Surprises

Today was somewhat a special day for me, not because it was MLK Jr. Day but because it is actually my birthday.  Now I come in to my restaurant thinking that no one even knows about it and upon arriving no one greeted me a single happy birthday.  I mean I wasn’t expecting it so it wasn’t bothering me at all, I tend to spend my birthdays either working or sleeping at home and getting plastered the day after so to me being at the restaurant on my birthday was nothing new, plus I didn’t want to take another day off specially since I took a week off to travel and also because I need the money…

The day was rather slow and it seemed that no money was to be made and this continues till dinner is served and I look to count how much I made and I’ve summed a little under $100, not bad but not too good neither.  I was called by the owner and it gave me the idea that I had fucked up somewhere, somehow.  He told me that I’ve made some mistakes but he refuses to tell me what they we’re and instead just sends me out of the office.  I go back to where I was originally sitting and see Freshwater Eel on a layer of rice and a carrot in the shape of a rose with a candle on top, my heart skipped a beat.  The reason I got Eel Steak as my meal was because the very first meal I had at the restaurant was that very kind of eel, it made me wanna tear up because I felt that they actually knew but acted so coldly about it, it was surprising to me.  After I finish my steak, the next course comes out, a cookies and cream ice cream cake; this was astounding not only because they went over the top and got me my favorite kind of cake flavor, just knowing that they paid attention to the little conversations us servers have.

Now I know people will say that this happens to them quite often, but I believe that the people I work for really do care about their employees.  There comes a time when employees become more than your slave workers, they become a vital part of the restaurant, they become family.  When you pass the level of employee, the work flow becomes easier to handle, less problems come up, time moves by in the blink of an eye and most importantly money just comes to you.  I’m not saying that when you become close to the people you work for, life suddenly does a complete 180.  It doesn’t, your outlook becomes significantly better and you become more of an optimist.

The fact that they would spend money outside the restaurant for one of their easily replaced servers is beyond me and that just shows that you aren’t working solely for the tips, you are also working because you want to help the family succeed.  Surprises come in such strange ways, the shape of an eel and the taste of a cake.

If you we’re to ever read this my employer.  I hope you know that it is an honor to work for you and I would do to the best of my ability all I can to make sure that we both prosper.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

 

-Also, here’s a cellphone picture of the Eel Steak!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks good doesn’t it?

Causing a scene

I just got back home and before unpacking anything got a message saying that I have to work the following day and today was that day.  After being out of the loop of the restaurant some things have changed such as a server suddenly being trained to be a sushi chef, a hostess being pregnant and a whole schmuck of other things.  To top that off I was jet lagged like no other and had a stuffed nose and can barely breathe.  I was a man destined for failure today yet I somehow found it comforting to be back in the interior walls of my restaurant, it felt warm, it felt nice, it felt like home.

Barely able to operate I march to my table, with the intent to serve, so vicious that it’ll drop them dead and sure enough I nailed that first table.  I got a 50% tip as a starting point, I mean sure $15 on a $30 isn’t much but the fact that it was my first table made it all the sweeter.  The day progresses and we found ourselves in the middle of dinner service.  Restaurant packed with people and everyone speaking in a tone of liquor and raw fish, it was almost intoxicating even to the servers.  Everyone was so happy and out of the seven tables I was juggling around, four of them we’re my regulars, this night is one of the nights all servers wish to get.  Money is going great, my sales hitting a peak and the only problem I have is one table that is still waiting on their food.  This is where the night takes a turn.

A British man with his wife we’re waiting on an entree.  The woman’s meal had already been taken to her and so did some side dishes for the mans meal.  As I was grabbing the woman’s meal, I saw what I assumed was my dish being almost done.  I rush the meal to the woman and for what it seemed, all was fine.  Fifteen minutes later the meal still wasn’t ready so I apologize to the man and immediately find my way in the kitchen to grab the mans food.  The manager following me with the other things that came with his meal, we act with haste only to be halted by the man saying, “I do not want this, take it back”, “This is the worst experience I’ve ever had” and among other things causing quite a commotion over something so menial, all while his wife finishes off her meal(I know, how classy).  Now don’t get me wrong, I know that 15 minutes is quite some time but I don’t think he took care of the situation gracefully.  Had he not been a jackass he would’ve got taken care of like a king but instead he decides to be a child and actually raise his voice in a dining room full of people.

