The coolest thing about this business is the instant camaraderie amongst all food and beverage people. We feel each others pit falls as well as each others successes. We may have never met before, but when in a room together for the first time there is an instant bond. We all have each others backs as though we've known one an other for ever. Like family.
It was another tough night, that was busy and demanding. Things were beginning to settle down when one of my waiters came to me and said that he wanted to show me something. We walked over to his section and he pointed at a table that once hosted four teenagers just a short time ago. They were gone but left behind a table topped with torn up napkins and overturned salt and pepper shakers and the sugar packets that once rested in a caddy, were thrown about. A napkin was left with a hand written message that simply said "Please read all...clean up our mess" I felt bad for the waiter, for he did have to clean it up knowing he made nothing off that table. I wish I had caught the little bastards out in the parking lot, but it was probably better that I didn't. After we closed we all met at our favorite watering hole where we get a chance to unwind and blow off some steam. Everyone had their stories that night of the demanding non tipping customers, but I felt the need to tell the one waiters story. I told it to our waitress, that I had never seen before that night, loud enough for the whole table to hear. All had their opinions on what they would have done to those ass holes. The waitress waiting on us now realized that we were family. She looked, the waiter that got screwed, right in the eyes and said "that sucks, people suck". He smiled and felt better because she truly cared. Better yet, we never had to wait for anything that night. Gotta love that camaraderie!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
BPT
I'm going to apologize right off the bat to anyone that gets offended by this post. I'm going to be treading on some racial, stereo typing, profiling thin ice here but what the heck, I calls them like I sees them. After reading this, please by all means, give me some feed back because I'd really like to hear the opinions from every angle. The story I'm about to tell, isn't the first time that this has happened. Statistically with me its easily 75% of the time and that's being conservative. Please don't get shitty with me for telling this story, I'm not the one that named it, I'm just passing it along. It might just be in the restaurant business, I don't know. But its definitely in the restaurant business.
I took a reservation for twenty people on a Friday night for 7:30pm. Those of you in this business know that that is prime time. I asked all the right questions, is it separate checks, are there any small children requiring high chairs or booster, what is the special occasion. This was a party of all adults, separate checks. 7:45 rolls around and no one has showed for the party. I instruct the host to call to confirm the reservation, she tells me know one answers. 8:00 still no on from the party, the restaurant is now in full swing and we have people waiting at the door for a table. I instruct the bus boys to break down the party. By 8:15 the tables are about to be ready to seat when I am called to the door. I get there and a young woman is standing there looking confused. I asked what she needed and she told me she was the one that made the reservation. I said did you make it for 7:30, she said yes. I said well I'm sorry but you weren't here, she said I'm here now. I told her she was lucky because I haven't seated the tables yet. She said that no one told her that we wouldn't hold the tables. I was kinda speechless, could she really not relate to what was going on? I instructed the bus boys to put the party back together again. By 8:15 I seated the one girl, mean while there is a line out the door of people waiting to be seated. 8:30 rolls by then 8:45 two more show up. dinner rush is now winding down and the girl tells her server its only going to be six people. Again I have the bus boys break down most of the party. At nine o'clock two more show to that table, that's five and that is all that comes to that party. OK I'm going to give it to you in dollars and cents. A party of 20 takes six tables that seat four per table, when you put them together you loose a couple of seats. The server that makes 2.13 an hour and relies on their tips, so from 6:45 when we had to stop seating that area to make sure we had all the tables we needed, until 9:00 when they let the other tables go, six tables flipped twice that's 48 people with a check average of 20.00 per person tipping 18%. the restaurant lost 960.00 in sales and the server lost 172.00 before tip out, so he would have walked out the building with 150. instead the restaurant made 100.00 and the server was lucky if he made 20. The sever in this story was a black kid, that said god damn BPT. I asked him what that meant" BPT," he said black people time.
Ive since learned to let people know that I can't hold the table for more than twenty minutes without a phone call and I suggest that there will be a charge for seats not used. But that still doesn't stop that from happening. What do you do?
