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!)