There are better ways of taking care of a situation like this, and let me tell you, it isn’t to be a fuckin asshole.  I ended up giving them all they had for free, just so I could get them to leave quietly.  No tip, no nothing, just a table that needs to be cleaned and a attitude of bitterness and resentment.  If you ever get in a position like this, please have some decency to act like a human, chances are you’d get free food, alcohol and we both don’t end up hating each other.  Nothing is gained by causing a scene, only loss of respect.

Please take my word on this.  Give us the respect you’d give your wife, mother or loved one and we promise that your stay with us will be as good.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

(Though the man reminded me so much of Gordon Ramsay, because he was British and had nothing good to say about my restaurant…)

 

Vacations

Now don’t be surprised if at all but I’m currently on vacation and it kind of hinders my ability to write.  Since servers don’t make any money from days off, I can just imagine you seeing that I’m not making anything on a vacation.  Originally my plan was to go travel to New York for the Eve of the new year but things came up and I found myself coming back to the first place I went to in the United States.

I came in the US with my family, with little money and enough English to find out where the bathroom is.  We lived in a not so good neighborhood, for lack of better words, I lived in the ghetto.  It has been at the very least 12 years since I last step foot in this hell hole, I mean I moved out of there as soon as I can and so did my family.  After both my flights we’re delayed and I was forced to sleep in the airport overnight, I finally get to my destination.

This city is so dead, so empty with barely anything to do and this came off as a complete shock to me.  No restaurants, no bars and more than anything, nothing to do.  I met up with some friends that I haven’t seen in quite some time, both we’re almost identical as when I left, it was bizarre.  One was now a drug dealer while the other worked as a manager in a convenience store.  Immediately I asked to eat at some of the places I used to eat at when we we’re younger.  Growing up, I came to enjoy ethnic food a lot and when I saw that most of the places I ate at are still live and kicking I was excited.

Food just tastes so much better when it has been quite some time since you’ve touched them and the food that cost no more than $7 was probably as good as the NY Strip Reserve that I ate at my restaurant.  Glorious.

Second day came and I found myself in the shopping district, I decided to buy myself some clothes since I came rather unprepared.  Spent quite some money and decided to take my friend to a sushi restaurant, as he was my host I decided that the very least I could do was to feed him and being well versed in fish, this was perfect.  We ordered nothing but Sashimi and Nigiri, two rolls came as an exception.  The restaurant was a little hole in the wall but surprisingly it had quite a lot of reviews on Yelp! and they we’re extremely short staffed(at least when we came in).  One sushi chef and one server, they didn’t have a back kitchen with Hispanics helping out, it was a two person effort.

The fish was fairly fresh and my friend was able to try out Sea Urchin, and he wasn’t completely appalled by the taste and texture and actually quite enjoyed it(unless he was lying off course).  All in all it was quite a delicious meal, I spoke to them in Japanese and they seemed to enjoy it.  The bill came to a total of $80, not bad and off-course I tipped generously.  Nothing hurts more than the Restaurant Gods not bringing me any luck.

I apologize for the lack of posts this past week, I’m planning on writing more during this vacation, as much as I can.  Hopefully you haven’t forgotten about me.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Flirting

Flirting is a gesture done to get ones attention and hopefully getting to know them better, this includes a date to a movie or even dinner.  To a server flirting is nothing but a weapon, a tool used to get what we need and it isn’t rare that we use this.  Women might have the upper hand in this competition but us guys aren’t too far off.  Today was different because I wasn’t flirting with a woman, not today but instead I was flirting with two men.

A couple walks in with the poise of a runway model, the charisma of a spokesman and the fashion sense of a metro sexual Asian man.  I appreciate good taste in fashion so I immediately thought that this table wouldn’t be bad at all.  I approached them asking what they’d like to drink and they answered me with the need for the most “girly” drinks we had on the menu, now I knew that these men was actually a couple.  I enjoy waiting on gay guys solely because they carry good conversation and they tip very well also, both things that make up a perfect customer.

