieties) seemed to be the most popular beverage that night.
And so it went, all night long. 13 hours is a long time on your feet, running around….. but you have no time to think it about it…which is a good thing….because before you know it, it’s closing time. Whew!
On the plus side, someone brought in a couple boxes of donuts, (and I was out of coffee at home) so those were the first two things I grabbed upon arrival. I checked out my party sheet, only 3 items for them to choose from, so this would be pretty easy. There was 27 people in all, and some of them drank like fish, so they kept me running, but that’s okay.
There was another party scheduled for that room at 4:00, so I had to hustle to get the room re-set. As I was doing that, there was a wedding ceremony taking place in an adjacent room. I finished at 3:45, then went and sat on the deck for 15 minutes. I thought I could then go and set up the bar for the evening shift. I thought wrong. By this time, the wedding reception had begun, which was taking place in a different room from where the ceremony was, so they kept running in to get drinks. There was another banquet downstairs, they didn’t like the limited bar service down there, so a bunch of them kept running upstairs to get drinks. I had no time to restock. I gave one of the managers a list of wine and asked him to get it.
We had a ton of reservations Saturday night, I think for those who wanted to beat the Mother’s day crowds….So I had people drinking, while they were waiting for a table.
The busboys had to keep restocking the glassware….and of course the drink that is the biggest pain in the butt to make, (Sangria, we have 4 varieties) seemed to be the most popular beverage that night.
And so it went, all night long. 13 hours is a long time on your feet, running around….. but you have no time to think it about it…which is a good thing….because before you know it, it’s closing time. Whew!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Creative Bartending.....
There are times when people come into the bar, (not just where I work, but any bar) and order a drink that we’ve never heard of. For instance they may have been on vacation in another state….had a drink they liked….remembered the name…and thought they could get it anywhere. Bartenders are always coming up with new drinks. I made one up for the singer, (we always try and match the color of her drink to the color of her dress, stupid, but fun) she was wearing blue one night, so I mixed up a concoction that had Blue Curacao, so we jokingly called it an “Ink Martini.” If you try an order this somewhere else, no one on earth is going to know what you’re talking about!
Someone ordered a “Flirtini” last night. I only know of one other place that serves a Flirtini, and I couldn’t remember the recipe for it. I remembered what color it was, and that it was fruity tasting, and that’s about it. So I made it up. All was good, she enjoyed it.
So this morning I googled Flirtini. Every site I checked had a different recipe. So it didn’t really make any difference that I made it up, since there seems to be no standard recipe. If you look at this from a logical point of view, every restaurant has a different recipe for spaghetti sauce, or anything else on the menu, so it shouldn’t matter if the drink recipes vary a little, as long as you enjoy it.
I never could remember the recipe for a Mai Tai or a Planters Punch, or a Rum Runner, and again, if you look them up, you will get many variations, so for a few decades now, I’ve just been making them up.
If you can tell me what’s in a particular drink, and you don’t have to give me quantities, I can make it. If you give me a flavor you want, like cherry or apple or chocolate, I can make you a drink, and it’ll taste really good. Bartending is not an exact science, the only thing you have to do, is mix up something the customer will enjoy.
Someone ordered a “Flirtini” last night. I only know of one other place that serves a Flirtini, and I couldn’t remember the recipe for it. I remembered what color it was, and that it was fruity tasting, and that’s about it. So I made it up. All was good, she enjoyed it.
So this morning I googled Flirtini. Every site I checked had a different recipe. So it didn’t really make any difference that I made it up, since there seems to be no standard recipe. If you look at this from a logical point of view, every restaurant has a different recipe for spaghetti sauce, or anything else on the menu, so it shouldn’t matter if the drink recipes vary a little, as long as you enjoy it.
I never could remember the recipe for a Mai Tai or a Planters Punch, or a Rum Runner, and again, if you look them up, you will get many variations, so for a few decades now, I’ve just been making them up.
If you can tell me what’s in a particular drink, and you don’t have to give me quantities, I can make it. If you give me a flavor you want, like cherry or apple or chocolate, I can make you a drink, and it’ll taste really good. Bartending is not an exact science, the only thing you have to do, is mix up something the customer will enjoy.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
You've gotta trust your employees.....
