An Optimistic's Pessimistic View

          This in one of those posts that a first time reader should run from.  If you ask those who know me the best, they will tell you I get in these really pessimistic moods where I hate everyone and everything.  This is one of those days.  I got asked my philosophy on serving and the restaurant business by my current place of employments owner.  Lets just say its a miracle I still have a job today.  I have been working on my temper and the ability not to lose it, but somehow certain people just know which buttons to push.

          I started of by saying a restaurant is what you make it.  You get out what you put in, and you have to keep putting in over the entire lifetime of the restaurant to make a profit.  He stops me right here  and informs me that once you have paid your initial investment the restaurant supports itself. There is no need to invest any more money in it.  I agree and say true if you never want it to get any better then it is.  I can see I have struck a nerve at this point but me being the person I am just couldn't let go, so I inform him a restaurant supports itself just fine when its only the restaurants bills being paid out of the restaurant account.  Also, it would be much better if the previously said restaurant didn't act like a grocery store for the owner. 

          I don't leave yet, i'm just getting warmed up.  He tells me things would run smoother if our waiting staff could do their overly simplistic job.  By this point I'm getting mad.  I let him know that when people come into a restaurant/ bar, they are paying for an experience.  Waiting is more then just bringing a table their food and drinks. They like the cute little server in their tight jeans, but they also expect them to be able to do their job fast, accurate, and FRIENDLY.  I bitchy stripper who doesn't want to work for a tip doesn't make it.  Them same rule applies for our servers.  If we hired a decent looking smart staff  instead of a hot idiot, patrons would be happier.

        I told you its amazing I still have a job but I still wasn't done. :)  The last thing I informed Mr. Denny was to keep staff, you have to pay them.  We have a manager who is paid less then one of our kitchen staff. In fact, at $9.00 an hour he makes less then he would serving most nights.  At our place of business I have worked for almost 2 years, I do more then any other staff member, am one of only two people who can do every position, and still make the starting wage for a new employee.  This is not only unacceptable by my standards, but unethical as a business practice, and he wonders why people hate this job.

        There comes a time when you have to leave something you love to better yourself.  I think I am there.