We chatted and I enjoyed their company and for what it looked like, they enjoyed mine.  I immediately noticed upon their arrival that they we’re both wearing watches that I actually contemplated on buying, a watch from Michael Kors and a watch from Kenneth Cole, man they rocked it so well and I just had to talk with them about it.  They actually even recognized my watch and I was flattered(talk about them doing my job.).  They weren’t from town and they we’re here just to visit and they happened to come across my restaurant so they decided to check it out.

I’m quite sad that I won’t be seeing them often, not only because of the money that they give but for their company.  I enjoy people who like to talk, and actually converse with me(their server).  If in any case you two are reading this, I want you to know that I truly did enjoy your company and I hope to see you again.  I’ll buy you both a drink next time, on me.

And Merry Christmas to you dear readers, I apologize for not having wrote anything on Christmas nor Christmas Eve…  Sorry.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Human nature?

What drives someone to give?  Is it generosity or sympathy, I mean this whole Christmas thing is bringing up quite a confusion to me.  I expected the restaurant to have slow traffic during the holidays.  People need to spend their money on presents and generally people just have no time to stop and eat due to all the shopping and procrastination that they are doing.  So how is it that my restaurant is managing to stay afloat, hell even do better than before?  To me, it matters little because the more people coming in, the more money I’ll get, simple as that.  Today I had a total of 2 regulars come in, both are couples and both are generally generous tippers.  But for some reason, today seemed a little different.

Their order doesn’t really matter today, the only thing that does is their bill and the gratuity I was left.  A bill of $65 and I was left a $30 tip and a bill of $35 and a $20 tip.  Both are phenomenal amounts and I wonder if this is due to the holidays?  The first couple left with the man giving me a firm handshake and with a very merry greeting of Merry Christmas while the others gave me the tip and didn’t say anything regarding the holidays.  Is it pity that they left me this or genuine generosity?  I’m quite baffled because if I eat at a restaurant during a time like this, I’d definitely pity the poor sap who happens to be waiting my table because rather than spending time elsewhere he has to be at the restaurant reciting the specials as if they we’re some Christmas jingle.  I’d give them a generous tip, reflecting the spirit of the holidays and now I’m torn.  Either way works as long as I make my bills on time but the idea that I made this money through pity makes me feel more dirty than usual…

Christ, Christmas is near and I haven’t even done my shopping…  and this damn Christmas music is getting on my nerves.  I don’t want to be a Grinch but it seems to have rubbed on to me…

Sadly Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Hoe, Hoe, Hoe.

Christmas is coming and so are women dressed in skimpy Christmas clothing.  Enter the lady with a dragon tattoo.  I shit you not, she had a dragon tattoo running from her shoulders down to her arms and it looked notoriously good on that woman with a beautiful physique.

I was star-struck.  She walked in with what seemed to be 5 inch heels wearing dark stockings(I’m a sucker for these) with a bright red dress and what seemed to be a Michael Kors handbag, while the guy who was drooling over her wore a shirt that had a Harley Davidson symbol flaming on his back.  I thought to myself, Jesus… this poor man is being used for his money and man was I right.

The woman seemed to be well versed in raw fish, wine and sake.  It was fascinating watching her talk, such poise, such confidence and all this while remaining to sound as elegant and look as beautiful as the candle that flickers in their table.  She hit the dot, only ordering the finest of all our fish and only getting the most premium of our sake.  I love this table, I get eye candy and I’m bound to get a good tip.  As dish after another was being ordered and there seemed to be almost no stop to the flow of Nigiri and Sashimi, it all comes to a halt.  She seems to be finished and needs no more than a glass of chilled sake.  A total of $210 comes up and it’s time to fess up the cash.  It was heaven or hell for me and I could only hope for a tip as beautiful as this woman.  Sure enough, I was given a $52 tip and got plenty of eye candy.  Fantastic night I say.

