You Got Served!!
Tonight I went out to dinner with my mums for a pre-mothers day dinner. The rest of my family will be going out tomorrow, so this was a “date” for her and I. We went to the Olive Garden(OG) by our house. Not a good idea.
If you have never worked in the restaurant, it is an ugly business that I think everyone should have to experience at least once. The truth is that you would not eat half the food you order if you knew how it got to you. At best, the back of the house staff in most medium grade restaurants operates on a 7th grade level. I used to work at the OG we visited tonight and was cautious about going, but my mom loves it there…argh!! I personally prefer going to restaurants where I have never worked, that way I don’t have to think about what I know to be going on behind those swiveling doors. To the credit of OG, they have some great company standards and the managers are always persistent about getting the food out fresh and presentable!! This is only the back of the house, the food must get to you by the hands of a server.
For those of you who have served before, you know the stereotypes associated with certain people. A few months ago I had this conversation with some former servers, I would not consider them racist, but they confirmed the “Denny’s” treatment of African-Americans. Whenever I go out I always feel the responsibility to compensate for this by making servers reconsider their preconceived notions about my people. Seeing that the current wait staff was 9yrs removed from my time, I figured that a new generation would put to bed old ideals. Not so.
Upon our seating I looked at my watch, A little after 7:15. We were sitting in a two-server section. This means that the two servers split the section by alternating tables. A couple minutes after we were sat, a party of five was sat in our section. I observed the servers as they rushed back to the service area to decide who would take the party and who would take the take the us. At 7:23 the party of five was making drink orders and we still haven’t been acknowledged by the wait staff. My mom sensed my anguish, and told me to be patient. I knew better, a 5 top meant at least a $20 - $30 tip, while our table probably meant the bare minimum. At 7:28 as the 5 top was getting their drinks and meals ordered, I told my mom that I was counting down from 30 seconds before we walked out. As I began counting our server waddled over. I have to give credit to my mom who kept a smile throughout the whole process. She was really oblivious to my knowledge of the restaurant “code” and just wanted to get some breadsticks!! I relented my sour attitude and tried to enjoy the evening.
Strike two came when we ordered. I was a decent server, I had enough know how to make simple conversation with my patrons and strike up a good conversation. The one thing you want to make sure you do is to not only get the order right, but make sure it is in the right order. The OG makes sure their servers know not to put in a food order until soups and salsds have been delivered…I think our server was missed that tidbit. Our food arrived a minute after our meal along with our appetizer. Great, it will be a buffet!! Good thing she did not forget my Chianti…oh wait she did!!
To the credit of OG, the food was amazing. I am a fan of the Chicken Marsala w/ Fett Alfredo. The food made up for all of our server’s shortcomings. More importantly, my date was going great as we kept each other laughing about the silly things only a family knows. My mom can be a riot at times and I just enjoyed being around her more and more these days.
Which came first the chicken or the egg?? As the server dropped off the check I glanced at it thinking of what to do? If I tip well, I am “breaking the cycle”??? If I leave the percentage the service deserved, I am only reinforcing old stereotypes. I normally am a 20% tipper so I decided to leave a 14% tip. I even broke out my cell phone calculator for this one. My hope is that my server is and was as oblivious to this melodrama playing out in my mind as my mom was… and these bad ideals from generations pass can be put retired. My mom smiled as I paid and we both left satisfied. She had dinner with her baby boy, and I got to serve our server!
If you have never worked in the restaurant, it is an ugly business that I think everyone should have to experience at least once. The truth is that you would not eat half the food you order if you knew how it got to you. At best, the back of the house staff in most medium grade restaurants operates on a 7th grade level. I used to work at the OG we visited tonight and was cautious about going, but my mom loves it there…argh!! I personally prefer going to restaurants where I have never worked, that way I don’t have to think about what I know to be going on behind those swiveling doors. To the credit of OG, they have some great company standards and the managers are always persistent about getting the food out fresh and presentable!! This is only the back of the house, the food must get to you by the hands of a server.
For those of you who have served before, you know the stereotypes associated with certain people. A few months ago I had this conversation with some former servers, I would not consider them racist, but they confirmed the “Denny’s” treatment of African-Americans. Whenever I go out I always feel the responsibility to compensate for this by making servers reconsider their preconceived notions about my people. Seeing that the current wait staff was 9yrs removed from my time, I figured that a new generation would put to bed old ideals. Not so.
Upon our seating I looked at my watch, A little after 7:15. We were sitting in a two-server section. This means that the two servers split the section by alternating tables. A couple minutes after we were sat, a party of five was sat in our section. I observed the servers as they rushed back to the service area to decide who would take the party and who would take the take the us. At 7:23 the party of five was making drink orders and we still haven’t been acknowledged by the wait staff. My mom sensed my anguish, and told me to be patient. I knew better, a 5 top meant at least a $20 - $30 tip, while our table probably meant the bare minimum. At 7:28 as the 5 top was getting their drinks and meals ordered, I told my mom that I was counting down from 30 seconds before we walked out. As I began counting our server waddled over. I have to give credit to my mom who kept a smile throughout the whole process. She was really oblivious to my knowledge of the restaurant “code” and just wanted to get some breadsticks!! I relented my sour attitude and tried to enjoy the evening.
Strike two came when we ordered. I was a decent server, I had enough know how to make simple conversation with my patrons and strike up a good conversation. The one thing you want to make sure you do is to not only get the order right, but make sure it is in the right order. The OG makes sure their servers know not to put in a food order until soups and salsds have been delivered…I think our server was missed that tidbit. Our food arrived a minute after our meal along with our appetizer. Great, it will be a buffet!! Good thing she did not forget my Chianti…oh wait she did!!
To the credit of OG, the food was amazing. I am a fan of the Chicken Marsala w/ Fett Alfredo. The food made up for all of our server’s shortcomings. More importantly, my date was going great as we kept each other laughing about the silly things only a family knows. My mom can be a riot at times and I just enjoyed being around her more and more these days.
Which came first the chicken or the egg?? As the server dropped off the check I glanced at it thinking of what to do? If I tip well, I am “breaking the cycle”??? If I leave the percentage the service deserved, I am only reinforcing old stereotypes. I normally am a 20% tipper so I decided to leave a 14% tip. I even broke out my cell phone calculator for this one. My hope is that my server is and was as oblivious to this melodrama playing out in my mind as my mom was… and these bad ideals from generations pass can be put retired. My mom smiled as I paid and we both left satisfied. She had dinner with her baby boy, and I got to serve our server!
posted by O King at
12:02 AM
2 Comments:
O, race removed a big party always trumps a couple dinning. My mom and I went out to dinner at a nice restaurant last weekend, where I would have expected them to give everyone equal service. However, there was a party of ten seated next to us. There were two servers handling the party and each server only had one table in addition to the party, very managable!However, our server kept us waiting for everything and at the end practically forgot us altogether. What's more, he kept asking, again and again if we wanted wine. At one point I wanted to tell him that we were both recovering alcoholics so he would feel ashamed of himself! I knew he just wanted the extra tip. At bertucci's when I worked there, the servers used to push wine because they figured then people would order more and then eventually, drink more wine, raising their tips higher and higher. I resented this man trying that tactic and as a result I tipped him %10. All is fair in love and the restaurant business!
See all my spelling and grammar mistakes? I'm trying your "bigger picture" concept.
Have a good week!
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