Restaurant Stories

Various stories and lessons learned from past restaurants where I have been employed

Making the Most of Seasonal Work

by

Springtime has finally arrived to the eastern shore of Maryland after a long, dreary winter.

With that comes birds, bees, daffodils, fishing boats, and…

TOURISTS!

We live close to the quaint historic town of St. Michaels, which dates back to the American Revolution. The main drag (Talbot Street) is lined with restaurants, antique shops, and various boutiques selling t-shirts and Chesapeake Bay-related trinkets.

It’s usually in April when the tourists begin to appear. Many come from nearby big cities, such as Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, seeking relief from their daily stressful lives.

The number of visitors gradually increases each month. Then, when summer is in full swing, the quiet hamlet is suddenly taken over, even on the week days.

St. Michaels kind of reminds me of the fictional town of Amity, in the movie Jaws. The local merchants relied on the summer dollars to keep their businesses going, and provide a cushion during the slow winter months.

When I first moved to this area and was living in my parents’ garage apartment, I worked as a server at a St. Michaels café. Business would be crazy there in the summer. People on the sidewalks. People in the street. People waiting to eat.

I made good money and got a whole lotta exercise.

Then I moved on to the Harbourtowne Resort further into town. It was there where I really learned about making the most of the season.

Certain areas of the eastern shore can be like Amity. Overflow in the warm months, then deadsville in the cold. Some restaurants in St. Michaels actually close for three to four months, usually from December to mid March.

Then there are those businesses that never reopen. They just didn’t make enough money during the “hot” times.

A few new places have opened up in town the past few years, started by non-locals from cities like DC and Baltimore, who didn’t understand the seasonal aspect.

They put so much money into making their place fancy, expecting the summer business to carry on to the end of the year. But, that didn’t happen and… they didn’t make it.

Working at Harbourtowne, we had a longer season than many of the other St. Michaels restaurants. The resort hosted a lot of company retreats throughout the year, as well as weddings, almost every weekend in the summer and fall. Then there were various events going on in October, with things slowing down in November. Other than weekend guests and the big Thanksgiving Buffet, and some Christmas parties in December, that was it.

After that, it was time to claim unemployment for several months, until business picked up again.

That’s just the norm for the majority of eastern shore restaurant workers.

I understood this process, so when the busy season came along, I worked as many hours as I could. I told my boss I was available six or seven days a week, if needed.

I knew to take advantage of it, while I could. Kind of like “storing up nuts for the winter.”

Some staff didn’t do the same though, especially the younger servers. They often called out, mostly to go to the beach, or they just didn’t feel like working some days. I tried to explain to the new employees about getting all the hours they could, but they just didn’t listen.

Then, when business slowed and the resort was down to just a skeleton crew, they all griped about not getting as many hours as they did in the summer.

And, when there was a rare event in the down time, my boss gave the hours to the employees who deserved it – those who had been hard-working and reliable during the year.

If you live in a big city like DC or Philly, this usually isn’t a problem. For the most part, there’s business all year-round.

But, if you find yourself employed in a restaurant in an area like St. Michaels or Amity, take it from me… make the most of the opportunities for work. Commit yourself to working your ass off when the crowds hit. Save your money for the cold times.

And, understand the unemployment process. It will keep you warm when the temperatures are frigid out.


Dealing With a Nasty Customer

by

If you work in any kind of business that deals with the public, you’ve surely had at least one experience…

The customer you can never please. Who complains about everything. The one who ruins your day. Maybe even makes you cry.

In other words….

complaining diner, rude customer

The customer from HELL.

Every server in a restaurant has had their fair share of these, including me.

My worst time happened when I worked at the café in St. Michaels, Maryland.

One Saturday night we had a big group for dinner – a bunch of “sailing couples” who were getting together with old friends, also to meet some new people. A regular customer of the restaurant made the reservation. He had met a few of the couples from his own sailing excursions. He thought it’d be nice to arrange a dinner for his new friends, and their friends.

They were set up in the back room of the café. I, along with another server, Corinne, were put in charge of them. A third server was left to take care of the walk-in customers in the front of the house.

Everything started off well. The group was happy. They were nice to us, joking, having a good time, drinking…

And drinking…

And drinking…

Time for dinner. The chefs had several selections for their entrée. Corinne and I took the orders and turned them into the kitchen.

That’s when the night took a downward spiral.

The dinners were taking longer than usual to come out.

Complaints…

When the food finally was served, the customers were not happy. Half of them complained about their meal.

It wasn’t cooked enough. It was too well done. It was SHIT. It was this, it was that.

Nothing was right.

The group was getting nastier and nastier.

