Suddenly, I find myself working Monday through Friday, 10 to 5 or 6 or 7 p.m. I should be thrilled, right? This is every restaurant worker’s dream job, hours-wise. Ex-Restaurant Manger, please, close your eyes and ears to this post from this point on!
Shhh. Don’t tell my GM. Don’t tell anyone. Everyone will think I am insane. But, the truth is, I don’t like working 10-6 days. Well, at least not every day. I like working nights. I like working Saturday nights. I like working amidst the frenetic pace of the night-shift floor.
I like having mornings and afternoons to walk, run, shoot photos, do laundry, shop, and, most of all, to nap in my beach chair to the sound of waves lapping the shore as I let the angst of what brought me here dissipate into the mist.
I like the out-of-control feel of the energy of the night shift, as much as I am a pro at handling the more corporate-oriented lunch crowd. This is not to say I have this day shift thing down pat, at all. Today, for example, my end-of-shift report showed hundreds of dollars more in tips than in sales. Oh. Oops.
“Look through the receipts and see if you can find the mistake,” instructed my GM.
Right away. Of course. Sir.
Shit.
Good God. I don’t make mistakes like that. Except, apparently, I do, even as there’s talk of more responsibility to come my way in a few short weeks, even as I muddle through the newness of the full-time day shift. I have no clue how I will do it all, because I am not content to do it all half-assed.
I also have to climb the long and laborious hill to garner the respect of the lunch shift servers who have only seen me as the trainee or “just a host.” I have been their pal, of sorts, the good cop. Now I am just the cop.
I have to pull teeth (my own, likely) to gain the kind of respect that elicits the kind of response, when I ask why obvious sidework is getting done ten minutes after the first guest has been seated, “I’m on it, RG. Sorry!” as opposed to my favorite patronizing crap this week: “Sweetheart, we only have so much time to get it all done. Don’t worry. We’ll get to it.” No, you little shit, I thought at the time, you will get to it BEFORE we open next time, as you damn well did when the other manager ruled. But all I said was, “Just get it done, now.” So much for my so-called authority.
I am a weekday daytimer for the foreseeable future. I have no idea when I will grocery shop, go to Mr. Fabulous to do laundry, clean my apartment, much less go to the beach when the crowds aren’t there to ponder my life. It’s all been about the daylight and the sunshine.
I have no idea how I have found myself, once again, in an office half as much as anyplace else.
Damn. I was the best stand-in host/manager trainee/private event coordinator South Florida has ever seen, at least in my own eyes.
Now, I am just another mediocre floor manager, in my own eyes. Cubicle, anyone?
Comments
6 responses to “Manager Gal, Sort Of”
Ack! The cubicle curse. Run don’t let it take you in. Well unless you like it. Guess you can always get a calendar of the beach to put up in the office. Oh and I’m sure you’ll have the lunch shift people eating out of your hand in no time. Great post. ^_^
Great post…even better writing. First time here. I’ll look around a bit and check back. BTW…I think you touched on the hardest part of this transition: gaining the respect of the lunch shift.
In my former restaurant, this was a unique group. You know, get in and out quickly, a bit self-absorbed, and more focused on money than fun (unlike our dinner staff).
Peace,
– Dennis
http://www.donttipthewaiter.blogspot.com
The trappings of success have a tendency to take all the fun away. I empathize with you…
I suppose I am wondering why you have to be “just a mediocre floor manager?” Why not be an excellent floor manager? Oh I know the screw ups etc but I have a feeling you will turn this position on its head and do something awesome with it. I don’t think I have too much faith, perhaps I just like changing the routine into the unexpected.
Blathering randomly now, I’ll be quiet…
Gal,
As a GM of a restaurant, I would want your honesty. If you truly feel this way about your position, and are awesome at what you did before, your GM should know that, and hire a person who wants to be the floor manager of the lunch shift, and leave you in the spot where you are going to shine. You both will better off.
In the past I have moved people into other positions in the restaurant, only to have them fail at it, or end up quitting….most of the time they didnt really want to new position. I wish the communication had been there, two things would have happened, I wouldnt have lost a good employee, and I would have hired someone who wanted the new position…..end result two great people, instead of two empty spots.
Thats my 2 cents….keep the change!
BTW….if you ever feel the need to relocate to California you already have a job!
Steakhouse GM
Ok, I was thinking floor manager is a good thing, but I am not hearing that. I reckon you have your routine down and I can understand that. Cubicle….no way, don’t do it. I still an not seeing if this is a good or bad thing? wait I said that already, confused yet again.
I mean, these items might get destroyed, make sure to get started.
Wood has featured as a losing asset. Therefore, when choosing Restaurant Furniture, prompt and free quotataion, competitive prices restaurant chairs kl and the
ambience of your iron furniture last a long time.