The Lost Reso

There is little that will strike fear into the heart of a restaurant worker faster than the lost reservation.  Of course, last night, we had one.  I had already given away my 'wiggle-room' table: the table that wasn't rebooked that would have allowed me to shuffle people all night long.  And, of course, it was the worst kind of lost reso, four people (not a simple 2-top than can be tucked in at the end of the bar or can sit at any table in the place).  Four women, 2 daughters out for dinner with their mom and aunt - how can I feel worse???  

When the lost reso first shows up, there is this moment of suspended time.  You hold the reso list in front of you, scanning up and down, down and up, certain that you just can't see their name.  Then you start to panic while still smiling which sounds straight forward but actually requires an incredible force of will.  You spend a few moments flipping through the book, trying to find the actual reservation.  Every time I have done this, I have wondered to myself the whole time how I think this will be helpful.  What difference does it make if I find their name written on Saturday or next Tuesday (which it was), they are still standing right in front of me and need to feel like I'm going to take care of them.  

In the end, I shuffled people, had to make another table wait for 20 minutes which cost me 4 glasses of Prosecco, and generally sweated the whole night.  At one point in my grand shuffle I had 10 people sitting at a place for 8.  Fortunately they were all gracious about it.  Overall that makes it so much easier - people being kind.  I feel like I can make anything happen with my 10 tables and 8 bar stools as long as folks are nice.  It is very hard slogging when people are rude and demanding after you have moved heaven and earth to make sure they have time and a place to sit!  

Fortunately, we rarely lose resos and, knock on wood, we get through most nights seamlessly.  Whatever happens, I work really hard at making sure that the customers feel like I couldn't be happier that they are here (as opposed to that panic I was describing earlier!)

The Jitters

Every night, before coming to the restaurant, I go through a ritual.  I pick out my clothes (black or black - you'd think it wouldn't be as tricky as it turns out to be), I do my hair, put on make-up, choose my jewelry and say good-bye to my children.  Each kid has a different way of letting me go: Ursula gives me long hugs, Sasha squeezes me so tight I feel a little bit lightheaded and then tries to lift me up off my feet, and Olivia cries a little and asks me to stay home, the whole time giving me multiple neck hugs and kissing me on both cheeks like some continental diva.  I get in my van and start the drive.  When I am about 3 blocks before the restaurant, I get this nervous, jittery feeling and it builds and builds until I park the van and go into the building.  I love this and hate it.  Every night, I say to myself, 'Really, you're being ridiculous.  Why are you nervous?  It's your restaurant, it'll be fine.'  But, every night I am.

Tonight, more so than usual.

It was my first night back at the restaurant in 10 days.  We have just returned from a holiday and I felt like I was starting all over.  Going in, I think that I'm going to forget how to pour drinks or spill things or drop things.  And, of course, I do.  I dropped more cutlery than I have in months (and a coffee cup - right in the middle of the room - just dropped it).  I couldn't read the reso sheet and I confused people at the door.  I forgot to take a reso's phone number and I wrote in ink in the book (a cardinal sin if ever there was one...)  Generally, I was a disaster.  

I LOVED every minute of it!  I was this bumbling, nervous girl and I still had a great time.  Customers were funny and sweet and the staff was gentle with me.  I'm very lucky.

When Alex started doing a blog, we thought it would be fun to have some front of the house representation.  It's also a place to talk about being a mom and running a restaurant and being a woman in business.  It's quite the ride and I'm looking forward to writing about it.