I took a reservation for twenty people on a Friday night for 7:30pm. Those of you in this business know that that is prime time. I asked all the right questions, is it separate checks, are there any small children requiring high chairs or booster, what is the special occasion. This was a party of all adults, separate checks. 7:45 rolls around and no one has showed for the party. I instruct the host to call to confirm the reservation, she tells me know one answers. 8:00 still no on from the party, the restaurant is now in full swing and we have people waiting at the door for a table. I instruct the bus boys to break down the party. By 8:15 the tables are about to be ready to seat when I am called to the door. I get there and a young woman is standing there looking confused. I asked what she needed and she told me she was the one that made the reservation. I said did you make it for 7:30, she said yes. I said well I'm sorry but you weren't here, she said I'm here now. I told her she was lucky because I haven't seated the tables yet. She said that no one told her that we wouldn't hold the tables. I was kinda speechless, could she really not relate to what was going on? I instructed the bus boys to put the party back together again. By 8:15 I seated the one girl, mean while there is a line out the door of people waiting to be seated. 8:30 rolls by then 8:45 two more show up. dinner rush is now winding down and the girl tells her server its only going to be six people. Again I have the bus boys break down most of the party. At nine o'clock two more show to that table, that's five and that is all that comes to that party. OK I'm going to give it to you in dollars and cents. A party of 20 takes six tables that seat four per table, when you put them together you loose a couple of seats. The server that makes 2.13 an hour and relies on their tips, so from 6:45 when we had to stop seating that area to make sure we had all the tables we needed, until 9:00 when they let the other tables go, six tables flipped twice that's 48 people with a check average of 20.00 per person tipping 18%. the restaurant lost 960.00 in sales and the server lost 172.00 before tip out, so he would have walked out the building with 150. instead the restaurant made 100.00 and the server was lucky if he made 20. The sever in this story was a black kid, that said god damn BPT. I asked him what that meant" BPT," he said black people time.
Ive since learned to let people know that I can't hold the table for more than twenty minutes without a phone call and I suggest that there will be a charge for seats not used. But that still doesn't stop that from happening. What do you do?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
MORE CHICKEN WING DRAMA
Man I swear when I open my own restaurant again I will not have chicken wings on the menu. What sucks is I love chicken wings but there is a group of people out there that ruin it for everyone. you know the ones, they show up at wall mart on the first and the fifteenth hold up the line with their food stamp credit card then when you get out to the parking lot, they are the ones climbing into their new Escalade. I have no idea how people can be like that. Yet everyday I come across one of the entitled that feel they can talk and act as though everyone else is shit. Eventually things will have to even out and Carma once again will win.
Its fifteen minutes to closing and in walks a couple, all is fine , the server gets their order and brings them each a water. They ordered the appetizer sampler and two baked potatoes. All is good till just before they are completely finished, the woman stars dogging the server about the chicken wings on her sampler, all that is left is one and a half chicken wings, everything else is gone. The chicken wings are tainted she cries, the server said she would get the manager. I go to the table and asked what the problem was. The lady said "what did the waitress tell you" and I told her the there was a problem with the wings. She picked up a piece of chewed up meat and trusted it into my face yelling smell this. I told her that that was not necessary and asked if I could get them something else The lady, I'm using the term lightly, says no and she wanted me to know so that I could check the rest of the wings. I thanked her and told her I would take care of the sampler. I went back to the kitchen to check the wings and as I thought they were all good. I go back to the dinning room and I hear the woman yelling at the server that she was insulted that I was making her pay for the two potatoes, I quickly went over and asked what the problem was and she just exploded. I told her that I would take the potatoes off the bill, I left the table and did so. When I returned she was talking to the server once again saying that I was to nonchalant about every thing and she wanted my name and corporates number. I once again stepped in and now I'm pissed. I asked harshly what her problem was now and what more could I possibly do for her! She said I was to nonchalant and that I didn't care. I looked at the server and I said that's it, go get her check she is to pay and get out. She refused on both and she and her date just sat there. OMG what do you do? Finally they left with a smile on their faces and payed for nothing, oh and she took the wing and the half eaten one and said she was getting it analyzed and said that I better pray she don't get sick. The funny thing was, I was praying that she would be in a fatal accident, then I smiled!
