Sometimes I really dislike FOH staff!

Had one of these days myself today. Im about to freak out. We're already understaffed, and he's running around with the idea of having the same level of service as TFL. Trying to get him to get his shit together before we get a full hotell (tomorrow) and get his staff organized. The restaurant has the operation and diciplin of a kindergarden.

Camels....

If you let FOH, or even have them think that that they have complete control over the kitchen, then you have trouble on your hands.  I would have told her to get her hands off the tickets or get slapped on the wrist with a spatula.

Sometimes you need to take them down a peg or two.

This is my favorite way.............

You're a b'fast place, right?  Get a raw egg, blow it out hollow, thread a piece of string through it, tie a open paper clip on the other end, and hook the contraption on the back of the waitron's apron.

I have seen nothing--nothing,  funnier than a waitress with an attitude boldly marching through a dining room with an egg dangling between her legs. 

Way back when...

A waiter kept trying to nose onto my station.  My Sous went to the office and came back with a roll of duct tape.  He asked the waiter to step back four feet, then he proceeded to tape a line on the floor in front of, and to the one exposed side of my station.  Then he calmly explained that no one other than himself and myself were to walk beyond that line. 

I miss that guy. 

I would tell her in a nice soft loving voice that if she takes the tickets off the wheel again I will throw her ass out the front door. The front of the house has no concept of what goes on on the front line. I would also talk with the KM and have her work a few shifts on the line so she will be more understanding in the future.

  I hope all is well with you and the family, my best to you for the Holidays have a merry Christmas. I will think of you while I'm sipping a Mai Tai on Waikiki beach...........Bill

that is one of the oldest problems in the kitchen. It seems where ever your go there is that divide with the front and bake of the house. Not sure what can be done about it, but the best thing to do is ALWAYS remain calm and let them do the freaking out.....just keep your side of the street clean....Merry Christmas to you and all my fellow chefs

FRYGUY

we have a tape line on the floor...and a nicely written sign that says "FOH: by passing this line you waive all right to complain about having food, pots, knives hurled in your direction"

while we keep it light and jovial...they get the idea.

The FOH has no business interfering with what goes on behind the line.  I'm not surprised at all that your owner will not take your dare and come behind the line, as that will show to her beloved FOH that she doubts their abilities and may side with you.

The bottom line is that the customer is satisfied, all the rest is moot.

Most wait staff are not in any way professional servers. If they were you'd nary hear a peep from them as they would understand the inner workings of the BOH.

Why DON'T you start nitpicking their side and see how they like it?  

NOT!

You are better than that.

I feel your pain.

Both sides of the "line" have the whole "us vs them" mentality.  The kitchen staff get their say here, but the FoH is just trying to get their jobs done, which is serving the customers.  When the kitchen interferes with the servers' ability to serve food, then the server gets the ear full from the customer.  They're just passing that along.  In the FoH mindset, it doesn't matter WHY the food isn't coming out fast enough, all that matters is that it isn't coming out fast enough.  Likewise, when food is stacking up in the window, the BoH doesn't care WHY the food isn't making it out of the kitchen, only that it isn't making it out of the kitchen.  The dividing line between FoH and BoH is the point of demarcation for "not my problem".

Server:  Food is coming out too slowly.

Cook:  We're short-handed

Server: Not my problem!

Cook:  Food is stacking up in the window

Server: We're short-handed.

Cook:  Not my problem!

It really is a two-way street.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobblygook 

Both sides of the "line" have the whole "us vs them" mentality.  The kitchen staff get their say here, but the FoH is just trying to get their jobs done, which is serving the customers.  When the kitchen interferes with the servers' ability to serve food, then the server gets the ear full from the customer.  They're just passing that along.  In the FoH mindset, it doesn't matter WHY the food isn't coming out fast enough, all that matters is that it isn't coming out fast enough.  Likewise, when food is stacking up in the window, the BoH doesn't care WHY the food isn't making it out of the kitchen, only that it isn't making it out of the kitchen.  The dividing line between FoH and BoH is the point of demarcation for "not my problem".

 

Server:  Food is coming out too slowly.

Cook:  We're short-handed

Server: Not my problem!

 

Cook:  Food is stacking up in the window

Server: We're short-handed.

Cook:  Not my problem!

 

It really is a two-way street.

Compounding difficulties: one of the first things I learned when getting into a kitchen is that no one will listen to a thing you say unless you speak loudly and, often, forcefully.

"Excuse me, could you please try to get that food out a little faster, maybe, if that's alright with you?"--not going to work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeniek 

What is it with servers, expos and stupidviors in the FOH that makes them think that they can tell the BOH how to do their jobs?

 

Most of the time I can ignore them and let whatever they say go in one ear and out the other but sadly today was not one of those days for me.

 

It pretty much started for me when I got in.. I started sucking a dick straight away, but then some hobo jizzed on my shirt when I specifically told him no to. So then I had a dead hobo on my hands, and no place to really dispose of him. Terrible.

 

Thanks for letting me vent!

Yeah, I've had days like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allium 

Compounding difficulties: one of the first things I learned when getting into a kitchen is that no one will listen to a thing you say unless you speak loudly and, often, forcefully.

 

"Excuse me, could you please try to get that food out a little faster, maybe, if that's alright with you?"--not going to work.

But it seems that the BoH has no difficulty in telling the FoH what to do, but when it's reversed, the BoH gets the "who do YOU think you are" attitude.  You can't bark at them and not expect the same in return. 