There are times when people’s motives for doing things are not as pure as they would seem to be at first. What I saw when I first started at my current place of employment, that the boss was a real “hand’s on” owner. He would stop by all the tables, say hello, make sure everything was okay, chat with those he knew, even pick up empty plates from tables and take them back to the kitchen. That’s what I “saw.”
When I started behind the bar, I was now in close enough proximity to also listen. What I thought were pure motives, wanting to lend a hand, show us he was also a part of our team, was much different from reality.
He told us we had too many empty plates sitting around on the bar. I was a little confused, as we generally don’t allow this to happen. Then it became clear…..one night a couple were splitting an appetizer….there were a few morsels left on the plate, they told me they were just being leisurely, and would finish it up. The boss came behind the bar, reached for the plate, and they informed him they weren’t done with it yet. I noticed this was happening a lot. Time after time I would hear, “Can I take that out of your way?” “No, we’re not done with it yet.”
One night a woman he knew was sitting at the bar, waiting for a friend, she ordered some appetizers for them to split, (her friend arrived later than she had expected) so, being hungry, she ate her half of the appetizers, and wanted me to leave the rest there, for when he arrived. The boss comes back behind the bar…chats with her for a minute, then wants to remove the plates. She told him “No, Jack will be here shortly, and I’m saving those for him.” “Can I put them in a to go box for you?” Again, “No, Jack will eat them when he gets here.” “Can I get you another drink?” (thought that was my job) “No, I still have half a glass of wine left. I’m fine.” “Can I get you some more bread?” (she and I had already had this discussion) “No, I don’t need anything, I’m fine.” “Can I…..” “No, we’ve got everything under control, all is as it should be. Everything is fine.”
When he finally stopped his barrage of unnecessary questions and walked away, she looked at me and said, “I used to work in restaurants, and I’m not going to let him undermine your ability to do your job.” THANK YOU!!!!!
It’s pretty sad when the owner puts the customer on the defense, just to try and prove to himself that his employees are inept.
When I started behind the bar, I was now in close enough proximity to also listen. What I thought were pure motives, wanting to lend a hand, show us he was also a part of our team, was much different from reality.
He told us we had too many empty plates sitting around on the bar. I was a little confused, as we generally don’t allow this to happen. Then it became clear…..one night a couple were splitting an appetizer….there were a few morsels left on the plate, they told me they were just being leisurely, and would finish it up. The boss came behind the bar, reached for the plate, and they informed him they weren’t done with it yet. I noticed this was happening a lot. Time after time I would hear, “Can I take that out of your way?” “No, we’re not done with it yet.”
One night a woman he knew was sitting at the bar, waiting for a friend, she ordered some appetizers for them to split, (her friend arrived later than she had expected) so, being hungry, she ate her half of the appetizers, and wanted me to leave the rest there, for when he arrived. The boss comes back behind the bar…chats with her for a minute, then wants to remove the plates. She told him “No, Jack will be here shortly, and I’m saving those for him.” “Can I put them in a to go box for you?” Again, “No, Jack will eat them when he gets here.” “Can I get you another drink?” (thought that was my job) “No, I still have half a glass of wine left. I’m fine.” “Can I get you some more bread?” (she and I had already had this discussion) “No, I don’t need anything, I’m fine.” “Can I…..” “No, we’ve got everything under control, all is as it should be. Everything is fine.”
When he finally stopped his barrage of unnecessary questions and walked away, she looked at me and said, “I used to work in restaurants, and I’m not going to let him undermine your ability to do your job.” THANK YOU!!!!!
It’s pretty sad when the owner puts the customer on the defense, just to try and prove to himself that his employees are inept.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Just wondering.....
Sometimes peoples actions baffle me. For instance, why would you specifically request a table in the lounge on a Friday or Saturday night, when there is entertainment, and not pay any attention to the singer? When you called and made the reservation, you were very clear that you wanted to sit in the lounge…and then your group never shuts up. Not only do you loudly talk your way through the evening, you don’t even applaud when others do. I was going to say, don’t you think it’s a bit rude to make so much noise when others are trying to listen…but then I don’t think consideration for others ever enters your mind.
Then there’s the woman who, upon entering the restaurant and encountering the host, says that there will be four or five in her party. So the host does the logical thing and seats her at a table that will seat five. The next thing you know, she gets up and moves to a different table. One that can only seat four. So I walk over to the table and greet her, she informs me there will probably be four more coming, so I suggest she move back over to the table that can accommodate five. She refuses, then informs me that if four show up, then they will move to a larger table. Okay, this is just stupid.