Actually, the really awful ones were at my station. They were seated at a long rectangular table. Corinne had the rest of the couples at a large round table. They were the nice ones, including the cafe’s regular, the man who arranged this event. But, the two of us worked together, helping each other out with getting more drinks, clearing the plates, etc.

This was one of those evenings when I really just wanted to walk out, or at least run in the kitchen and hide.

I could place the blame on the chefs. They were both kinda new and still getting their “sea legs” in this kitchen. But, that wasn’t fair. They were doing a good job. The fact was, the customers were just plain NASTY.

I realized they were going to complain, no matter what happened.

That’s when my attitude changed. I knew that nothing would please them at this point, so there was no use in my being upset about this situation.

So, whatever they said to me, I just laughed. Not at them, but to myself. I smiled and said, “No problem,” or something to that effect.

All I could do was keep going, knowing that these jerks would be gone in an hour or two. I figured there was no way they’d leave us a tip, the way they were acting. If I could just get through the night, and get the hell home.

The worst part came when Corinne was trying to talk to one man (the nastiest of the group), showing him the bill and explaining how it was set up.

He basically pushed her aside and said, “Don’t even talk to me right now. Get out of my face.”

With that, Corinne walked up to the cashier station and burst out crying, “I can’t believe what he just said to me.”

I guess there could have been worse things for him to say to her, but after all the crap they had given us all night, that was the last straw.

Mr. Regular, who knew Corinne, saw her upset and went to console her. He talked to her a bit, then approached the rude crowd, telling them they BETTER give us a tip and pay their bill. He then apologized to us and our boss for their behavior. He didn’t actually know the meanies, and had no idea they would act like this.

Miraculously, they did manage to tip us. Nothing huge, but not piddly either. But still, no where near what we should have received for putting up with their treatment.

I’m sure there are horror stories much worse that fellow servers have gone through.

But, what is the right  way to deal with awful customers…

Without offending them, and, without losing your job?

There’s no manual on this, at least, that I’m aware of.

I guess it depends on the particular situation, as well as the type of restaurant or bar you’re working at.

It’s one thing if it’s a rowdy, roadhouse type joint, where this is part of the whole experience. It wouldn’t matter much if you threw a drink in their face, or told them off.

But, if it’s a fairly nice establishment, and, you really want to keep your job, you must find different methods to handle the unruly and unappreciative.

Do the best you can to make the customer happy (within reason). Be polite, even when they’re being schmucks. Like me, remember that they’ll be gone eventually, just get through the ordeal somehow. If there’s no pleasing them, get the manager to take care of it.

If you don’t care about your job, then go for it. Tell the customer(s) off, dump the food in their lap, etc. Whatever makes you feel better. Just be prepared to look for a new place to work in the morning.

If anybody would like to share their own “Customer From Hell” story, feel free to put it in the comment section. I’d love to hear it!


How To Make More Money as a Server

by

Restaurant servers often wonder how they can make more money in tips.

To me, the answer is simple…

How about giving GOOD SERVICE?!

In my experience working in the food biz, too often I’ve seen servers focused on their tips throughout their shift – computing what they might make, always checking what they got as soon as they pick up their payment, comparing their tips with other servers’…

Well, here’s a suggestion…

Why not focus on giving the best service you can to the customer, instead of just worrying about how much they might leave you?

I am not the greatest server. But, I always went out of my way to try to take good care of my tables. Being friendly, helpful, talking with them. Whatever might give the guest a better dining experience.

There were times when this wasn’t easy, when I had the “customer from hell.” When whatever you do is never good enough, and nothing pleases them. (But, that’s a whole other blog post!).

One of the main things I enjoyed about serving was connecting with the people. For the most part, they were nice and easy to deal with. And, they seemed to appreciate me taking the time to get to know them better.

There are the occasional folks who want to be left alone, and hopefully, you can sense that and back off.

And sometimes, you may not be able to spend extra time at the tables. You might be slammed and doing all you can just to keep up.

Been there many times…

Whatever Happened to Good Service?

When I worked at the Harbourtowne Resort in St. Michaels, I started as a server, then worked more in the kitchen. So, I understand things from both ends.

While cooking breakfast there, I couldn’t help but overhear the servers gossiping about their tips and griping about other servers making more, yadda yadda yadda. All the while seeing them spend more time checking their cell phones or running outside for their umpteenth cigarette break, than looking after their customers.

That’s a pet peeve of mine when my husband and I go to a restaurant – when our server keeps disappearing. Then, they always seem to forget something we’ve asked them for… a drink refill, extra dressing, silverware, etc.

Maybe it’s just the area I live in, but, a lot of the servers here SUCK! They just don’t give a hoot.

