I met a coworker for a drink the other night at a place that he likes to ‘frequent’ and I have been to from time to time. It is in a less developed part of Portland (hard to find these days), a bit off of the beaten track–at least for me–but still quite charming. What…
Category: Service
Thank the Kitchen (Again)
When I first started writing this blog–a year and a half ago–I posted an early one about thanking the kitchen. Showing appreciation for those men and women who worked a long day, in a hot, cramped kitchen, who prepared your wonderful meal, just so you could sit and enjoy it while you visited with your family,…
No One Answers the Phone Anymore
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 voicemails–but I do bother…
It’s a Play
That’s really all it is. Only with food and drink. But, one thing is for sure–we can never lose sight of the other elements of this ‘play’. https://tabletalkpdx.com/2013/08/11 There are so many things to consider and we want to get each and every one of them right. https://tabletalkpdx.com/2015/08/18 https://tabletalkpdx.com/2014/11/26 We want to be sure that…
Dining Prejudices
It still goes on today. Yes, even here in the United States of America. A customer walks in to a restaurant, or a bar, or a bakery, or….and the employee looks up and immediately makes a judgment on how they are going to be as a customer. They probably are going to leave a bad…
Mistakes Happen
Every business has room for error. Or at least it should. Mistakes are going to happen. There is no way to avoid that. How one handles the mistake is the key. Be a cool boss By being a cool boss, I am not suggesting that you try to be everyone’s friend. That is not what…
My Poor Students
I recently celebrated 24 years of wedded bliss with my darling wife. Can you imagine? It got me thinking. Thinking about how on earth she has managed to put up with me all these years, sure, but also thinking about how just the dining out with me aspect alone would drive any normal person over the…
Front vs. Back Remix
This is definitely a subject worth revisiting. It never goes away. Now I have always been a guy who tries to get along with everyone, so I never really fully understood it. I mean I understand why it happens to a certain degree, but I don’t, and won’t, tolerate it. I do understand where it…
The Restaurant Game
When I was much younger, my mom got a couple of hostess gigs at some upscale restaurants. Yeah, it’s her fault. She ended up marrying the owner of one of these places, and sometime during that period she invented a game about restaurants. To win this game, you had to make your way around the…
Who’s the Boss?
Actually, this post should be called, “Where’s the boss?” It’s sad, but too often restaurant employees are left to fend for themselves. That is not how to run a successful restaurant. Or any business for that matter. We probably have all had this happen in our working experience: The owner comes around once a week. Not…
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
That’s all they really want. I mean, I guess to some restaurant employees that seems to be asking a lot. And perhaps it is. But, customers just want to go to a place where they are recognized. Where they are not invisible. Use the name https://tabletalkpdx.com/2014/09/20 It doesn’t matter who they are. Whether they are…
Think of Everything
I have had more than a handful of consulting clients who have done very well for themselves outside of the hospitality industry, and for whatever reason, probably something related to the existence of the Food Network, they think it would be a good idea to own a restaurant. An old saying There is an old…
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