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In the weeds, again.

post #1 of 8
8/22/03 at 2:35pm
Thread Starter 
Just when you think that life is good, the business is smooth and all is right in your little kitchen world-WHAM! The restaurant comes up to you, pulls your pants down and just spanks the ____ out of you and your crew. And then there is the venting to the crew, significant others, hapless friends or salespeople who wander in. And of course the wider audience of cyberspace.
The crew was in the weeds today- big, ugly weeds and I just happened in at the right time. I ended up cooking for 3 1/2 hours during the rush that they were not prepared for. Kids.. You teach them, you tell them, you warn them, but until they suffer through it enough times they just don't seem to listen. They are ready to listen now...
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post #2 of 8
8/22/03 at 2:44pm
...so let 'em go. They'll learn to work smarter & faster.
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post #3 of 8
8/22/03 at 3:08pm
Thread Starter 

lulled into a false sense of complacency.

I just had a feeling it was going to happen today and kept it together for them. We are at the end of the slow season and mid August can be deadly slow or or surprisingly busy. And today they had some big reservations, it finally got cold and rained like crazy last night-( we are the SOUP PLACE guys!) and the University starts next Monday- all indicators that we will be busy and they know it as well. This morning they were maybe a little overconfident that they were ready for a busy day- and they got swamped- 150 people show up at the same time and they fell to pieces.....And then the rush continued and they were just swimmin' the rest of the time. I told them something to reassure them "No matter how bad you guys sucked today- you aren't as bad as the people on "The Restaurant"- food today was 20 minutes, it was 1 1/2 hours on the TV show"...
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post #4 of 8
8/22/03 at 7:18pm
What a great way to look at it! And, yes, that food is coming out of "The Restaurant's" kitchen slower than snail poop! Hard to believe it isn't Chef Rocco's first opening!
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post #5 of 8
8/22/03 at 9:37pm
i had a very simaler situation last night , but being as i am the kitchen staff 4 nights a week , i just had to grin and bear it . i do an average of 40 or 50 meals a night on my solo shifts . last night i hit a new personal record 87 entrees(sp) . that would include 174 side dishes , approx 30 salads that were supposed to be already made up on the day shift but werent . i'm not sure how many appitizers and munchies as i was to tired at the end of the night to count them up . and on top of that i have to also be dishwasher and janitor . though it was a rough night , i felt happy with my preformance as i never had a meal go out more than 20 minutes after it was ordered . i figure it was good experience . man i hope it dont happen like that again though .
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post #6 of 8
9/1/03 at 6:36am
I am anticipating a rough weekend, the kitchen I cater out of is in the middle of a major event...one of the largest art fairs in the country ....I have a picnic for 300 Sat. night with my prep coming out of a basement kitchen and down the street to load...off site to a park without a kitchen...actually there is a room with no tables but runing water. Thank goodness I planned a menu that would accomodate the locale. I have 4 paid staff that are mine the rest are vo.unteers...this is a sustainable picnic with linens and real plates, glasses, silver. yippiy. The check was good!!!! Now to work through the function.
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post #7 of 8
9/1/03 at 8:27am
We had a huge weekend at the restaurant. We covered 550 friday night (ala carte), 600 saturday night, and over 700 on Sunday. The life of living in a tourist town!

Eric

www.RESTAURANTEDGE.com
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post #8 of 8
9/1/03 at 9:36pm
ah yes, let me recount the last week.

Head chef moving house/sick with virus

Apprentice Chef off sick with (*snort*) GOUT!

Larder King refuses to work his day off.

Cant get staff for Sunday, Have to do Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with -1 chef and a favourable review in the paper about the restaurant that morning.

By my calculations, out of 7 days running, we were understaffed 5 days out of 7.

Throw this into the equation. On Thurs, i had to do a filmed presentation on creme brulee in preparation time, mon spent morning at college, worked that night, fri spent from 10 - 2:30 at college and started work at 3:30.

Have 3 assignments to start. oh did i say 3 very large assignments?

heh v.busy (better than mid term exam time - 45 hrs on the job and 15 hrs of exams that week)

So for those who think twice about this stuff, some timely advice in latin which still holds its own today - "Per Ardua Ad Astra"
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