Not all the servers, of course. There are a select few who are quite good.

But, why are they harder to find these days?

I could blame it on the younger generation, but, that’s not really fair. I’ve encountered this situation with all ages.

I can understand… serving is not the most glamorous job, depending on the location. It’s hard work, messy at times, and can be a drag, especially when dealing with the rude customers.

It can also be very rewarding in different ways, though, if you change your attitude. Even if you want to move on to something better (like I was always wanting), how about taking some pride in your work anyway?

At the café I worked at before Harbourtowne, I grew to really like my job. It was a small and cozy place, I liked 80% of the customers, and I treated it as if the restaurant was mine. I wanted the customers to enjoy the food and have a nice time, I wanted the café to make a good impression. I knew I could make more money somewhere else, but, I still made a decent amount for the most part.

What ruined that job for me was the owner – the BOSS FROM HELL – but again, that’s another post.

Even if you know the job is temporary, or you’re longing to find something else, be grateful that you at least have a job. Try to make the most of it while you’re there. Do what you can to make the customers feel appreciated and treat them well. Maybe one table leaves you a crappy tip, then the next table could double it. It usually balances out.

One day at the café, I waited on a very nice couple who were visiting St. Michaels for the weekend. I recommended certain things for them to do, and had a pleasant time talking to them. After they left, I turned the check over to BOSS FROM HELL, who was cashiering. She looked at it and asked, “Julie, did you know those people?”

I replied, “No, why?”

“They left you a huge tip, like 50%. What did you do?”

I shrugged and answered, “I was just nice to them.”

Gee, what a concept!

Try it – it just might work for you.

For those unpleasant times when you have the nasty customer, do your best to get through it. Know that they’ll be gone in an hour (hopefully). If they get too out of hand, get the manager to handle them. You may not get a great tip, or any at all, but, there’s always the next table.

Help-I’m in the Weeds and Can’t Get Out!

by

If you’ve ever worked in any kind of restaurant, fast-food or full-service, you’ve most likely experienced this at least once.

That dreaded moment when you’re so overwhelmed with customers, you just want to run into the walk-in cooler and hide.

If you’re a server, you suddenly get way too many tables, way too fast (usually happens when the restaurant is short-handed – a frequent occurrence in the biz).

As a cook or chef, it’s when you’re staring at a rack full of order tickets, and there seems to be no end in sight.

I’ve been in both of those positions, and they both SUCK.

Many servers (or the ones who don’t care about giving good service) look forward to these situations. They think about all the money they’re going to make, all those extra tables mean more tips. But, not always. Because they’re dealing with so many customers, they probably don’t give as good service, so they end up making out worse than if it wasn’t busy.

I was the opposite. I liked being busy, but if it was a “manageable” busy. One of the things I enjoyed about being a server was meeting the new customers, and being able to spend some time talking with them.

When you’re slammed, there’s no time for that. You’re too busy running around like a fool, trying to catch up.

When I worked at the café in St. Michaels, during the week, I was often the only server on duty (except in the summer). Sometimes I was the hostess/cashier as well, also the bus-girl.

There were days when I’d suddenly get a rush, every table was filled, and I really just wanted to start crying.

The only thing I could do was take care of the customers. I had to have a system, where I’d seat them and try to get their drinks, before moving on to the next.

When I had a lot of energy and my timing was good, things would go smoothly. As long as I acknowledged everyone, so they knew I was aware they were there, and was very courteous and apologetic for any delays. Hopefully, they’d see I was the only one on the floor, and they’d understand. That didn’t always happen, and I had to deal with mean people and complaints, but you do what you can do.

At least I got my exercise in on those days!

When I was a breakfast cook at Harbourtowne, same thing. I was often by myself in the kitchen, until a certain time. Then maybe, I’d get more assistance, usually from my boss, Lisa, or my pal, Suzy. They saved my butt plenty of times.

One good thing about being in the weeds in the kitchen, as opposed to in the dining room – in the kitchen you can start crying, and the customers won’t see you (except for the open kitchen places)!

I would usually get hit hard on the weekends at Harbourtowne, especially when there was a wedding going on. The tickets would keep coming back, and I’d start to panic. There were a few times when I griped at the servers, but then I’d feel bad about it. I’d been in their shoes plenty of times, so I’d try to apologize to them later.

I learned all about handling the rushes in my early years, when I worked at my dad’s Popeye’s Chicken restaurants.

There were so many days and nights we’d be short-handed. I’d end up being a cashier, order filler, biscuit maker, chicken batterer, and prep cook, all in one shift.

Those were the times I learned how to multitask and “remain calm in a stressful situation.”

