“You just lost your job….Merry Christmas!”
Those weren’t the exact words I heard over a year ago, but they had the same impact.
After working as a server and cook at Harbourtowne Resort and Conference Center in St. Michaels, Maryland for over 5 years, I learned that the new owner was closing the facility for at least 18 months to do complete renovations.
This happened about a week before Christmas.
I had mixed feelings over the news. Part of me was sad, because the main reason I had stayed there was because of the crew (most of them, at least). We were like a wacky dysfunctional family. We’d get annoyed with each other every now and then, but for the most part we worked well together and cared about what was going on in our lives. My first thought was what would happen to my coworkers? Some of them, like my boss, had been there over 20 years.
Another part of me was relieved. I had been feeling extreme job burnout for the past few months, actually the past few years, and had been trying to find my own business to do where I could finally get out of the food industry. I had started at Harbourtowne as a server, then moved into the kitchen where I did prep and also ended up being the main breakfast cook. It was long hours at times and low pay, but I liked the work and the atmosphere. Lately, though, it was all getting to me. Sore feet, more wrinkles and gray hairs, frustrations over unreliable and useless servers, high maintenance customers, etc etc.
I was ready to move on.
Funny though, that same week, one of my neighbors offered me the position of “head chef” at a coffee shop/café she was redoing, also in St. Michaels. I found out about this through my husband, Kevin, who she had hired to help with the renovations on the building. When I first heard about the job, I cringed. I was trying to get out of this kind of work. When would it end?!
But then, after hearing the Harbourtowne news, I wondered about what I would do for work. I reluctantly accepted the head chef position at the coffee shop, and convinced myself that it was a good opportunity for me. It was a small operation, and they were doing a breakfast and lunch menu that I felt confident I could handle.
Months went by and the renovations continued. Each day Kevin came home griping about various things going on with the building. Erratic decisions by our neighbor’s son and his wife, who were the ones who would be running the business. Constant menu and set-up changes. It seemed like it was becoming something completely different from what the original idea was. I was already exhausted with the place, and I hadn’t even started there yet!
After much soul searching, I decided to get out of the job. They were still several months away from being ready to open, so at least this would give them time to find a replacement. It was a hard choice to make, as I didn’t want to put them in a bind. I did appreciate the opportunity, but I just couldn’t do this kind of work anymore. I felt like this was my time to finally pursue my own thing, work for myself, call my own shots.
So, here I am, unsure of where this path will take me. But, excited to be going in a new direction.
This is not your typical food blog. Although I do plan to include some recipes and food related items in various posts, along with some of the things I’ve been doing to make money.
What this blog is mostly about is my experiences through the years in the different restaurants I’ve worked – crazy stories, crazy co-workers, crazy customers, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I hope that sharing some of the many lessons I’ve learned can help others dealing with the same culinary chaos.
Also, I want to open the doors for those in this business who need a place to vent, to let loose with your frustrations with whatever crud you’re dealing with in your workplace.
So, thank you for checking out my blog.
Go here to learn a little more about my background.
Oh yes, cool illustrations were done by my sister, Victoria: http://www.victoriahorner.etsy.com