Read on Twitter
In March, I worked three days in a row without a single dine in customer. I worked by myself those days. The bartender/server/manager watching the front of the house and I the back. It was surreal.
Many times I had sat in restaurants before or after service. Felt the palatable
Many times I had sat in restaurants before or after service. Felt the palatable
sense of urgency either for the coming service or the need to plan for the next days needs. I felt neither of those then. I felt empty. Something had changed. There was no longer any pressure.
As I locked up that last day, I thought of all that had been done: inventory, froze
As I locked up that last day, I thought of all that had been done: inventory, froze
items that could be saved, Transferred product to the other restaurant which was going to try to do takeout during our shut down, cleaned. Cleaned a lot. Surprising how much you clean in preparation for doing nothing for 2 weeks.
And that’s all it was supposed to be. Two weeks.
And that’s all it was supposed to be. Two weeks.
A nice vacation at a time when I could use it. A chance to put my life on a momentary pause. Only it became more than that.
Two weeks became a month. A month became two and so on. And here we are.
Two weeks became a month. A month became two and so on. And here we are.
I’m watching a mass extinction event of a different kind. I’m watching friends, colleagues, mentors and former bosses lose everything. It’s sad to lose anyone in as tight a community as this one is, but to lose so many....crushing.
In the mean time I’ve been on the job boards, fighting for the good jobs and the ok jobs, any jobs really. Facing up against guys I know. Guys I know, who like me have no interest in this particular job but it’s A JOB. It’s survival.
I’ve been hired and let go and told I was hired only to have that fall through. This covid thing has made getting and keeping a job less about performance and more about world wide/national/local issues.
I don’t pretend to know a lot about how the local and national government work. I took hs social studies and civics like the rest of you. But I do know what getting fucked over looks like. And that’s what’s happening to us. As an industry, hospitality has been left out to dry.
An industry that is responsible for your greatest memories. Your greatest accomplishments were celebrated at our tables. Anniversaries. Birthdays. Christenings. The list goes on and on. All celebrated as guests at our restaurants, our hotels, our casinos and our resorts.
I watch as more and more of my memories say goodbye. Places I’ll never be able to frequent again taken from me by a pandemic that was handled in the poorest possible way.
I watched as we fumbled through the spring and summer. I was sure that by fall it would be under control.
I watched as we fumbled through the spring and summer. I was sure that by fall it would be under control.
We as an industry tried to grasp at any possibility of opening. Max 6 too. Sure! No bar? Sure! 50% max cap? Sure no prob we just need to have the opportunity to make money. But all that has to be balanced with safety. It’s hard.
So we pivot. Takeout? Let’s do it. Bodegas? Hell yeah! Ghost kitchens? Give it a try! We did and are continuing to do what we do best, adapt. But, man is it ever hard when the target and metrics are ever moving.
My wife worked as a manager at a place in G’town. It’s obv pretty big on the night life and is a resto that needs phase 3 to come through for employees to come back. But are we really gonna see that anytime soon? Who knows.
I am lucky enough to have a job. Others will now be so lucky this winter. Think about that when you eat out. I don’t have much income but what I can spare I put right back into the local economy. Support your local restaurants. Support your memories and maybe you’ll make more.
