Busted

Hells yeah! The thermometer in my kitchen has dropped below 120 degrees, must be back in the 80's outside! Ugh.

So back to what happened back on Wednesday night with that server and busboy? Well obviously the busboy has been let go. As for the server, suspension and it gets put into HR's hands. Great...nothing like micro-management to save the day. I'm sure HR knows all about what goes on in the restaurant to make sure we make the right decisions.

I mean, I understand the need to have someone who wont let you break the law and what not, but the last thing we need is someone having to make decisions over the management structure already in place in the restaurant. That's what it's in place for already, right? Oh well, it is what it is, I guess.

I guess you need someone to keep the workers in check, and maybe it's easier to filter out the bad ones from a distance. I've seen a whole crazy cast of characters in this business. I've seen addicts, failed actors, aspiring musicians, college dropouts, and worst of all, that guy who says they work "on the Hill" (as a fucking intern) as their "career." Yeah buddy, well your internship ended months ago and you're still in the restaurant business without another Hill or K Street job, so let's not throw the place that gives you your livelihood under the bus! But I digress...

You need to make sure you "know" people who are going to be the face of a restaurant to your customers. Case in point, at a former haunt, a new server who was hired apparently had a problem with perspiration. No one thinks anything of it until after only 2 weeks of working there he walks outside while setting up his station. Gets into an old Caprice, like 1992 (imagine any ex-cop car jalopy with tinted windows) and drives off. 5 minutes later, like a trip around the block later, he gets out, walks back into the restaurant and proceeds to work. Two servers and I see it happen.

I think its funny, I'm just a saute cook at the time and I tell my chef, but the moment goes by and nothing happens. During service later on, the server literally fell onto a table full of guests before he could even greet them...he was sweating profusely and his eyes were dilated.

AWESOME choice of when to enjoy your "habit"...that was his last shift to say the least. Wanna guess what he was on? Anyway, maybe we should have seen he'd be a problem, but everyone has their eccentricities and maybe we just couldn't see the problem. Oh well. If a server and a busboy borrow a bottle of wine after the doors close and that's as bad as it gets, maybe we should be thankful...better than face planting on a customer's table!