Mind you, I'm not coming down on one side or the other, just pointing out that it's a two-way street.  I'm going to get banned to "waitstafftalk.com" if I ain't careful :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobblygook 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allium 

Compounding difficulties: one of the first things I learned when getting into a kitchen is that no one will listen to a thing you say unless you speak loudly and, often, forcefully.

 

"Excuse me, could you please try to get that food out a little faster, maybe, if that's alright with you?"--not going to work.

But it seems that the BoH has no difficulty in telling the FoH what to do, but when it's reversed, the BoH gets the "who do YOU think you are" attitude.  You can't bark at them and not expect the same in return. 

 

Mind you, I'm not coming down on one side or the other, just pointing out that it's a two-way street.  I'm going to get banned to "waitstafftalk.com" if I ain't careful :)

Don't you mean "seemed" and not "seems"? If I recall correctly, what experience you do have was some time ago. I don't bring this up to nitpick, but because the dynamics in restaurants have changed somewhat in the past 15 years.

I work in a 4 unit corporate place that has it's pros and cons, but the best thing is that every member of management can hold their own behind the line, at the pass, and in the dining room.  From the GM to the KM to the Bar manager. That doesn't stop the cooks or servers from our usual quips and jabs to each other, but it helps having people who know whats going on on both sides of the window, on both sides of the window (not sure if that makes sense, but thankfully the Holiday's are almost over!)

it is a two-way street.

i have done both, and the FOH manager has been a line cook.

we just focus on keeping things light, and fun, with an emphasis on the fact that we all work for the same purpose. only rarely will we have an issue between the two.

mostly its "if you need another side of something, ask for it.  dont walk back there and get it yourself" 

I agree that the majority of the public treats servers as a lower class and it's a shame they have to rely on them for their living. My wife is a server/bartender and I am amazed at some of the things people say and do.  I think we as cooks forget about how they get it from both sides of the kitchen door...

In regards to how well our FOH and BOH managers understand both sides of the line:  I found out today that one of our AKM's got fired, about the same time I was writing my original reply, for blowing up at a server (the last in a string of problems apparently). So it goes, so it goes.

Good luck with the young Ms. Stupidvisor!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobblygook 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allium 

Compounding difficulties: one of the first things I learned when getting into a kitchen is that no one will listen to a thing you say unless you speak loudly and, often, forcefully.

 

"Excuse me, could you please try to get that food out a little faster, maybe, if that's alright with you?"--not going to work.

But it seems that the BoH has no difficulty in telling the FoH what to do, but when it's reversed, the BoH gets the "who do YOU think you are" attitude.  You can't bark at them and not expect the same in return. 

 

Mind you, I'm not coming down on one side or the other, just pointing out that it's a two-way street.  I'm going to get banned to "waitstafftalk.com" if I ain't careful :)

Don't you mean "seemed" and not "seems"? If I recall correctly, what experience you do have was some time ago. I don't bring this up to nitpick, but because the dynamics in restaurants have changed somewhat in the past 15 years.

You are correct, I have worked on both sides of the line and it was 15 years ago.  However, I still eat in restaurants occasionally (multiple times a week) and you can see a lot from the dining room and hear even more.  Aside from my pre-historic experience that you reference, I can also read posts here, where I see the same bickering from both sides, so although we all now walk upright and can speak with words other than barking "ugh" back and forth, it seems that little has changed in the thousands of years since I worked in a kitchen.

This is the reason why I prefer to work at Chef-owned restaurants where the kitchen has priority over FoH.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amuse-bouche 

This is the reason why I prefer to work at Chef-owned restaurants where the kitchen has priority over FoH.

Even better is when the Chef IS the server!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeniek 
...Good on her.. she taught those ignramouses a lesson!

Ah, but the mission of a restaurant is NOT to educate but to serve!

It certainly may have made the BOH and FOH happy, but how much are you willing to wager what those "newly educated customers" will tell their friends and acquaintances:

• don't go to any restaurant at "closing time", OR
• don't go to this place at closing time because they will not serve you!

For me, I'd MUCH rather have them say, go to ????, even though we got there at closing time, they took care of us, but it is better if you go early.

Remember the Golden Rule (in CAPS to aid your memory): S/HE WHO HAS THE GOLD RULES!

And the mission of EVERY restaurant employee is to liberate the "gold" from the customer and hand it to the owner/manager/boss so they will give part of it back as a paycheck!

That is why we prep/cook/plate/serve/bus/wash/clean/sanitize the way we do, because we serve the master, our customers!

That attitude right there, IMHO, is what sets the professionals apart from the "labor".  When you run the business as if it were your own, you show the dedication required to succeed.  Otherwise, all you have is a "job", not a "profession".

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMcCracken 

 

That is why we prep/cook/plate/serve/bus/wash/clean/sanitize the way we do, because we serve the master, our customers!

Quote:

Originally Posted by amuse-bouche 

This is the reason why I prefer to work at Chef-owned restaurants where the kitchen has priority over FoH.

Yep, me too. I dont forget they are getting some abuse from customers, thats their job.  Deal with it, dont take it out on the boh.  Thats why its a one way street, we are trying to make all the customers happy and they have incentive to give their customers priority.  

You cant ignore them either, I'd like to just get in my zone and shut them out but that never worked.  

Hi Everyone, I'm going to have a noob moment here...

KM- Kitchen Manager AKM- Associate/Assistant Kitchen Manager It's the FOH and BOH shorthand that has me stymied Lend a hand? I'm assuming you're referring to wait staff... Thanks!

Front/back of house