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bunnielab posted:You guys really are like stagehands. poo poo even FOH people use "behind." At least we did when I was bartending.
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Jul 22, 2013 07:37
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Turkeybone posted:So uh, what's so wrong about this place? We'll find out in 3 weeks when it fall off the ceiling and lands on Wrought's head 
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Jul 23, 2013 01:20
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You think Chicago is in the middle of nowhere?  And somehow Atlanta is more important/relevant? Not to get off track, but...what the gently caress?This is coming from someone in Houston FWIW.
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Jul 30, 2013 06:19
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Wroughtirony posted:I've never gotten to really explore Houston because I'm never there for long, and when I am, I'm not in a frame of mind to go adventuring. I'm usually there in the middle of a long trip, picking up/dropping off my car at the airport. And I'm faced with the following decision: Do I eat at Beavers, or do I eat someplace that is not Beavers? Sorry, rest of Houston. I was the bar manager at Beavers when they opened. Eat there.
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Aug 1, 2013 16:31
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Yeah, investigate getting a food cart or the like for fairs. Alternatively, if you want to make batches to sell to restaurants, you can look into renting a small catering kitchen. Dunno how financially feasible that would be, though.
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Aug 9, 2013 01:53
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Wroughtirony posted:Honestly, I'm a wreck. I'm a severely underqualified GM and my job is mostly customer service damage control. Luckily, I am very good at that. This is my first serious management gig and I've been given little guidance and a lot of responsibility, but nobody (upper management and my servers and cooks) expects me to do much except burn out in two months or less like their last dozen GMs. Last year, one GM made to his 90 day review. Shortly before he was fired for drinking on the job. Wrought, you're doing just fine. Servers are going to hate you unless you are literally waiting on their tables for them. Even then they may bitch because the tips weren't good enough (I have had this happen to me). GMing a restaurant is more about damage control and checking the numbers at the end of the night than anything else. Pitch in and help out where you can, but other than that, get out of the way and let people work.
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Aug 24, 2013 05:23
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Liquid Communism posted:You know, I know it's your business, but I really hope the Dept. of Labor comes down on them like a ton of bricks. That poo poo is not acceptable. Agreed. That manager should be written up, potentially suspended or fired himself.
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Sep 12, 2013 16:00
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Agreed, bartending school is a negative in my book. But then, I also haven't been in the industry for a few years now, so what do I know.
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Sep 29, 2013 19:17
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Trying to figure out what to get last night, since I was feeling lazy, I probably hit up 2 dozen restaurant websites in Houston. Probably the most functional that I found was this one: http://www.barryspizza.com/ They have a dedicated mobile site, all of the most important information (except maybe hours) are available on every page at the bottom, etc. There are some things I could nitpick, but all in all I found it to be very functional.
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Oct 3, 2013 01:08
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Kenning posted:So I twisted the gently caress out of my ankle last night (not at work, unfortunately) but I don't think I'll be able to serve for a little while. Anybody have experience with sort of stop-gap income programs like temporary disability or whatever? This sucks. Alternatively, look into programs like Amazon's Mechanical Turk. I know there are a ton out there, some better than others, but you could do them all from a laptop while sitting. Some you can even automate pretty well with a bit of scripting. SA probably has a thread on it somewhere, if you look around.
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Oct 26, 2013 10:52
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Wroughtirony posted:(Unless you're making GBS threads. Always poo poo on the clock.) What do you have against clocks?
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Nov 9, 2013 20:08
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A typical restaurant.com deal (without a promo code) is a $25 coupon for $10, with a minimum spend of $40. A lot of places mandate that it must be $40 on food, so they can still break even after you order a couple drinks. That said, several times a year they'll have deals where you can get $10 coupons for $2, $25 for $3, and $50 for $5 (or thereabouts). Personally, I'll use them for new places, but that's about it. A guy I know will stock up on coupons for places he visits regularly, and I've noticed a couple times a server or bartender roll their eyes after they recognize him, and see him using a coupon. They try to be subtle about it, and I don't think he's noticed, but eh.
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Nov 23, 2013 15:14
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Rurutia posted:Why do the servers care? Does he not tip for the full amount? I didn't notice his tip, frankly, but I know from going to bars with him that he's usually a good tipper. I don't know why that particular server or bartender cared, maybe the owners were tired of their relationship with restaurant.com and the staff picked up on it?
