March Madness

Here it is, the first day of March. Wow, how time has flown. And as I sit here pondering what I could write, I really am having difficulty pinning a topic down. (No, the title was not inspired by anything, I just have issues coming up with clever titles.) *sigh*



Ok. here we go. So this past weekend I worked four nights in a row, three of which were theater nights. This is big. Allow me to clarify. There is a performing arts theater that shares our same parking lot (along with an Embassy Suites) and every season they put on a play, musical, or showcase. Now this attracts a *ahem* unique crowd. Basically they planned it perfectly. The same sort of people who are generally attracted to Downey theater are also attracted to eateries like Mimis Cafe. (now as a side note, yes i know I have terrible punctuation and grammer skills and specifically that I forgot the apostrophe in Mimis, but there is none. feel free to check)



Back on topic. So, to answer the burning question I'm sure is plaguing all of your minds...YES! theater nights are WONDERFUL opportunities to make money. But allow me to clarify and gripe just a bit. These nights are also the bane of my restaurant/serving existence. Don't get me wrong. I like classy, middle-aged, wine-sipping, quiche-eating folks, I really do. But when you have like five tables full of them, and they left themselves a grand total of one hour to come in, wait, order, eat and pay...it gets challenging. What they don't realize is that over a hundred OTHER theater goers have the same plan.



So. typical table interaction:

Server Suzy: Hey there! how are you doing tonight? Can i get you started with someth---

Dignified guest: Yes, hello, we are on our way to the theater and can't be late, so could you make sure we get our food very quickly?

Server Suzy: *thinks* Yes, you and everyone else wants the same thing. and so help me, if you order a steak well done... *says* Yes! no problem, let me grab your drinks and I'll then put the order right in for you.

Dignified guest: Make sure you tell them to make ours extra quickly because we're on a time limit here!

*Suzy goes back into kitchen pondering how people can be so egocentric and how she hates it when she can't get her full greeting out without people interrupting her*

15 minutes later: order has been put in, kitchen is backed up, and the dignified guest is craning her neck, death glaring at me because it must have slipped my mind to put a rush on their food. To verify, she sticks her bejeweled hand up in the air and waves me down. All this time I'm at another table taking an order of people who are "ready to order" but have to look over the menu a few more times "just to be sure." I put up my finger in a very polite but clear "just one moment please" gesture, but she continues to wave at me as though i'll forget.

Continuing to smile, I head on over to the now disgruntled, but dignified none-the-less, guest. she proceeds to demand (in a very dignified manner, mind you...) where her food is and can't i see that theater is going to start in 15 minutes and why didn't i tell the cooks to hurry up and she could go back there and make it faster herself. I pull the whole "nod and smile" move and reassure her that it will be up in a very few short minutes.

THEN. I head back to the kitchen, start flipping out to my lovely manager who is running the slide.
Flipping-out Suzy: JOSEPH! where is my food for 109! They've been waiting forever, they're late for theater and they're super mad at me as though i did something wrong.

Cynical Joseph: well, did you do something wrong? *chuckles a mean and evil chuckle*

Suzy: um, no. duh. ughh just. grr. GET ME MY FOOD! Tony! Are the veggies trabajando-ing? (my form of spanglish), Jose! me das papitas on los dos platos por favor! gracias!

Jose: Judas, no te entiendo...estoy occupado y i no speaking english. (he calls me judas because I get demanding and then tell him how wonderful he is, so he says I am a manipulating betrayer of true friendship...or at least i think thats what he said. heh)

Suzy: JOSEPH! dumb cooks won't help me!

Joseph: suzy, stop flipping out or I'll fire you. just let the cooks do their job. you go do yours.

I then walk away exasperated. Finally my food gets out and I deliver it to the table. and to make it up for them, bring out their check, boxes and desserts to go so they can stuff in a few bites and be on their merry, theater-going way.
Then they give me a $100 bill and ask for change. Well I don't have change. so I go ask Joseph, who is busy and tells me to find Sol, who is nowhere to be found. so i ask a busboy. after painstaking counting through his million one dollar bills, I get my change and as I'm walking back to deliver it to the table, I see Armando out of the corner of my eye seating me another table.

and so the madness continues.

Now, don't get me wrong. i love my job. =) But it is crazy. This is just a little peek at the behind the scenes of a busy night for me.

If you have any questions. let me know, i'd be happy to answer!
xoxo