I was working a baby shower one day…the person hosting the shower was one of the grandmothers. She stopped one of the other servers, who was not working this party and told them no one had been around to see if anyone wanted anything to drink. When the other server told me about this, I just so happened to be carrying a tray full of cocktails.
We both just shrugged our shoulders….”some people”…..
A short time later, she got up from her table, found yet another server, who was not working the party, pointed to the table she was sitting at, and again stated that no one had been over there to take a drink order. I’m not sure how or why, (other than the fact that her power of observation sucked) but the fact that they all had full wine glasses in front of them seemed to lost on her.
One gets the feeling that she was trying to point out the we are inept and stupid, and aren’t doing our job. I beg to differ. Especially on the inept and stupid part.
Then there’s the woman who, upon entering the restaurant and encountering the host, says that there will be four or five in her party. So the host does the logical thing and seats her at a table that will seat five. The next thing you know, she gets up and moves to a different table. One that can only seat four. So I walk over to the table and greet her, she informs me there will probably be four more coming, so I suggest she move back over to the table that can accommodate five. She refuses, then informs me that if four show up, then they will move to a larger table. Okay, this is just stupid.
I was working a baby shower one day…the person hosting the shower was one of the grandmothers. She stopped one of the other servers, who was not working this party and told them no one had been around to see if anyone wanted anything to drink. When the other server told me about this, I just so happened to be carrying a tray full of cocktails.
We both just shrugged our shoulders….”some people”…..
A short time later, she got up from her table, found yet another server, who was not working the party, pointed to the table she was sitting at, and again stated that no one had been over there to take a drink order. I’m not sure how or why, (other than the fact that her power of observation sucked) but the fact that they all had full wine glasses in front of them seemed to lost on her.
One gets the feeling that she was trying to point out the we are inept and stupid, and aren’t doing our job. I beg to differ. Especially on the inept and stupid part.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
When we run out of something......
I used to work at a restaurant whose house specialty was roast beef. It would take about 12 hours to slow cook these giant 50 to 70 pound rounds of beef. You can get a LOT of meals out of a roast that large. On any given day, no one can predict how many people will order roast beef. The only thing you can do to prepare for this, is work on averages. Occasionally we would have a day where more people than average would order roast beef, and we would run out. This didn’t happen very often, but it did happen. People would be aghast…”How can a roast beef house, run out of roast beef?!?!?”
My answer to them was always, “Better we run out, then to serve you something that’s been sitting around for a few days.” That usually puts a new spin on it. If it was burgers we ran out of, someone could run to the store, and then we could continue making burgers. But this roast beef takes 12 hours to cook!
Think back to when you were a kid…..you’re really hoping to have chicken for dinner…you get home to find out it’s meatloaf. Disappointing? Sure. But we learn to live with these disappointments. So we had two choices, eat the meatloaf, (which was the only thing on the menu for the evening) or go hungry. It’s a fact of life, you can’t always get what you want….and if you chose the drama queen route, and declared that you weren’t going to eat…go ahead, cut off your nose to spite your face (fool). And if your parents allowed this type of behavior, then shame on them.
So, unlike the home menu, which featured ONE item, when a restaurant runs out of something, there are probably 30 or 40 other items to choose from. If we’ve run out of your first choice, and this is your biggest disappointment in life, well that’s just sad. Learn to appreciate the fact that a) you don’t have to cook, you’re dining out, b) you don’t have to do any clean up, and c) someone else is serving it to you.
If you decide to continue with your little hissy fit, don’t care if you are making anyone else at your table uncomfortable, (and if you have children with you, great way to set an example) as far as I’m concerned, you can march your self-centered ass out the door and go eat dirt.
My answer to them was always, “Better we run out, then to serve you something that’s been sitting around for a few days.” That usually puts a new spin on it. If it was burgers we ran out of, someone could run to the store, and then we could continue making burgers. But this roast beef takes 12 hours to cook!
Think back to when you were a kid…..you’re really hoping to have chicken for dinner…you get home to find out it’s meatloaf. Disappointing? Sure. But we learn to live with these disappointments. So we had two choices, eat the meatloaf, (which was the only thing on the menu for the evening) or go hungry. It’s a fact of life, you can’t always get what you want….and if you chose the drama queen route, and declared that you weren’t going to eat…go ahead, cut off your nose to spite your face (fool). And if your parents allowed this type of behavior, then shame on them.