Its fifteen minutes to closing and in walks a couple, all is fine , the server gets their order and brings them each a water. They ordered the appetizer sampler and two baked potatoes. All is good till just before they are completely finished, the woman stars dogging the server about the chicken wings on her sampler, all that is left is one and a half chicken wings, everything else is gone. The chicken wings are tainted she cries, the server said she would get the manager. I go to the table and asked what the problem was. The lady said "what did the waitress tell you" and I told her the there was a problem with the wings. She picked up a piece of chewed up meat and trusted it into my face yelling smell this. I told her that that was not necessary and asked if I could get them something else The lady, I'm using the term lightly, says no and she wanted me to know so that I could check the rest of the wings. I thanked her and told her I would take care of the sampler. I went back to the kitchen to check the wings and as I thought they were all good. I go back to the dinning room and I hear the woman yelling at the server that she was insulted that I was making her pay for the two potatoes, I quickly went over and asked what the problem was and she just exploded. I told her that I would take the potatoes off the bill, I left the table and did so. When I returned she was talking to the server once again saying that I was to nonchalant about every thing and she wanted my name and corporates number. I once again stepped in and now I'm pissed. I asked harshly what her problem was now and what more could I possibly do for her! She said I was to nonchalant and that I didn't care. I looked at the server and I said that's it, go get her check she is to pay and get out. She refused on both and she and her date just sat there. OMG what do you do? Finally they left with a smile on their faces and payed for nothing, oh and she took the wing and the half eaten one and said she was getting it analyzed and said that I better pray she don't get sick. The funny thing was, I was praying that she would be in a fatal accident, then I smiled!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
FIRE IN THE HOLE!
I had a ten minute conversation with what I thought was an old man. He call the restaurant and asked for the manager, as luck would have it I was the manager on duty. When I answered the phone, I introduced myself and asked how I could help. The conversation started out civil, but the man was kinda hard to understand. He started out by telling me that he had eaten at the restaurant a day earlier and had the jambalaya and went on to tell me how the cooks in my restaurant are to heave handed with the spices. I apologized and tried to explain the whole Cajun thing without insulting him, but that didn't work. Now hes going to tell me how hot it was and that it burned all the way down and that it got into his intestines. He said that he was sick for a week. I said "Sir, you said you were in yesterday" he said that that was correct. I asked him how he was sick for a week, he was quiet for the first time since I answered the phone, then he replied "I'm going to be sick for a week, I'm 50 years old and people my age cant eat like that". Now I'm kinda pissed because I thought this guy was like an old man, when in fact hes younger than me. Then he went on to tell me about his morning bowel movement and how it burned coming out. Grossed out, I sat the phone on the bar for a minute to take a break from the awful visuals this man was inflicting on me. When I picked up the phone, he was still just talking away. I had said a couple yes sirs, then put the phone back down on the bar. Finally I told him that the next time he comes in to ask for me and I'd go through the appropriate item on the menu that won't fire his ass up. he said he would take me up on that.
I left work that night and stopped at the local pub near where I work and had a couple tall draft beers and some fire wings. The next day, as I sat there doing my fiery morning constitution, I thought this was how that man felt. But you know, I'd never call the pub to tell them. That's what the blogs for!
I left work that night and stopped at the local pub near where I work and had a couple tall draft beers and some fire wings. The next day, as I sat there doing my fiery morning constitution, I thought this was how that man felt. But you know, I'd never call the pub to tell them. That's what the blogs for!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
I could relate to the final pleasure of a suicide bomber
Man its been along time since I've vented on here. I'm sorry that I've been unable to write but last years bad luck ended at Christmas when I got the flu shot and shortly after that I lost the use of my right arm and as luck would have it I'm right handed. So if anyone were to go and get the flu shot, you would have to sign a waver. On the waver it gives you some stats like 1 in 5000000 people something bad happens, well I'm that 1 in 5000000. But enough whining, I would like to take this moment and thank Farreaka Jones. Girl if it weren't for you I'd still not be bloggin.
A couple of days ago, on my day off, a table of five came into the restaurant. They got seated in a timely manner and the server was quick to get busy with this table. She got their order and put it into the kitchen. It was a simple order with just a couple of modifications. they ordered four orders of chicken wing, all fried hard, all tossed in mild sauce and one of the orders to be all flats, along with one order of chicken tenders fried hard. When the food was delivered to the table that was when the fun began. First the fat lady at the end of the table bellowed that she wasn't paying 8.99 for five chicken tenders for her kid. She wanted corporates number, Really! Then she claimed the the wings weren't cooked enough. The new manager had all there food recooked and ended up buying their meal for fear of "The Corporate Complaint".The ate and left smiling at their success for working the system.
