A wasted nine hours...

2009-12-14T15:19:00.001-05:00

The only reason my shift from noon till 9:00pm wasn't wasted is because I got paid for it. Besides that, I didn't do much. I ran some food, I sat some people down, I sat on my ass most the time. It is hard to be motivated for a job I hate. Couple things I want to touch base on that happened yesterday. Yesterday wasn't the only time, it happens all the time.

1) Getting angry because there is a wait.
   I'm sorry there is a wait. It isn't my fault, seriously. What happens is the restaurant gets full and then we don't have a place for you. Instead of telling you, "No, you can not eat here," we say, "You can eat here, but in 10-15 minutes." Do not get angry at the host because there is a wait. Your anger is misplaced and you look like a complete idiot.

2) Constantly checking your position in the wait.
   If I quote you a 30 minute wait, do not come up to me and complain that it has been 10 minutes. You should expect the time I quoted to be the minimum time, not the maximum time. Shit happens and the host can not control when the tables will open up. We are not going up to the guests and saying, "Sorry, you need to leave. There are people waiting for a table." Either wait your turn or go find a different restaurant that isn't as popular.

3) Trying to order from the host.
   I am the host, not your server. My job is to welcome and seat you. Do not ask me for drinks, do not ask me for food, do not even ask me what the specials are today. Sure, I could learn what the specials are but I really don't care. My job is to put on a fake smile, tell you how happy we are to see you, and get you a table for a SERVER to begin taking your order.

4) Trying to be funny.
   We have buzzers to hand out during the wait. Once your table is ready, you get a buzz. When we take the buzzers off the charging rack, they start buzzing for a second to signal they are working. When we hand them to the customer, they always think it is cute and funny to say, "Oh look, it's already ready!"...it's not. If the joke seems obvious, we have already heard it. As a host, we stop seeing people as trying to be funny and just begin to see them as idiots.

We will put on a fake smile and pretend to be happy to see you because we get paid for it. Rarely will you see a host with an authentic expression on their face. Follow these rules and you won't look like an idiot.

Introduction

2009-12-13T09:55:00.002-05:00

I started this blog to keep track of my restaurant progress over the years. I currently have three jobs at my restaurant:

Host
Delivery
Cook

The restaurant I work at is fine dining in a scratch kitchen. I will not disclose any information to clue the reader into knowing where the restaurant is or it's name. This way I can be fully honest without worrying about them finding out.

I have been hosting for two months now, I hate it. I only took the hosting job to get my foot in the door. Being a culinary student, my real passion is the kitchen.

Delivery might only be for the holiday season. They aren't sure if they will continue it in January. My job is to wait for a delivery (which never happen) and help run food in the restaurant.

I finally started in the kitchen yesterday. Slowly I will be trained into all the stations. Last night was the cold bar (salads and desserts). I worked a 9 hour shift and it was glorious. I loved every second of it. I did learn however that while torching Creme Brulee, do not have a napkin underneath...it starts on fire.

Hopefully I will be able to write about some interesting experiences of the restaurant. I want to capture the business in full honest nakedness.

Life of a Restaurant Workhorse

A wasted nine hours...

Introduction