OH LAWD chapter 39



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Adjustments are always hard at first, and this was no different.  Not for me, but for those who were in charge of the kitchen.

The head Chef didn't want to give up his position, and as I began to implement necessary changes, he resisted to the point where I had to let him go.

Some of the others were initially dragging their feet, but instead decided they had better get with the program or start looking for another job.

The food was second rate by my standards, and the owner had been powerless to make the necessary changes. He wasn't a Chef, and he didn't dare to challenge the ones he had placed in charge.

My first change was to insist everyone follow the recipes I gave them precisely, and not guess at how much of each ingredient to use. It wasn't long for them to taste the difference themselves, and from that point on I had won their confidence.

The food was so greatly improved that it was reflected where it counts the most and that was in the increased patronage.

The second thing after taste was in the presentation, just being careful in the placement of the food on the serving platter could stimulate the taste buds.

Then the service came last. They had gotten into the bad habit of not serving the customer.  It was; take the order, give them the bill, and that was the last they saw of the waiter.

This was somewhat difficult to change the way they served the patrons. I had to start from the beginning and explain what we do.

Uppermost is to please the customer, and to give them close access to the serving person. I told them that in every situation they were to express me.

They were to consider how, and what I would do in each circumstance, and then do it my way. After working with them for a week I had to let three waiters go because they were still resisting doing things my way.

After five weeks I felt good about where we were, and each server was equipped with a list of what wine went with each dish so they could recommend the proper wine for the meal the customer had selected.

We had finally accomplished what we were striving for, and that was the finest food and full house cliental.

The building next door was going to be put up for sale, and I knew it would be sold rather quickly.

I told my boss that we should buy it and expand for we were at our limit with the present facility.  He said he would like to but he just didn't have the money due to expenses out side the restaurant.

Then I talked to him about forming a partnership where I would purchase the building next door, and we could double the size of the business.

He said that he would be putting up more than I was, and I would be getting a fifty percent split.

I said, “Well you would be getting me, which would be better than my buying the building, and starting a new restaurant next door, and competing with you for business.”

He saw the logic of that and agreed to the deal.

This is what I had always wanted, and had been working toward.

We could continue to do business, and remodel the building next door at the same time.

While we were in the process of doing this I had something else on my mind and that was finding a wife for me, because I am a family kind of a person.

There were many available females in New Orleans, but in the back of my mind there was someone who I remembered somewhat fondly.

Oh Lawd!    

 

To be Continued