'nuff said
This past weekend I picked up a food running shift at My second job, for the sake of this blog let’s call it the Rodeo. It’s that serving job I told ya’ll about that I took with the super corporation that owns Mario’s. Though I am grateful for the job, I don’t get many hours scheduled there, so I have to resort to picking up shifts. The lack of hours is mostly due to the fact that there are servers who have worked for this company since the dawn of time. Some of them need walkers. I wish i was joking, but because the the supercorp has a server’s union, I assure you I am not. And because they have worked there forever…they have seniority, therefore, they get all the hours, but because they are old as dirt, the give most of the shifts away to people like me.
Like this, but OLDER
That being said. I picked up a food running shift. Because I usually serve at the Rodeo, I really don’t spend a whole hell of a lot of time in the kitchen, or speaking to the line chefs. But we were so slow that day, all i didi was spend time in the kitchen. The Rodeo is basically a Themed, upscale BBQ joint in a 4 diamond hotel. Most of the dishes prepared in the kitchen at the rodeo aren’t exactly rocket science. I have worked in many kitchens, I even had to spend a couple days behind the line at the Rodeo when I was training, so I feel confident when I say…in that particular kitchen, shit is not that hard, even I could do it.
The pantry Chef that day was one of the sadest people that I have ever seen on a line in my life. I was shocked at her complete lack of urgency, lack of passion, lack of ANYTHING. Salads that should take 2 minutes tops to prepare, were taking about 15-20. Not because she was so slow, but because she was doing other things like..her prep for the evening, drinking water, chatting with the Managing Chefs, staring at the ceiling, or..just blatantly ignoring the tickets spewing out of the printer. If ‘giving a fuck’ were an ingredient..this bitch was fresh out.
The servers were mad, The guests were mad. I was furious. When I asked one of the managers what her deal was..I was told “oh she’s in a bad mood” A bad mood? A bad fucking mood?! So because she is in a bad mood, the quality and integrity of this restaurant has to suffer?! Her lack of passion and commitment to this job, is a reflection on the restaurant as a whole. The guest is waiting 20 minutes for a salad…they don’t have any fucks to give about her and her bad mood. What was even more appalling is that the Chefs and managers were all making excuses for her. They clearly knew she was a problem, has been for sometime…but no one is willing to do anything about it.
I went to culinary school (more on that later). I busted my ass and received all A’s. I graduated with Honors and I even cooked for the same Super corporation for 4 years before my M.S. got so bad I could no longer function on a hotline. I know what their standards are, I know what is expected. I loved that job and I am sad everyday that I can no longer do the thing that made me so happy. So when I see this asshole, with a complete lack of passion, I want to slap her around. Have some pride, a little dignity. If your job is so terrible go fucking find another one.
One of the servers told me that they tried to get rid of her once..they started scheduling her for prep instead of the line, but she went to the union and fought it. Unions are both a blessing and a curse. there has to be a way around this. I know that when I cooked for this company, if I was fucking up, Chef Anne would throw my ass off the line so fast my neck would snap. I’ve had pans thrown at me, i’ve been berated in front of my whole crew. I know what it means to fuck up…but I learned. and because i learned I worked in some of the best restaurants owned by this company. I think Chefs these days are too soft on all these kids. I miss the old days.
