killing waitstaff

[Mikeb]

Originally Posted by TopChef

Phil, I been at this 25 years (gulp) and can tell you the back-o'house v front-o'house battle will rage on for centuries to come

I don't know about that, I've never had problems with the FOH. Heck, I've made many friends with servers and bartenders that I've kept long after I'd left the restaurant(s). At most of the restaurants I've worked at the BOH and FOH hung out together after work, and while at work got along just fine. Sure, there was the occasional prank pulled, but everything was always friendly.

Most FOH staff complain that kitchen folk aren't friendly or social, so they don't associate with them. I remember that's exactly what a career bartender told me a while back when we were having a beer together, and that restaurant we were working at was the first he'd experienced where the BOH and FOH were a single team.

I definitely think every cook should be required to work a customer service job at some point in their career (I did a year as a salesman, as well as the occasional night of bartending).

And to those who think that servers don't know a thing about cooking, for some this is true. However you should never judge a book by it's cover - I've worked with servers who were ex-cooks, and many who were exceptional home cooks as well. And those servers who don't know about food, teach them (I haven't met one who has refused free knowledge). Helps with their food knowledge, and helps build a unified team.

Remember, the FOH are out there representing the BOH. If the two get along and act as a single team, the restaurant works much better.

[Panonthefire]

Yes FOH and BOH must work togheter. but battles for power will always be present.

anyway I tought I would share with you my most recent conversation with the maître D of my resto. He calls me in the kitchen to tell me he needs the food for a client because the client is looking at him and he does not no what to do. LOL

[Jayme]

Phil-
Repeat after me, "I will not kill my staff, I will not kill my staff"- make it your mantra (besides I think you are supposed to HIRE someone to do that for you....LOL) Deep breath... get through the shift!

[Brittany]

This topic is perfect for my mood. Nothing beats banquet staff. Not just banquet staff, ones that don't speak english or french or italian or any language that I have ever incountered. They are hired cheap and it just goes to prove, you get what you pay for.
I was setting up platters for my clients, one for each table. The idiot starts eating off of them. What the **** are you doing? I say, totally astounded that someone had the balls to do that. What? he says. " I said, what the **** are you doing you twitt. Get your ****ing fingers away from that food." Then I turn and look around. They are all eating from the platters. None of them could understand me, all they knew was that I was very upset. Though, they didn't know why. The whole night was sign language and the guy I hired to handle front of house was fired. The best is when one of them then asks you, in perfect english, if you would like to join him for a drink after work. ya, o.k.

[oldschool1982]

Originally Posted by Brittany

Nothing beats banquet staff.

C'mon you mean you couldn't find a thing to beat them with? Grab a pot, pan or hot fry basket. Nothing say's STOP SCREWING WITH MY FOOD like a tiny waffle pattern on the hands or arm. Accidentally af course.

[Brittany]

When did these little highlighted words come up on our bloggs? Under my name it says, save prices on clothing, food ect. What? I didn't know I was the definition of a sale. Here I thought I was nothing in this vast world. No, I have meaning. I have a definition. I'm cheap. Now I can die. Really.

[tcapper]

This is all due to lack of training !

When I did my apprenticeship in Zurich (3 years) the waiting staff also did an apptenticeship (3 years) this is before they are allowed to serve a customer with food.

Those three years are spent learning about cutlery, crockery, wine and food. After their three year apprenticeship then they are concidered qualified enough to serve a customer but that is only the start of their education.

Kitchen and Front of house respected one another as only true professionals could.

The answer TRAINING !

www.chefsworld.net

[Bullius Maximus]

As someone with FOH and BOH experience, I can say with certainty that a well rounded understanding of all aspects of the food service industy is a must. I suggest everybody in the business should spend some quality time walking around in everybody elses shoes. This will increase the peace between BOH and FOH tremendously!

[cookingwithfat]

I am sorry, but as far as spending time in everyone elses shoes... I am not letting any of the FOH on my line! I can't even begin to teach them what they need to know without having real time to explain it all to them, and since they only seem interested in showing up, grabbing as many tables as they can - even if that means stealing them from other waitstaff - picking up tips and running out before they do any closing sidework I think they would not even begin to be able to deal with what it means to be a real cook. My prep cook, who makes dirt compared to the tips they pull down each night, shows up each and every day with a smile on his face - even when he has two impacted wisdom teeth coming in and can not afford to see a dentist - works his *** off, tries as hard as he can to learn more and more, understands what it means to work. Front of house? They will never be able to understand the shoes we wear.

