Category: Beloved Co-workers

One of my trainees is a baby–17, headed into his senior year in high school. I adore him. He is earnest and smart and hard-working. And very nervous. I am pretty sure this is his first “real” job. Restaurant Gal Daughter has been a Godsend in his training. She has shown him many ropes and…

I am getting fat. Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration. Recently, I have been eating a huge meal in the middle of the day with new hires. This is known as the “training meal.” I am not so much getting fat as getting full. My restaurant designates certain employees as trainers for new staff. Managers interview…

My favorite manager came to work for days on end with a bum foot, never complaining, until it got so bad he went to the doctor. The doc said, “Stay off of it for a week. Take antibiotics. Then we’ll see if it needs surgery.” Surgery? He came to work a few days later, anyway.…

Music plays throughout the restaurant in the few hours before we open to the public. The type of music depends on the opening manager. One plays smooth jazz–fine if you want to nap. Another plays hits from the 40s or some such unremarkable musical decade. This is never fine for pre-opening. Back in the early…

“Don’t put your heart in this business,” my counterpart always warns me. “It’ll just get broke.” He’s right. He always is. How can one develop a personal connection with any co-worker at a restaurant podium? I’m not talking fun and laughs and let’s-go-out-later relationships. I’m mean explore an honest camaraderie, knit a tight friendship, share…

**If you are new to the blog, or need a “crab” refresher, please refer to this previous post and this earlier one to fully appreciate this tale. Once upon a time there was a blue crab named Mr. Little Crab who lived in the bottom a barrel. He loved his place at the bottom, and…

Working with Restaurant Gal Daughter this week has turned out to be incredibly rewarding. I know she will never call out on a whim, because she just won’t. I know she will never call out late, because she is with me, and I am always in early. I know she knows what she is supposed…

I love my upstairs counterpart–a 24-year veteran of the biz and a flat-out pro. He is a dead ringer for and has the same deep, rich voice of the Uncola guy from the 7-Up commercials of yesteryear. He was lured back to the restaurant group when management wasn’t quite sure how I would pan out…

While I was away last weekend, the topic of several of my recent posts (this one and this one) was finally and permanently fired. The good news? It was over an incident that didn’t involve me. The better news? I don’t need to expend further energy writing about her antics. The best news? I can…

A cute young guy who clearly struggles with some learning challenges has come in several times to apply for a job. Speaking under pressure is tough for him, and on these occassions he mostly has pointed upstairs and said, “I am here for a manager, for a job.” I have felt kind of sorry for…