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Nov 23, 2013 15:33
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brick cow posted:$25 off of a $40 ticket is crazy. Forget what I said about breaking even. No restaurant runs at a 60% profit. I know nothing about restaurant.com; these coupons are limited, yes? Like only 100 per month or something? I have a restaurant business plan kicking around waiting for me to act and there is a portion dealing with 50% coupons but they're very limited to new customers and occasionally to established long term customers. Well, it's not a $40 ticket - it's $40 on food. The hope is that the guests or group will have a drink or two each to at least make up the loss on the food. And liquor margins are often well above 60%, depending on what's being ordered. That's a good point about being stiffed on huge discounts, the two times it happened with my friend, they may not have recognized him, they may have just gotten stiffed by the last table that used a coupon. These coupons are limited, but I have no idea to what extent. For the coupons in your plans, how would you distribute them? That's the biggest problem with giving discounts to new customers, recognizing them and marketing to them effectively while not giving coupons to your regulars. It's a problem that restaurant.com, groupon, livingsocial, etc. have partially solved, but not fully.
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Nov 24, 2013 00:37
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nwin posted:Complete thread lurker checking in. Probably 10 or 15 pages ago, Wrought mentioned that she always goes to Beaver's in Houston when she's here, so the wife and I checked it out tonight. Ha, funny enough (and I mentioned this previously), I helped open that place when I was still in the industry. Been a long time since I've been there, though, even as a customer - that may be my lunch today.
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Dec 18, 2013 17:48
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Wroughtirony posted:If you're a chump, it's also the #1 way to make sure you never get promoted out of the dishpit. Good dishwashers who show up on time and work hard and don't require endless supervision are like unicorns that poo poo gold, and managers won't want to replace them in the pit. Often, you have to show your willingness to quit and go somewhere else to get that promotion to prep cook. This is absolutely true. I used to have barbacks that were the same way - they rocked out, never demonstrated they were willing to move on, so they never got promoted. Nevermind that they made as much as the bartenders, but it would at least have been a lot less work for them.
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Jan 5, 2014 17:24
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Splizwarf posted:(Not that I'm even in the industry anymore, but) if I was getting paid the same as the bartender, there's no way in gently caress I'd want to be promoted to Deals Directly With Customers And Remembers A Huge List Of Mixed Drinks/Names/Faces, so that's not a huge shock. But then, I like humping heavy things around and making sure everything's where it needs to be for the frontman's night to run smoothly. Even if it means working an extra 4 hours each night?
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Jan 5, 2014 18:45
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Splizwarf posted:That sounds more like getting paid half as much as the bartenders. I said the money is the same, not the work.
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Jan 5, 2014 20:14
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MAKE NO BABBYS posted:GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh, young fool, you have much to learn. Maybe he works for that one magical catering company that doesn't have a slow time of year.
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Jan 24, 2014 20:03
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Wroughtirony posted:(for what it's worth, I liked banquet bartending.) Given your history, somehow I'm not surprised.
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Jan 26, 2014 01:11
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EAT THE EGGS RICOLA posted:I've received/given stuff to people I knew personally, but I would probably never ask for an industry discount from someone I hadn't met before/was not familiar with. This. I'm not in the industry any more, but people mistake me for still being a bartender and I've gotten more than a couple free drinks out of it. Never ask, though, that's just tacky - I order what I can afford.
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Feb 16, 2014 21:23
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OTOH, when I was still in the industry, I used to have people come in and brag about being a bartender at [insert shithole here] about once a month and promise to hook me up if I'd hook them up. I'd usually give them one free drink since I had a generous comp/spill tab, but gently caress em otherwise.
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Feb 16, 2014 22:41
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GigaFool posted:That you're competent in the kitchen. It's not about what you make, it's about how you make it. Pick a couple simple things that fit whatever their theme is and show them that you're comfortable doing what you do. This. With almost any job interview, they're not looking for output, they're looking for process - I'm assuming they'll be in the kitchen with you while you do it? The end result is important, but they will teach you their recipes, they will teach you the techniques they want you to use, they want to know whether or not you understand how to make food.