A couple days go by and now its my shift. The phone rings and the bartender picks it up, She answers politely and with in seconds she puts the phone on hold and said that she isn't going to deal with this lady yelling at her to take her order and that she keeps cursing for no reason. I said to the bartender, "please don't be dramatic, simply tell me what she said" The bartender said "just pick up the phone if you think I'm being dramatic!" So I did. "Hello, how can I help you". "You can help me by taking my fuckin order, you owe me a set of wings for free and Id like to order three more with chicken tenders all fried hard and the wing tossed in mild sauce and one order needs to be all flats." OK I can do that but I need to ask you who told you that we would give you an order of wings?" " Some lady" "she didn't tell you her name?" "I DON'T REMEMBER HER FUCKIN NAME!" I held the phone a good six inches from my ear as she continued to yell at me for no reason. I asked her to tone it down and that just made it worse. I then said, can you tell me what happened that you are now wanting that free order? In a threatening tone she said that she wouldn't answer anymore questions and that she will just pay for the whole order but she wants corporates number," my name is Farreaka Jones and I will be there in 15 minutes." I guess ole Farreaka thinks I'm scared at this point and will buckle. Farreaka pulled into the lot in her new BMW, climbs her fat ass out, making her young teenage son come in to watch her work her magic. The pick up was uneventfully I charged her full and gave her corporates number, I made her inspect the food before she left. It was fun to watch her try to open each box with those long fake nails. Then off she went. Now I just have to wait till the complaint comes in, then I will do my report about Farreaka Jones and how I think she should be barred forever!
After I got home and poured myself a healthy shot of a single malt scotch, I thought how I could totally relate to the final pleasure of a suicide bomber knowing that their final moment on earth would take out a group of people that they hate. If I were one, I would have to hug Farreaka at that last moment.
A couple of days ago, on my day off, a table of five came into the restaurant. They got seated in a timely manner and the server was quick to get busy with this table. She got their order and put it into the kitchen. It was a simple order with just a couple of modifications. they ordered four orders of chicken wing, all fried hard, all tossed in mild sauce and one of the orders to be all flats, along with one order of chicken tenders fried hard. When the food was delivered to the table that was when the fun began. First the fat lady at the end of the table bellowed that she wasn't paying 8.99 for five chicken tenders for her kid. She wanted corporates number, Really! Then she claimed the the wings weren't cooked enough. The new manager had all there food recooked and ended up buying their meal for fear of "The Corporate Complaint".The ate and left smiling at their success for working the system.
A couple days go by and now its my shift. The phone rings and the bartender picks it up, She answers politely and with in seconds she puts the phone on hold and said that she isn't going to deal with this lady yelling at her to take her order and that she keeps cursing for no reason. I said to the bartender, "please don't be dramatic, simply tell me what she said" The bartender said "just pick up the phone if you think I'm being dramatic!" So I did. "Hello, how can I help you". "You can help me by taking my fuckin order, you owe me a set of wings for free and Id like to order three more with chicken tenders all fried hard and the wing tossed in mild sauce and one order needs to be all flats." OK I can do that but I need to ask you who told you that we would give you an order of wings?" " Some lady" "she didn't tell you her name?" "I DON'T REMEMBER HER FUCKIN NAME!" I held the phone a good six inches from my ear as she continued to yell at me for no reason. I asked her to tone it down and that just made it worse. I then said, can you tell me what happened that you are now wanting that free order? In a threatening tone she said that she wouldn't answer anymore questions and that she will just pay for the whole order but she wants corporates number," my name is Farreaka Jones and I will be there in 15 minutes." I guess ole Farreaka thinks I'm scared at this point and will buckle. Farreaka pulled into the lot in her new BMW, climbs her fat ass out, making her young teenage son come in to watch her work her magic. The pick up was uneventfully I charged her full and gave her corporates number, I made her inspect the food before she left. It was fun to watch her try to open each box with those long fake nails. Then off she went. Now I just have to wait till the complaint comes in, then I will do my report about Farreaka Jones and how I think she should be barred forever!
After I got home and poured myself a healthy shot of a single malt scotch, I thought how I could totally relate to the final pleasure of a suicide bomber knowing that their final moment on earth would take out a group of people that they hate. If I were one, I would have to hug Farreaka at that last moment.
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