Again, it was a balancing and timing act.

I’d leave work covered in flour and grease, hair frazzled, but at least I knew I’d done my best to handle the chaos.

As a restaurant worker, when you find yourself sinking in the weeds, and you just want to throw your hands up and run off… do the best you can to keep going. Don’t worry about the mess, just focus, find your own system, communicate with the customers, be as nice as you can, and, just get through the shift.

Know that it will eventually be over, and you can run into the pantry or bathroom and cry then.

There were a few moments during my Popeye’s career when I ran into the freezer and kicked a box of French fries, recomposed myself, and then came out to deal with everything.

Also, when you’re on the other side, as a customer dining out, and you see your server in in “the weeds,” put yourself in her position. Know what she (or he) is probably feeling. Try to be patient and understanding. And, still try to give a decent tip.

That is, unless, they did a horrible job and couldn’t care about giving good service – but… that’s a whole other blog post!

Makin’ Many Lists and Checkin’ Them Twice

by

I make a lot of lists.

Daily to-do lists, shopping lists, finish this month lists, and so on…

When I worked in the Harbourtowne kitchen, I made even more lists.

Hanging on the wall were clipboards, one for each day of the week, where the daily schedule was listed. It would show how many guests were staying at the hotel, and what group (if any) was there, and their schedule. Say, what time they’d be having the breakfast buffet, their break time (one in the morning and another in the afternoon), then lunch time, dinner, what they were having for lunch and dinner, etc.

Every morning, I’d check the board for that day and see what needed to be done. Then I’d go about making my list.

It may have looked something like this:

Me and my kitchen boss, Lisa, with the daily boards behind us

  • Figure out employee meal – put in warmer
  • Put soup on stove for lunch buffet
  • Bake scones for morning break
  • Make fruit bowl for morning break
  • Make lettuce bowl for lunch buffet
  • Finish salad bar prep for lunch, garnish
  • Bake cookies for afternoon break
  • Pan up bacon for next day’s breakfast
  • Pan up French toast for breakfast
  • Make mixed fruit bowl for breakfast
  • Season cod for lunch buffet, put in oven 11:15 am
  • Make brownie platter for lunch, garnish
  • Stock up ala carte breakfast prep
  • Start on prep for next day’s lunch buffet

And so on…

And this was not including cooking breakfast that morning, and probably doing some dishes.

Making my daily list at work kept me on top of things and organized, especially during a busy week.

During the holidays, lists are needed more than ever.

They can really help when you’re feeling overwhelmed with work, family, shopping, cooking, wrapping presents, and more, and you don’t know how you’ll take care of everything.

It’s best to start as early as possible, at least when you have an idea of what your plans are.

For your gift lists – start writing down ideas as soon as you get them. Usually, I’ll make a list of my family and friends who I’m shopping for. As I know more and more what I want to get for them, I write it down. Then, I check things off as the items are purchased.

If you’re going to be doing a big holiday dinner or party, start on that list as soon as possible. Don’t wait til the last week. With everything else going on in your life, you’ll just drive yourself  crazy.

Start planning your menu. Figure out how much you’ll need, depending on the amount of people you’ll be feeding. Write down each food item and the ingredients. Always get more than you originally estimate. You never know if you’ll get a few more unexpected guests, or for those people who eat a lot(!).

If you can buy certain ingredients ahead of time, go for it. Things you can freeze or store in your pantry… this will save you extra time later.

Then, as you get closer to party time, decide when to do the rest of your food shopping and make that list.

Plan a time (or times) you can spend wrapping your presents. You never realize how long it takes to wrap things (nicely), especially when you have a lot of gifts.

I learned this one year when I waited til the day before Christmas to wrap presents. I ended up staying up all night to get it all done. Never again!

For your prepping/cook list – look at your menu and plan out when you can start prepping the food. The more you can get done ahead of time, the more you’ll be able to relax and actually enjoy the holiday.

Do you have a turkey or some type of meat to be defrosted? Be sure to allow enough time for that, and, if you need to let it marinate in something.

Chop up vegetables or grate cheese a few days before, then store in containers or plastic bags. Get the tedious chores out of the way (or, delegate some tasks to kids or other family members).

Measure out sugar, flour, and other ingredients for baking – have it all together so when you’re ready to bake, you can just throw it all together.

See what else you might need for entertaining – make a list. Do you need napkins, cups, decorations…?

Plan a time to get these and when to set everything up.

Then, on the big day, have a game plan list… what’s for breakfast, what do you still need to prep, when to start cooking things for dinner, etc.

You don’t need to be as much of a “list fanatic” as I am, but the idea is to make things as easy and stress-free as possible.

