Category: Managers
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Here Come the Brides
One day you’re having the experience of a lifetime during Kentucky Derby Week, and the day you return to work from the experience of a lifetime, your GM says this: “From now on, you’re doing all of our private events.” Oh. Okay. Okay? I have enjoyed the past three years working as a bartender and…
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First Time Here!
They were a handsome family of four. They brought along a handsome friend to complete their party of five, one short of a six-top tag. They triggered my internal server alarm when the wide-smiling father gushed: “It’s our first time here!” “Welcome,” I said, matching his smile. “Do we get anything for that?” the father…
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So Many Candles
Who doesn’t take stock of life’s antics on one’s birthday? Sure, you pretend this insignificant, utterly forgettable birthday is insignificant and forgettable enough to stop the reflective thoughts as they creep up over your morning coffee and spill forth with the force of a rogue wave by happy hour. Thus, if the thoughts are there,…
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Pigs Fly and Frisbees Do Walk
I wrote the previous post almost a week ago, let it sit, then finally posted it. When I went to work this morning, a miracle or two occurred: the mood was decidedly different–for the much better. My coworkers showed up on time, worked hard, helped me and each other, and even laughed with me. My…
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RG and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
With full credit to and incredible admiration for Judith Viorst for writing one of the best children’s books, ever: “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. I woke up two hours before my 5:02 a.m. alarm on Monday morning, after tossing and turning for hours and tossing some more, and, finally, never…
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My First Prom
No one forgets their senior prom–the dress, the dinner, the anticipation fraught with drama. I, however, have no prom memories, because I never went to one. Before anyone feels sorry for a Restaurant Gal who was left home alone on one of the crucial archetypal moments of passage in a teenage gal’s almost grown-up world,…
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Swan Songs Not Quite Sung
“At least one of our employees got a compliment for making a difference for two of our guests,” said the biggest of the management trifecta early on my last day last week. Thank you, RG.” Oh for God’s sake. “This is our new manager, RG,” smiled the second biggest of the management trifecta later on…
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That Bartender
Sometimes, taking the first job offered is not a brilliant career move. If, on day two, the triple management threat is telling you to clean better and sell more food, you clean better and try to sell more food. If, on day five, the triple threat tells you sales are down in the bar but…
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Year’s End, New Beginnings
In 2010, I worked three jobs simultaneously, driving from one job and one Key to another, back-to-back with only an hour in between, to get these jobs done. I abhorred one job’s customers while I shook my head at another one’s fourth inept manager in as many weeks. The third job, however, I loved–both the…
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Making Merry on a Whim
On a whim, I mentioned to a once-upon-a-time-two-years-ago-almost-but-really-never boyfriend who is, thankfully, now a friend, that I was looking for work off the Rock. I was on the other side of his bar, enjoying the evening, waiting for my great guy to get off work. Within two minutes, my now-friend gave me a name and…