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Apr 16, 2014 01:10
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MAKE NO BABBYS posted:For sure, but wouldn't you know that about them before they came out, unless they're an OKC date or summat? You need to get back to a bar you enjoy working at. Your reasons for going home were legit and admirable, but it may or may not be starting to affect you.
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May 19, 2014 17:36
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Tender Child Loins posted:Pretty sure a "nontraditional" banh mi is just a sandwich? Depends on how far you veer from what a traditional banh mi is, or what you even consider traditional. Calling it a banh mi, as long as the menu lists what makes it different, sets expectations in terms of presentation (some combination of baguette, cucumber, carrot, jalapeno, pork, cilantro, pate, mayo, etc.) There are a ton of varieties of banh mi already out there, I don't see why there can't be one more.
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Jul 29, 2014 14:50
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Simoom posted:You're definitely correct, I was venting and already have a couple interviews! I do need money however which is really the main issue in this life I lead it does seem. I also apologize for joking about suicide- having tried it a small number of times in youth as well as losing a close friend to it I often think well-I-can-say-that-nobody-will-worry-cuz-it-dont-faze-me, but not everyone has the same experiences and reactions and it is most certainly unfair to subject others to that simply because I'm okay with it- You're a good person and thanks for the reminder! Stop caring until you either get fired or get a new job. If the former, get unemployment and find something under the table. If the latter, don't delay a start date for notice any longer than necessary - even if it means 24 hour notice. Normally I'd say don't burn any bridges, but if a place is making you that miserable, it doesn't really matter - you don't want to go back to them anyway. If you ever have to put them on an application/resume for experience in the future, just make up a name and put down the restaurant's main number. Chances are whoever picks up won't even know that whoever you're writing about doesn't exist, much less never worked there.
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Aug 31, 2014 22:29
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You've been there less than a week and you're already at this level of stress? I understand that you probably walked into hell, from what you've described, but honestly, this is probably not the right industry for you in the long run. There will be issues in EVERY kitchen you ever see - whether it's others cooks loving off, equipment going unmaintained, chefs/managers playing favorites, food going out that should be thrown away - at some point you just have to roll with it. Every. Single. Kitchen. has issues. Ask WroughtIrony, that one is a glutton for punishment and seems to be drawn to troubled environments. If this comes off as harsh, I'm sorry. I don't know your background, you might be a rockstar with 10 years experience on the line and in that case I'm completely wrong - but getting this stressed about work after less than a week is unhealthy, and indicative of how well you'll survive the service industry. And I say that as someone who got out years ago (though I was on the bar side, not the food side - better money, less stress, and everyone gets drunk so it's cool).
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Sep 1, 2014 02:06
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So go do FoH if you think that's heaven - those jobs are easier to get than kitchen jobs, by a mile. Doesn't even need to be fine dining, just find a place that's busy. It doesn't matter if you're working at Bubba's Beer and Turkey Grease if you're pulling home enough to pay the bills and make rent. Even better about FoH is they tend to be more flexible on hours. There is no shame in FoH, I was a bartender and bar manager for years and loved it (my liver wasn't as happy), if that's a better fit then do it. Take all that with a grain of salt - I'm stuck in a dead end job myself right now, and while paid well, I really need to get out...it's just going to cost me a lot to do it. Edit: I know the posters in this thread are mostly BoH, and I fully respect that. But both sides of it are still industry, and there's no shame in that, though it seems like a lot of folks on both sides of the table like to complain about the other. If anyone has an experience to share about transitioning from cook to FoH or reverse, now would probably be a good time to share. I never worked BoH unless you count management, so I can't really contribute to that discussion. Shooting Blanks fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Sep 1, 2014 |
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Sep 1, 2014 02:46
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Naelyan posted:I don't know what that is or which awful thing you're referring to, but yeah, you probably shouldn't eat that. Probably the sodium content?
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Sep 8, 2014 00:47
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Oh well. The bartenders don't really care about learning the menu or really give a poo poo about selling the food so I have to keep a constant watch and engage with the customers to find out what they actually want, this was just an odd interaction that stood out to me today. This isn't a problem with the bartenders, this is a problem with management for not insisting they learn at least a little bit about the menu. Let me step back for a moment and ask this, apologies if it's been answered earlier in the thread: You mentioned "since opening the new place," how new is new? If we're talking a week or so, that's one thing - but if you've got a bartender who's been there for a month and will openly admit he hasn't read the menu, you've got problems. The questions that bartender came back to the kitchen to get answers to are questions he or she should have been able to answer on the spot. Some questions have to go back to the kitchen, but asking about cheese on a burger? Sorry, as a former bartender/bar manager that irks me more than anything else about the situation.