 

Happy planning!

 

Working the Holidays

by

The holidays mean different things to different people.

For some, it’s about family. For others, it’s about giving.  For those who don’t wanna admit it… the holidays are about PRESENTS!

Then, to a certain group of people, the holidays mean working.

You probably forget about the ones who are stuck working on Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially if you’ve never had to do it yourself.

You’re reminded when you need something that day, and most of the stores are closed. But boy, are you grateful to find those convenience or grocery stores that are open. You wonder if the employees are there because they wanna be, or if they had no choice.

Actually, it’s both.

I was one of those who was glad to work on Thanksgiving.

Harbourtowne, the resort where I worked in St. Michaels, had a huge Thanksgiving buffet spread every year, as well as for Easter and Mother’s Day.

The first two years of my employment, I worked as a server. The last three, I ended up being a buffet stocker/busgirl.

I didn’t mind. I’ve never been that fond of Thanksgiving anyway. Growing up, it always seemed to be the most boring day of the year. You’d wait around to eat, with my mom cooking in the kitchen, us watching TV. We’d offer to help her, but she wanted to do it herself. So my sisters and I would feel guilty, because we weren’t doing anything.

Then, the dinner usually stirred up a fight from somebody, creating a tense atmosphere. I was happy to hide in the kitchen, doing the dishes.

Years later, when I had my own apartment, a few Thanksgivings I was by myself, and I couldn’t be happier. I’d make some kind of casserole and watch a bunch of movies. It was great. No fights, no guilt. Just quiet.

So, when I discovered that Harbourtowne was open on Thanksgiving, I quickly said, “Sure, I’ll be there!”

For me, it was a pretty long day, starting at 6 am to cook the regular breakfast buffet for the few guests who were staying at the resort. Then, assisting the rest of the crew when they clocked on to prepare the holiday grub. Then, setting up the buffet, loading up all the food, and waiting for the guests to arrive. Doing whatever job(s) I was given that day, taking down the buffet, cleaning up, then finally getting home around 7 pm.

I was always impressed with how the managers arranged the seating for all the parties. They figured that the average table would take 1 1/2 hours for their meal, then they would schedule the next one, and so on. It was like putting a big puzzle together.

Of course, there were those parties who stayed longer, cutting into the next reservation. Which usually, would get moved to another server’s section, ticking off the original server for losing that table.

The managers did their best to give each server an equal amount of business, and balance it so they were never overwhelmed with more than they could handle.

The holidays when I worked as a server were always a bit stressful for me. Even though the buffet was a pretty easy gig, the hassle for me was taking care of all the beverages, especially at a big table. These were usually filled with combined families and friends, adults and children. The grown-ups all wanted booze, the kids wanted something like hot chocolate, which took extra time to make.

So I’d run around like an idiot putting all their orders together, meanwhile, forgetting about the smaller tables I had to take of as well. Then, trying to navigate in between other servers, running around themselves.

I was happy when I was asked if I could be busgirl. The servers were supposed to do a lot of their own cleaning up, but it always helped when someone else would do the main clearing and changing of linens and silverware.

For me, it was great. I didn’t have to worry about the table, other than clearing plates and getting something the server might need. I was glad to be helping everyone else, and I wasn’t stressed. Plus, I was getting a lot of exercise!

The managers made sure all the servers tipped me at the end of the day. If one of them had avoided it, the bosses saw to it that I got something. I knew, from being a server myself, that they didn’t always like to do that. But, I always made sure I’d gone overboard to earn my gratuities. The managers saw that, so I appreciated that they looked after me in that sense.

One Thanksgiving, I was busgirl and buffet runner. Double-duty. Going back and forth between the dining room and the buffet tables. Clearing plates one moment, then running back to the kitchen to get another pan of stuffing and more turkey for the carvers. My muscles were twitching the end of that day!

I could have made more money if I’d waited on the tables, but I didn’t mind. It was a good time, and I still pocketed a decent amount of cash.

For those of you who end up working on a holiday, maybe because everyone else had already asked off, or you don’t have a family, or perhaps, you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas, still, make the most of it.

At least you’re getting paid, usually time and a half. You’re not dealing with family crap. And, you probably scored a few brownie points with the boss, if you care about that sort of thing.

Hopefully, when you clock out, you can still spend some time with family or friends, if you want to and you’re not too tired.

Just always be appreciative of the folks who you encounter working on the holidays, when you’re off to your own family or party. Whatever reason they have for being on duty, they may be happy, or they may be bummed. Smile and be friendly. They might need that.

You may just make their day.

 

 

 

%d bloggers like this: