Category: Guests

Having just survived greeting, managing, and planning seating for more than 650 people today at lunch, I have a couple of holiday greetings for a special few: To the folks lined up at 8 a.m. to get into the Irish bar up the street: Wow! Long day, eh? I think you stopped by my place…

Love the conventioneers, mostly. They wander for blocks, usually in packs, lured by the reputation of a revitalized entertainment and restaurant area, an ever-shrinking ethinc area, and the prospect of eating something other than mini-danish meeting fare or hotel food. Yesterday, they found us in a big way. Oddly enough, this group–technology geeks and all…

Customers often arrive without someone in their party, or they are meeting someone who is already there. Our restaurant’s policy is to seat people right away, which means we take names and connect everyone as they arrive. The exchange with me often goes like this: Customer: Table for four, please. Me: (This is a walk-in…

Family therapists take note: If you really want to understand the dynamics of your client’s relationship with his/her family, hang out by my podium. Doesn’t have to be a busy day or night, the behavior will be the same. Patron One: Older, attractive woman arrives with adult daughter and several grandchildren. I smile and say…

Separate checks–the bane of the waiter/waitress. But just how separate can one be? Couple of examples last week: One bowl of the soup of the day– “Could we have three bowls and split it three ways, on three checks?” Two hamburgers, one Coke– “Split the soda on separate checks, please.” The waiter gave that table…

Big-deal kids’ show at the arena today. The minute the event ended, my foyer filled with moms, grandparents, and countless little girls (it was a princess show). Most had to wait, and they were pretty tame about it. I liked putting the kids’ names on the wait list so they could hear their own names…

My foyer fills up with dozens and dozens of people by noon. Kind of hard to tell who’s first in line when they form a tight knot at the podium. But most of our patrons are pretty respectful and defer to those before them. Most, that is. For some reason, today and yesterday have been…

They came for lunch in droves, clad in pink, red, or some combination, carrying amazing assortments of balloons, flowers, stuffed animals, and giant boxes of candy. You could tell that for some, this was a make-it or break-it day in the relationship (nervous smiles from him, arrogant glances from her). For others, you just knew…

It was just the two of them, cute 20-something-year-old guys. One pushed; the other sat still. One could speak, and did as he smiled hello; the other couldn’t move or talk or focus. But you could tell they were friends. Probably best friends at one point in their lives. One had clearly suffered a catastophic…