Our new owners returned from their vacation the other day. From the moment I walked into the store there was a very different feeling in the air. Not sure exactly what it was, but there was definitely something there. The best way to describe it would be to say there was a less jovial atmosphere.
Speaking of our owners, I have finally come up with nicknames for them; henceforth they will be known as Tweedledee and Tweedledum individually, and the Tweedles when using the plural.
My shift starts as usual with Jen working her way out and me setting up the bar for the night. Our efforts are somewhat hampered by the fact that Tweedledum is doing a bar inventory. Never mind that she has been there all day, now is the time to do this. To say Tweedledum is a master of bad timing would be an understatement (but that’s a story for another day). The Tweedles have some hospitality experience so presumably they are knowledgeable when it comes to beer, wine and spirits. So much for assumptions; more expensive does not mean better quality (especially with wine), it’s pronounced lef or lefa not laugh, Guinness needs to be poured in two stages (actually the website says 6) not one, and I know how much wine to open for the night.
Prior to leaving for a week, Tweedledum asked Mary and I to make a list of the wine and alcohol we would need. The list we prepared would have been sufficient for the week, but for some reason Tweedledum decided to order about half of what we suggested. I can only presume that after a month she knows more than we do. As a result we ran out of a few things while they were away, specifically wine and vodka. This leads to Tweedledum commenting that they will need to investigate how we went through so much. First off, we sell a great deal of wine at our store, especially when you look at it from a percentage of total sales, our clientele likes wine. Secondly, we did not go through three bottles of vodka, because you only purchased two. Tweedledum strikes again.
Make of this what you will: our uniforms are black, black shirts, black pants. At one point in the evening I was taking plates to the dish pit and walked past the host stand. Standing there are four people, three servers and Tweedledum, three in black, one in white.
Shortly after this Kiss Ass made an appearance, amazingly he walked out an hour latter under his own power. Not sure why he came in tonight, other than to kiss ass. James said he was amazed Kiss Ass did not get frostbite without the warmth of ass cheeks to keep his face warm. Kiss Ass decided to plant himself at the end of the bar; fortunately, I was busy enough that I could avoid him. It was not long before Tweedledee joined him and they engaged in a lengthy conversation. I did not hear very much of this discussion, but I heard enough to know Kiss Ass was up to his two faced, backstabbing ways. I suppose the old saying is true that a leopard can’t change his spots. Personally, I could give a shit what Kiss Ass says, if the Tweedles want to listen to him and judge my performance by what he says and not by what they see, I don’t want to work for them. On the other hand, do not, ever, disrespect me. Kiss Ass and Tweedledee crossed that line. Do you really think I don’t notice you speaking in hushed tones, and turning your back to me? It’s one thing to act like I am not there, it’s entirely another to acknowledge my presence by your actions. If you have something to say to me or about me, grow some !@#$ing balls and say it to my face. Otherwise, if it is not for public consumption have some !@#$ing class and professionalism and talk in the office.
For the most part I can get along with anyone, even if I don’t like you I can respect you. The second you disrespect me, forget it, you’re done. Not that I carry a grudge, but there are consequences for your actions. I treat people as I would like to be treated, and conversely, when, matters warrant, I will treat you as you have treated me.
One final thought on the return of the Tweedles. Tweedledee was our MOD tonight. There are two things that will kill profitability; food costs and labour costs. There are also ways to control these, one is to pay close attention to your sales and make cuts at the appropriate time. This tends to be a difficult task when you are on your cell phone most of the night. When staff cut themselves due to low sales, you know management is not doing its job. We had three servers and me on tonight. I know what I sold and based on tip out I can speculate as to what others sold. Based on last night’s sales, I would be surprised if labour for the day was less than 50% of sales (the magic number is somewhere in the low 30’s). You simply can not run a business like that.
On one hand I feel poorly for the Tweedles because they must have invested a significant amount of money into the purchase of this store. It would be a shame for them to loose it due to incompetence on their part. I would like to sit down with them and be of assistance. Conversely, I have zero confidence in their ability to listen and change. What responsibility do I have?
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