I’ve made a good amount of money today, enough to bring up my total take home for this week and that is good enough for me.  I’ve had tables with stunning women only to be stiffed out of a $20 tip but tonight was different, she wasn’t your typical pick up and this was the reason that I got a generous tip.  Kudos to you lady with the dragon tattoo, I hope to see you once more.

To you dear reader, I wish you a happy holidays and maybe find something pleasing in your day.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Mistakes

Gratuity is how servers make money, yes we do get paid $2.13/hr but that equates to $0 for me.  My past 5 pay checks have been $0 because I make plenty on tips, now not all servers are on the same boat as I, there are servers who still get a paycheck and in comparison, their tips don’t even come close.

Now we get gratuity for our services, how the fast the food goes and the taste of the food we serve.  If one of the three falters, it affects our tip in some way.  Last night was one of the days where the kitchen decided that they would make a mistake that’ll cost me my paycheck.

A couple that looked no older than 32 walked in along with their 2 children, the man wearing what seemed to be a high school leather jacket that had the year 97′ patched on, the wife looked as dull as my butter knife and the kids actually looked better off than their parents.  I get their drinks to which they only wanted water, I run back to them and get it with haste, I take their order and walk away.  As I was punching their Edamame and Gyoza(Dumplings) to run, their main entrees had to wait.  Timing is crucial and giving them enough time to eat their appetizers is a very important concern of mine.  The wife asks me to put in a order for a California roll, I nod and tell the sushi bar to get the ball rolling.  Appetizers come out and they are left to eat.  About 10 minutes or so pass and they are done, I take everything as I wait for my food to come out, I ask them and all they have is a entree that was not mine, turns out they misread the ticket and immediately got going with the correct order, my table had finished everything, even the California roll that the woman had, I was deep in the shit.  It took a total of 17 minutes or so to get my food out, ridiculous.

I wasn’t expecting any tip for this table and It’s understandable, I mean I’d be upset that my food took excruciatingly long and it was a simple dish.  So in hopes of getting their business once more, I run over and get them a free dessert on me.  They seemed to like it and as far as I’m concerned, they weren’t as mad as when they we’re waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

Mistakes are not uncommon and when it happens, there’s nothing a server can do if your food is backed up.  We take the blunt force of being stepped on while the kitchen gets off with a slap in the wrist.  Their paychecks don’t rely on the customers emotions, the servers paycheck is COMPLETELY reliant on the customer.  So the next time your food is taking a while, please understand that it isn’t the servers fault(unless he messed up the order, but let’s not worry about that.) so I ask you kindly to find it in your stomach the patience and attitude to forgive.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

Holiday Spirit

The days counting down to Christmas is coming to a close and as this time of year comes the snow starts falling down and so does the customers.  Business for a restaurant on the holidays go down significantly and this affects everyone, very much like a trickle down effect.  As I was driving to the restaurant, listening to the radio which happened to be playing Christmas tunes, I saw a homeless man holding a sign that read “Do you believe in Karma?”  This struck me like a damn thunderbolt.  I’m not very religious nor would I fully say that I believed in karma but I somehow found myself giving this man a dollar.  I don’t know why, I’m guessing it’s the Christmas songs.  I got to the restaurant and left my car feeling good, you know that tingly sensation in your body when you feel that you did something good?  I rarely feel that but for today I did.

A man who resembled a Vietnam War veteran came in, holding his wifes hand as they walked majestically towards their table.  I couldn’t help but feel ecstatic that I’d be waiting this mans table.  He was wearing his military service hat and thick rimmed glasses.  I walk over and casually chat with them and immediately got them the drinks they wanted.  The man got a nice cold Kirin Ichiban while the madame decided to get green tea.  They seemed to know their way with sushi, ordering fish in Japanese as if it was their second language, all while keeping their composure. unbelievable I said as I wrote down every single order that the man had.  They have ordered a total of $120 worth of food.  Now I know you might say that in a restaurant like that it is not hard at all to go up that much but when you factor in their age and the things they are about to eat, it gets pretty crazy.

