Our search for a new daytime garde-manger has resulted in a (potentially) good hire - a young man who likes food and music (what could be wrong with that?) in need of a job. He is currently training under Danae's firm hand; Danae, it turns out, is a natural teacher, giving clear instructions and keeping a watchful eye on the results. Matthew has only been here at BT for a few days, but we are hopeful he has found a job he likes and is successful at.
That being said, in the same space of time, we lost a very valuable employee and have spent last weekend and this week scrambling to fill her slot. It was one of those classic DNS situations, with no clue as to what why where, and we were very disappointed to lose her. She was a fabulous member of our team, very hard-working and willing, and had stepped up to the plate recently to be promoted to weekend salad cook. We will miss her. Luckily we have a few people within who need some extra shifts, and also luckily we have been interviewing applicants, so we have some new possibilities to explore as replacements.
It's all part of being a business owner. Some people believe that the restaurant business is more difficult than others in this aspect - staffing - but I've talked to plenty of others who are in the position to hire and fire, and we are far from unique. The difference, I think, lies in the type of person who is attracted to our lifestyle - work nights and weekends (drink after work), work nights and weekends and holidays (no time for family or friends outside of work - drink after work), work long hours, days, nights, weekends, holidays (nothing to do but drink after work, since everything else is closed). This is NOT to say that all of us in the restaurant business spend all of our free hours drinking after work - far, far from it - but it is the reputation, and I know I cut my teeth on a business where that was the norm; I certainly have compared stories with my compatriots with the same results - many of us learned to party with our pals from work, after our shifts ended at 11, 12 PM, until the bars closed. Many places started that party at their own bar.
Thank goodness, those days are over. We never sit down at the BT bar after work, with or without our staff members, for a few quick ones. We do often have a glass of wine at the end of the night, and we do manage to get out early now and then - thanks to our very responsible and reliable sous-chef - and grab a bite and a beer at Andy's or the The Fish Whistle or O'Connor's. But partying at work, after work, with work is not encouraged, for us or anyone on the crew. When our work day is over at 10, 11 PM, we are ready to leave and so is everyone else.
What we do like to do is go out to eat together. Our next "BT Eats Out" is scheduled for the Sunday after Easter. So far the sign-up list is sort of short - maybe because it's a sushi restaurant? - but it will be a lot of fun, no matter what. Spending time eating and, yes, drinking together can be a great time, done in the right place and in the right way. After all, that's our slogan:
Emphasis on that last one!
That being said, in the same space of time, we lost a very valuable employee and have spent last weekend and this week scrambling to fill her slot. It was one of those classic DNS situations, with no clue as to what why where, and we were very disappointed to lose her. She was a fabulous member of our team, very hard-working and willing, and had stepped up to the plate recently to be promoted to weekend salad cook. We will miss her. Luckily we have a few people within who need some extra shifts, and also luckily we have been interviewing applicants, so we have some new possibilities to explore as replacements.
It's all part of being a business owner. Some people believe that the restaurant business is more difficult than others in this aspect - staffing - but I've talked to plenty of others who are in the position to hire and fire, and we are far from unique. The difference, I think, lies in the type of person who is attracted to our lifestyle - work nights and weekends (drink after work), work nights and weekends and holidays (no time for family or friends outside of work - drink after work), work long hours, days, nights, weekends, holidays (nothing to do but drink after work, since everything else is closed). This is NOT to say that all of us in the restaurant business spend all of our free hours drinking after work - far, far from it - but it is the reputation, and I know I cut my teeth on a business where that was the norm; I certainly have compared stories with my compatriots with the same results - many of us learned to party with our pals from work, after our shifts ended at 11, 12 PM, until the bars closed. Many places started that party at their own bar.
Thank goodness, those days are over. We never sit down at the BT bar after work, with or without our staff members, for a few quick ones. We do often have a glass of wine at the end of the night, and we do manage to get out early now and then - thanks to our very responsible and reliable sous-chef - and grab a bite and a beer at Andy's or the The Fish Whistle or O'Connor's. But partying at work, after work, with work is not encouraged, for us or anyone on the crew. When our work day is over at 10, 11 PM, we are ready to leave and so is everyone else.
What we do like to do is go out to eat together. Our next "BT Eats Out" is scheduled for the Sunday after Easter. So far the sign-up list is sort of short - maybe because it's a sushi restaurant? - but it will be a lot of fun, no matter what. Spending time eating and, yes, drinking together can be a great time, done in the right place and in the right way. After all, that's our slogan:
Eat. Drink. Relax.
Emphasis on that last one!
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