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Sep 8, 2014 15:27
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Rockzilla posted:Do you really think that they're going to follow through on that transfer for you? You're better off moving to Seattle right now and sucking dick to pay the bills. It's really not that hard to find work waiting tables. MAKE NO BABBYS posted:Lol, if you have service industry experience, you don't need to wait for a job. It won't be good necessarily, but you can find one you dummy. Transfer? What the hell? I'd basically agree with both of these. I'm not sure where you're based now, or what your proximity is to Seattle, but unless you have literally zero savings and cannot afford to move currently, there shouldn't be an issue getting a FOH position within 1-2 weeks. Not to mention, if you're currently working at the worst performing location in your company, do you think that their recommendation will have much sway on anyone? Figure out a way to make the move work, even if it means chucking your poo poo into storage for a month and couchsurfing until you find a job, and move forward. I almost never recommend jumping into something blind, but you have almost less stability now than you would if you were unemployed.
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Sep 16, 2014 00:36
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You're kind of an rear end in a top hat for not making him throw that out and stopping to pick up more food.
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Sep 16, 2014 08:19
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Shabadu posted:I think I may have had a bartender who quit the ridiculously easy job at my private club and go to work at a certain Boston chain location in question and she burned out so fast it wasn't even funny. What we lose by not being able to be tipped (by the club constitution) we pick up in health/dental and a livable wage and no uncertainty. I can have a day with 2 covers and I'll still get my full 8 hours in. When I was managing a club, I would immediately trash any resume/application that highlighted mostly country club and hotel experience for exactly this reason. There are pros and cons to working in any given environment (income, stability, benefits, social aspect, etc.), but an environment change that drastic almost never works out. Unfair? Probably. But I like to think it saved everyone a lot of time and hassle.
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Sep 17, 2014 21:51
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Liquid Communism posted:Quit working for free, you donkey. Pay that is late is pay that you will never, ever, ever, see. This. Employment is a contract - you provide labor for money. If your employer can't afford to pay you, you can't afford to waste your time there.
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Sep 19, 2014 17:28
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Just because I'm too lazy to check, does the minimum wage increase also affect tipped employees, or only non-tipped employees?
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Sep 23, 2014 11:11
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Radio Help posted:Probably some sort of margarine with caramel flavoring in it. Gross. Reminds me of the person who saw a jar of hollandaise at a store awhile back and was asking if it was any good.
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Oct 9, 2014 05:22
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I hope you like being poor. IIRC Liquid Communism was a baker for awhile, but the short version is that margins on baked goods are razor thin.
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Nov 8, 2014 02:58
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Errant Gin Monks posted:I left my IT career when I was in a director position making almost 6 figures because I couldn't handle every day being a disaster and every client being pissed all the time. After a decade of it I had had enough. I would rather watch some fat idiot dip their pizza in ranch then listen to one more client bitch at me that his printers aren't working when IM NOT THE loving PRINTER VENDOR YOU COCKBAG! So you're willing to put up with bitchy customers during worse hours, for less money with the same annoying complaints? Huh.
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Nov 9, 2014 18:53
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Simoom posted:gently caress it if being sick isn't a crime nowadays and the punishment be discontinuation of further paycheques from that establishment! An old chef brings up full-time employment options every now and again though and I know I should stay in school, but I am a vain man and after 7 years of food service keeping me relatively in check, I've gained 20 pounds in like no time at all. I'm extremely dumb and all I have is a good body and a winning smile and I don't want to lose that! But I no longer have the workouts of running around an extremely hot kitchen and even in the short dish pit stint I felt my body become soft! Is this a normal part of leaving the industry? It's normal for leaving any job where you're actively working as opposed to riding a desk. Same thing happened to me when I got out from behind the bar and started working from home. Gotta supplement that exercise somehow!
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Nov 10, 2014 05:28
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Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. That said, how much does a 5 gallon bucket of pickles even cost? Whole or sliced?
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Nov 12, 2014 18:24
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