So, unlike the home menu, which featured ONE item, when a restaurant runs out of something, there are probably 30 or 40 other items to choose from. If we’ve run out of your first choice, and this is your biggest disappointment in life, well that’s just sad. Learn to appreciate the fact that a) you don’t have to cook, you’re dining out, b) you don’t have to do any clean up, and c) someone else is serving it to you.
If you decide to continue with your little hissy fit, don’t care if you are making anyone else at your table uncomfortable, (and if you have children with you, great way to set an example) as far as I’m concerned, you can march your self-centered ass out the door and go eat dirt.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Dealing with people.......
Dealing with people can be difficult at times….especially on those days when shit seems to come at you from all directions.
I got to work at 2:00 p.m. yesterday…the first person I saw said, “Welcome to hell.” Not a good sign. The next person I saw said “Welcome to hell.” Uh-oh.
There were four banquets going on, the dining room was crowded (due to a ridiculous new coupon offer) and there was not enough staff to cover it all. One server got pulled off a banquet to help in the dining room. There’s an automatic pay cut for her. She asked me to help her with a table of 7 men, who were sitting in the lounge. Their wives were at one of the showers downstairs. They were complaining about anything they could think of to complain about. Par for the course, so we power through it. HOWEVER! When you start making snide comments about my fellow server, to her face, well guys, (notice I did not use the term “gentlemen”) you’ve crossed the line, and are showing the world your lack of class.
Two other guys, sitting at the bar, same reason, wives at shower downstairs…..run up a $104.00 tab….treat themselves to expensive tequila, blah blah blah…..and leave ZERO tip, again, you’re just a couple of classless bastards.
At a table: “I’m sorry ma’am, but we’re out of ribeye steaks.” Now I’ve gotta listen to the “Life as we know it will cease to exist because I can’t have my own way” speech. Trust me, this lady was not suffering from malnutrition.
Then I find out that the boss decides to cut me from one of my weekend bartending shifts. (That’s income that cannot be replaced by any other shift) He and I and the other bartender had worked out a plan on how we would divide up the shifts. We made a deal. The man can’t seem to keep his word on anything. I’m not the first one to get stabbed in the back in this manner.
It’s now 4:00 p.m. Only four more hours to “smile” through.
For all you nice decent people who came in, I’m grateful. For all the rest of you who seem to think we should bend over and have a colonoscopy on your behalf……screw you. If the situation were reversed, you’d be throwing out the Golden Rule at everyone, and probably be appalled at the way you were treated.
I got to work at 2:00 p.m. yesterday…the first person I saw said, “Welcome to hell.” Not a good sign. The next person I saw said “Welcome to hell.” Uh-oh.
There were four banquets going on, the dining room was crowded (due to a ridiculous new coupon offer) and there was not enough staff to cover it all. One server got pulled off a banquet to help in the dining room. There’s an automatic pay cut for her. She asked me to help her with a table of 7 men, who were sitting in the lounge. Their wives were at one of the showers downstairs. They were complaining about anything they could think of to complain about. Par for the course, so we power through it. HOWEVER! When you start making snide comments about my fellow server, to her face, well guys, (notice I did not use the term “gentlemen”) you’ve crossed the line, and are showing the world your lack of class.
Two other guys, sitting at the bar, same reason, wives at shower downstairs…..run up a $104.00 tab….treat themselves to expensive tequila, blah blah blah…..and leave ZERO tip, again, you’re just a couple of classless bastards.
At a table: “I’m sorry ma’am, but we’re out of ribeye steaks.” Now I’ve gotta listen to the “Life as we know it will cease to exist because I can’t have my own way” speech. Trust me, this lady was not suffering from malnutrition.
Then I find out that the boss decides to cut me from one of my weekend bartending shifts. (That’s income that cannot be replaced by any other shift) He and I and the other bartender had worked out a plan on how we would divide up the shifts. We made a deal. The man can’t seem to keep his word on anything. I’m not the first one to get stabbed in the back in this manner.
It’s now 4:00 p.m. Only four more hours to “smile” through.
For all you nice decent people who came in, I’m grateful. For all the rest of you who seem to think we should bend over and have a colonoscopy on your behalf……screw you. If the situation were reversed, you’d be throwing out the Golden Rule at everyone, and probably be appalled at the way you were treated.
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