Restaurant Manager

"Horrific"? Explain:) What's craziest thing you ever saw on the job?

Asked by lulzsec almost 12 years ago

When I say horrific I mean it in several ways. One way is how some people treat others. The other is violent or obscene behavior. I have quite a few of these stories, but I will tell you a few from each category.

1. I once had a man berate me in front of the whole restaraunt, because his sparkling water froze when I opened it. I told him immediatly that I was sorry and that I would replace it. He freaked out beyond belief. He began screaming that he had now seen what stupid truly meant. He began mocking my accent by mimicking my apology. He said your accent may be cute to others, but to me it just screams "I am an idiot." "How hard is your job" and "What is going on in that little brain of yours" were two just a few of his remarks. I stood there with tears streaming down my face and then he told me I could make it up to him and asked me what I was into. I replied, "As in what are my hobbies?"

He got more angry at that so I just left and got his check. The tables around him felt so bad for me they tipped me extra. By the way I was 21 and he was over 60.

2. I had a man yell at my bartender that she was a fat b****, because she would not serve him another beer. I went and told him he needed to leave and he began insulting me. I told him I would get him a cab, because he could hardly walk. He said that he was driving. I told him that if he got into a car I would call the cops. He started running to his car. I was on the phone with the police describing his vehicle as he reversed full speed through the parking lot hitting several cars.

3. I have also seen a man leave his drunk girlfriend passed out on the sidewalk. I chased him down and told him he needed to come help her. He came back kicked her and ran off. I called the police to take her home, because she could not speak. I also told them about the abuse. 

I want to add that I work in a nice area. Most of our guests and employees are great people, but these things do happen.

What's the worst story you have about having to fire someone?

Asked by Laura almost 12 years ago

I made the rookie mistake of getting too close to one of my employees. He did not have a car so I gave him rides home every night. He was a sweet kid and I could tell he had a rough life. It was also apparent that he might have substance abuse issues. He was amazing at his job. He was the best bar back I have ever seen, but his mood swings and shady behavior made everyone question him. He finally confessed he had an addiction and I urged him to get help. During his time of employment he made several mistakes regarding his schedule and his attitude. There were multiple times I should have fired him and the rest of the team wanted to fire him, but I fought for him. He went to rehab and came back a new person. I was so happy to see his progress. After a few months I saw the warning signs again and the rest of my management team told me it was time to let him go. He was aggresive and would dissapear for long periods of time. He manipulated me by claiming I was the only person that believed in him and thanked me for all of my help, but the last straw was him blowing up at me. I had to fire him and it was very heavy on my heart. I hated to see him wasting his life and knew he would get worse once he lost his job. I also knew I should have not defended him so much, because now everyone could say "I told you so." I still worry about him, but it taught me to never get too involved. I am running a business and I cannot take things so personally. 

Have you ever had someone, an employee or otherwise, get so upset or angry that you felt unsafe? What happened?

Asked by Axlrose13 almost 12 years ago

Several times in fact. When I was a bartender I refused to serve a man that was visibly intoxicated. He was not happy. He threw a bottle of soy sauce at me and told me I better have someone escort me to my car. He then later tried to return, but the bouncer refused to let him enter. The entrance was near the bar and he started fighting to get past the bouncer and started pointing at me yelling "I will cut you b*#*!." Needless to say I made sure to have someone walk me to my car.

This was not the first time someone had thrown something at me when I refused to serve them alcohol actually. People do not like being told they cannot drink.

Is there a direct correlation in your opinion between how attractive a female server is and how much she makes in tips?

Asked by Damian almost 12 years ago

I would say not always, but it does play a role. Attractive bartenders definitely do very well for themselves. They get more regular customers and single people at their bar. I have seen attractive bartenders make outrageous amounts of money. If a server, however, gives terrible service their looks do not always ensure they will still get a good tip, but they do tend to be forgiven easier. It does depend on the guest though. A hot guy may get a better tip from a group of middle aged women than a hot girl and vice versa. Also, from my experience guys that hit on their server often leave horrible tips. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen reciepts with phone numbers or compliments to a server next to a 5% tip. It is quite funny actually. Those are mostly younger men though. Older men are an entirely different story. To sum it up I will say that attractive servers overall do get better tips. Hate to say it, but it is true. Their attractiveness plays a role in the hiring process too. An attractive server has a much better chance at getting hired. It is a sad truth about the service industry, but a truth that probably applies to most industries.

Other than liquor, what are the most profitable things on your menu?

Asked by Rina over 11 years ago

I am interested in knowing what spreadsheet or template you use to chart price points of ingredients you use to create your meals

Asked by William over 11 years ago

Does the chef send out orders in the order that they're submitted, or will they hurry out orders for more important customers, celebs, or food critics?

Asked by Jamie over 11 years ago