Originally posted on tabletalkpdx:
Whenever I have a question or a concern regarding my children, I give them a call. Of course, they never answer (they probably know it is me), but I still make the call anyway. I know there is no point in leaving a message–no one under the age of 25 listens to…
Author: Tom Bethel
What, No Mustard?
Originally posted on tabletalkpdx:
I ordered a burger the other day at a place that someone told me had the best burger in town. No, it wasn’t in Portland. When the burger was put down in front of me, I asked if they had some Dijon mustard. The server came back apologetic, apparently no Dijon. “That’s…
Help, Anyone?
By now I’m sure you all realize that I am a bit of a clown. I spew this stuff out on this blog, relating my dining experiences to you, trying to educate a few along the way. The problem is that the people who need the educating are not the people reading it. I was in…
I Don’t Know What to Say
Okay. We are going to go out to dinner. My wife, our daughter, her friend, and me. We are running a couple of minutes late, so we drop my daughter and her friend off to check in while we look for parking. My wife is driving. As we go around the block to find a…
Northwest Hospitality
Originally posted on tabletalkpdx:
I do love living in the Pacific Northwest. Especially Portland. Nothing against Seattle, but people here are quite nice (except, of course, at a few select restaurants). They have nothing on us… I recently had the chance to visit Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. I had a wonderful time, and…
Culture
Originally posted on tabletalkpdx:
Create a culture. That is your best recipe for success. Higher the right people, train them, and then make sure you are sending the right messages with your actions. Your behavior will set the tone for your employees. If you are standing around doing very little work, what do you think…
What Works Best Here?
Originally posted on tabletalkpdx:
What works best here? In this space? Those are a couple of questions many operators forget to ask before opening their doors. Now, it’s true that many places are limited by the space itself. I was talking to my wife the other night about a coffee place that closed at her…
Wow, You’re Awesome!
Originally posted on tabletalkpdx:
Nothing makes me happier than going out to eat, and leaving with this feeling. Whether you go in with high expectations, low expectations, or no expectations, and then you leave with a somewhat euphoric feeling. That is what eating out is supposed to be all about. Why not your place? Wouldn’t…
Stay Tuned
Hey folks. Don’t give up on me. I am in the middle of bringing this blog up to the 21st century. I will have updated site filled with riveting content soon.
RBF or Just Not Trained?
When people go out, they want to see people who are happy. Other customers, the staff (obviously), and every where else they look. That is why they go out. They want to forget about their life for a few hours. They want to leave their work and home stresses far away from the establishment they find…
Stay Relevant
What’s happening out there? Have you looked lately? Or is your arcane idea of a restaurant sticking out like a sore thumb? No wonder your business has been on a steady decline the last couple of years. Don’t kid yourself. The fact that you’ve raised your prices a couple of times does not necessarily mean your…
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