As they eat their meal, all I saw was them talking, staring into each others eyes as if they we’re diamonds, this was beautiful to me.  In a world filled with nothing but pessimistic and loveless souls, the rare occasion that we do see someone who is passionately in love with one another, we are easily reminded of how we are.  I want a life like that.

They hadn’t ate anymore and I decided to run them their bill.  I chat some more and they said that they have to get home because the wife had forgot to bring along some of her medicine, so as they we’re walking away, I couldn’t help but think about them.  They we’re at the door when the man shook my hand, the grip and dominance of a lion immediately surged through my body, I have nothing but the utmost respect for this man and I’m positive he saw, as I shook his hand firmly.

Time to check how much I made, I casually walked over to the table, taking my time and when I got there I was stunned.  They had given me $55, almost 50%.  Incredible, and on the ticket a note was left.  “Thank you for taking care of my wife and I, I appreciate you for recognizing my service and Merry Christmas to you”.  I’d like to say I almost bust into tears but I didn’t.  I held it in and was in complete awe.  Things like this make my job worthwhile, sure there might be plenty of assholes that don’t even bother leaving you a courteous amount but once in a blue moon we come across people who truly understand and appreciate what we do and to you sir I give my kudos.  I hope you have a merry christmas too, and I hope to see you and your wife again.

Have a heart, I was always told by my family and suddenly I remembered this as I read the writings on the ticket.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

boring boring.

Finally I thought to myself, some money after a week of slow business.  Typically it would still be the same slow day, it was raining and the atmosphere was just terrible so I wasn’t really expecting to make any money.  For today I’ve only had a total of 5 tables, about a 14 person head count and I left the restaurant an hour and a half earlier yet I still managed to make good money.  A week of torture and finally it gave me a break.

I’d love to write about something that struck me as interesting but I’d be lying… It was as boring as playing Solitaire by yourself.

Jesus, I feel terrible for not having anything to write…

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.

 

Being too cheap.

It’s hard for me to call someone cheap mainly because I myself look for the best bargains in things.  I try not to buy anything in full retail price and I even shop at used clothes store so please understand that when I call you cheap, you are as cheap as my fake Nike running shoes from China town.

Enter four women, all dressed very nicely holding their gifts for each other.  So foolishly I assumed that they weren’t cheap, solely based on their clothing and their general vibe and attitude.  Now they glanced at the drinks menu and immediately put it down, looking through the Happy Hour menu instead they decided to get 2 glasses of Cabernet, 1 glass of Chardonnay, and a small happy hour draft beer.  Godamnit I thought, I do not understand why people do this instead of just getting a bottle, you are out with your close friends, having a gift exchange and you don’t even have the humility to just get a bottle for ALL of you.  Whatever I thought and they decided they we’re ready to order, these women didn’t order food that they could all share and instead decided to order only for themselves, their order came to what was 2 spicy tuna rolls and 2 avocado rolls.  This was mind blowing, how could you be so cheap?

As I carried their tray of cheap fish they seemed to be talking about their lavish lifestyles, voicing out where they and their husbands are planning on traveling to and all that what seemed to be BS to me.  “My husband and I are planning on going to Argentina, etc etc etc.  I was getting sick of it and all I could do was walk by and ask if everything was ok and if they’d like to order something else.  Only to be told that they didn’t wanna order anymore.

Now I understand that they could be full and therefore not wanting to order but when the time to pay comes along and I hand them their check and I get this written on the back of it with 4 of their credit cards in the slot, it crosses me as pathetic.

Rather than have one person or hell two people split the cost, they decided to only cover what they ate.  The bill doesn’t even cross $50 and still they decided to split it not evenly but only what they consumed.  This kind of thing pisses me off more than when you leave some mess on your table.  This kind of gesture shows me that you need the money more than I do.  So as they leave I tell them goodbye and to keep their selves warm.  I clean up their table and was expecting nothing, maybe $7 if I was lucky and I was lucky enough to get $7.

I don’t mind if you go and find a bargain with us, I’d probably do the same but when you pull this kind of crap with me, it just irritates me and I’m sure it does irritate other servers as well.  So I ask of you to refrain from doing this.

Sincerely,

Your waiter today.