This industry is addicting

This industry is addicting...


A funny thought came across my mind today. I was thinking that soon I will be graduating and starting my "real job" and a feeling of sadness came over me. 
I literally got mad at myself because after all of these years not having weekends, working long hours, and being bitched at by hungry people, you would think this would be a welcome moment. But no, it's not and i'll tell you why. The restaurant industry, although tough can be very rewarding. The feeling you get when you see a couple, or friends out, or even a family satisfied and genuinely enjoying themselves and the place you work at is very enjoyable. Also, the money could be amazing...at times. But the hard work is what really keeps you going. Working hard and getting rewarded is not something you experience in many jobs. Most jobs are paid hourly, or by salary. Serving and bartending is something that the harder you work, the more money you will make.


I think I will get over the fact that I will have a real life soon. One that is structured, predictable, and stable. But in the mean time I'm sad because I actually worked very hard over all these years just for it to kinda end.


My advice though for everyone and anyone. Work in the restaurant industry, in any position. Experience what it's like. If you like it stay and work your ass off. If not, leave and appreciate all the people who work out of the kitchen, and in. 


And most importantly, remember to always ask nicely.


"Check Please" 

To auto-grat or not

To auto-grat or not


I'm sure every one is aware of the little message at the bottom of menus stating that the service will be included for parties of 6 or more. For us servers this is both a blessing and a curse.
In some cases it is a life saver to have the gratuity included. For starters, you have an idea of what you will be paid for the work you are doing, secondly, you don't get screwed. 
In my experience it has worked to my advantage having the service included. There have even been cases where people have added to the gratuity which of course is welcome since we are only allowed to add a certain percentage which is the basic minimum.
However, in some cases when parties grow over the course of a meal or sitting to drink it makes it hard to keep track of how many people are at a given table. Sometimes it is hard to track down a manager and have them add the gratuity. Also, sometimes people get offended and feel the server is being sneaky when the service is already included. It also makes it awkward when it comes time for "should I bring you over some change." Recently I had a table that started off with 5 guys just drinking. Since our policy is 6 or more I wasn't thinking of adding the service. As the night went on several friends came over to order drinks with me but when the check came it was back to the original 5 guys. Since my manager only saw 5 people he was unable to add the service. When it came time to bring the check over I just figured the guy would take into consideration that I not only served him and his 4 friends but all of them for a couple of hours and that the service was not included. This is an awkward moment though because of course you never want to actually say this to your customer. However, I guess/would like to think that he assumed the service was already added and left me with 0 when The bill was well over $200...
If only auto gratuity didn't exist perhaps I wouldn't have been stiffed? 

10 Tips for a better dining experience. For you and me

I originally started this blog because I was stumped on what to write about. I realized that most of my time has been spent either at school or work but enough is enough about school, we all know what that's like. But not everyone knows about restaurants or what goes on behind the scenes.
I decided to write a few tips and tricks for people, like you, who have never worked in a restaurant.


Here are 10 tips that will make yours and your servers time more enjoyable:


Tip #1: If you are ready to order, stop looking at your menu. We come over to your table when you don't have your head buried. We think its rude to keep going up to you if we don't think your ready, we don't want you to feel rushed. 


Tip #2: If your waiter is MIA. Don't go looking for a manger and get the server in trouble. Simply look around the restaurant, someone (most likely your server)  is bound to come over to you almost right away. This is the sign for, I need or want something but don't know who to ask.


Tip #3: If you are in a rush, DON'T GET YOUR MEAL COURSED. If you insist on an appetizer, tell the server you are in a rush and don't have time to wait for your meal to be cooked while your app is being eaten. Ask for it all to come out at once, or as soon as you get the app to "fire" your meal. 


Tip #4: If you have allergies, to ANYTHING, tell us! Even if the ingredient is not in the food it may be near the food you are allergic to.




Tip #5: If your silverware LOOKS dirty, don't make us feel bad about it. Dishwashers leave water marks and we don't always have time to shine your silverware. We will gladly get you a new set, no attitudes and dirty looks needed.


Tip #6: If you are with a big group of people and plan on using one million credit cards, make a plan ahead of time. Don't ask the server to make separate checks for everyone, it takes forever to do and is a pain in the ass for the kitchen to keep track of all your food when its on separate checks. This could be resolved very easily. Pay cash or simply split it evenly. When you say "30 on this card, 10 on this card" you often leave us short because you didn't include tax... 


Tip #7: If you think we are the ones making your food, think again. The kitchen (Chef) will literally scream at us when we are asking where your food is. It's not easy for us so try to be patient. 


TIp #8: If you are starving and expect your food to come out fast but your friend orders a steak well done... ask your friendly kindly if we can bring your food out first. It makes it awkward for everyone when you are starving and wondering why your food is taking so long when you ordered a salad.


Tip #9: If you are going to make your server run around like a chicken with no head, at least tip well. I understand not everyone has extra money to throw around but we don't work for free. When you make us go above and beyond than give us a standard or below standard tip, thats just mean. 


Tip #10: If you get a server that truly made your night, tell a manager. Managers often only get complaints about their staff but when there is positive feedback it is good for everyone. It doesn't take much to do, so why not make someones day. 

Unethical?

Unethical?


Spending a lot of time in restaurants and having down time in between rushes has left me with a lot of contemplating. 


A few weeks ago when I first started my new job I had a group of middle aged people come into the restaurant. It was a Sunday afternoon and usually if it's a weekend (or weeknight) people will be looking to drink, this is not out of the ordinary especially at my job. Being more of a bar than a restaurant I of course offered our drink specials. This group in particular ordered their food first and started off slow with just a beer each. But a few hours went by and more and more drinks were ordered. Since we all live in the city area I just always assume that no one drives, however this was not the case. 


One beer turned into mixed drinks, mixed drinks turned to mixed shots, mixed shots turned to straight shots of liquor. Over the course of a few hours my table managed to rack up over a $400 bar bill (they were at most 6 people.) Although at the time I didn't know they were driving I started to feel uncomfortable at the amount of alcohol they were consuming. And that is when I over heard one of them say something about driving home. I froze in my tracks, mid way to the table with another round (on the house.) 


This is where I was tested, morally. Continue to walk over to the table with free drinks which will in turn make my tip higher. Or walk away and refuse to give them anything else to drink with the notion that I may be yelled at and not tipped. 


The choice was obvious but instead I tried to play it cool. I went over to the table tray in hand with water. The group got my hint, stayed for a few more hours, ate, relaxed and continued to drink... their water. 


However, this situation could have gotten bad fast. Now I ask my tables more questions before I server them alcohol. "So, do you live around here, come here often." etc. just so I can get a better idea of what they are planning to do after they leave. 


Although some people may think everyone makes their own choices to do stupid things, it is always the responsibility of others around watching as well. 


Until next time. Check Please!