[Breton Beats]

I started bussing tables at 14 then hosting, then serving for 11 years I was hard core FOH until I went to school and moved up to the BOH. I tried hard to bring peace to the line until one day a few years ago I had just gotten back from an interview for a job that was going to pay $15 hour (up from $12), I was telling this to a group of staff and a passing wait staff said "$15 an hour, who works for that, on a bad night I make $20 (@hour)."

Uh gee thanks, oh, and yes the foie gras is vegan!

To this day when I go out to eat I split 50% tip. If its $20 $10 goes on the table, $10 gets handed to the chef or sous. In my restaurant tips are shared 100%.

[eponodyne]

Originally Posted by Breton Beats

I started bussing tables at 14 then hosting, then serving for 11 years I was hard core FOH until I went to school and moved up to the BOH. I tried hard to bring peace to the line until one day a few years ago I had just gotten back from an interview for a job that was going to pay $15 hour (up from $12), I was telling this to a group of staff and a passing wait staff said "$15 an hour, who works for that, on a bad night I make $20 (@hour)."

Uh gee thanks, oh, and yes the foie gras is vegan!

To this day when I go out to eat I split 50% tip. If its $20 $10 goes on the table, $10 gets handed to the chef or sous. In my restaurant tips are shared 100%.

I do the same thing. In fact, there have been times when service has been lousy and I ask if I can see the saute guy (or grill guy, or whoever did most of my meal.) And in front of the server, I will tip the cook, and say, "This is yours :Hands him a ten: And this is yours ::hands server three bucks:: Thank you for a... memorable evening. "

I like to go back to those restaurants. One of them has an open kitchen. Think I get treated like a god there, maybe just a little? (the service has improved drastically).

[the_seraphim]

im really finding this thread funny.. now im FOH trained.... nearly 2 years solid on the job experience... from a place where it was '90 people per server busy' to this place where its 'one server to every 12 people uptight' now ive gone BOH and today (95% of out staff are sick with perpetual vomiting so they cant work) we barely had a full staff today so i was on mains and then alone in the kitchen... and yeah, i screwed up sent a fair few meals out wrong./cold etc... not my fault, there was nothing i could do im not that good and there was no one not busy enough ot help a large portion of the time...

anyway, on the night i was FOH because again barely a full shift and other than the exec nearly cutting my fingers off because i moved one of his checks (NO ONE messes with MY checks... GOT IT!?) jeez... bad temper i simply read it and told him he would need another 2 rumps on the grill and he had a go... w/e i shrugged and walked off to do something else

anyway i find that i work better out front with some out back knowledge and vica versa

the foh/boh team can work together... if they are all good people, theres one FOH whos an alcoholic, druggie thief... we all hate him... oh well

[bizkit]

My general manager used to be a waiter at a place I used to work at, there were way better waiters than this guy, communication, organization, and calmness. But he knows good service, and trains his staff well. But in no way can he understand why we in the kitchen do what we do. If there is ever a misunderstanding with FOH vs BOH. It usually goes their way. So sometimes wanting to off one of those guys for ordering an employee meal 10 min. after closing time (and it's permitted) doesnt make me feel bad at all.

[Fledgling]

My FOH staff actually consume the food they take away from the tables. My first night there, they had a plate of grilled asparagus, and there were 5 of them!! the vultures! They were surrounding the plate and inhaling the asparagus. I was disgusted after I asked, "Did that actually come from a table?" "**** yeah!" they say. I promptly told them that I was very happy it is not *them* preparing the food!

"why is it all the girls that dont pull their wait cause the most problems "

I highly resent that, being that I am a female. It is no surprise to me that there is a gender imbalance in the kitchen, for a good reason, but you have no right to apply your irritations to one type of person. I would like an apology.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Fledgling

My FOH staff actually consume the food they take away from the tables. My first night there, they had a plate of grilled asparagus, and there were 5 of them!! the vultures! They were surrounding the plate and inhaling the asparagus. I was disgusted after I asked, "Did that actually come from a table?" "**** yeah!" they say. I promptly told them that I was very happy it is not *them* preparing the food!

"why is it all the girls that dont pull their wait cause the most problems "

I highly resent that, being that I am a female. It is no surprise to me that there is a gender imbalance in the kitchen, for a good reason, but you have no right to apply your irritations to one type of person. I would like an apology.

Good point, but that post is from over 6 years ago, so an apology is probably not forthcoming.