Will Guidara, author of unreasonable hospitality, and someone who has inspired me in more ways than one has a weekly news letter called “pre-meal”

For those that have never had the distinct pleasure of working in a restaurant, pre-meal is a team meeting usually 30 minutes before service, where everything you need to know for the shift is discussed. Specials, things you’re low on, reservations, guests of note, you name it. Not enough restaurants use this tool the way it should be used, it’s not just an opportunity to discuss the service ahead, but it’s an opportunity to be together as a team and check in on each other.

Anyways today’s pre-meal was Will talking about “working the floor”. It’s when a manager, at least any good one, is in the dining room during service, clearing plates, running food, refilling wine, checking on guests, helping the team through service.

He talked about how he was out to dinner with the ceo of a major media marketing company, and that the ceo calls one of their clients every single day to check it. “Hey! how’s it going? what’s working? what isn’t?” That is his version of working the floor.

It made me think about how often in restaurants, unless you’re in management you don’t get a ton of face time with the owner, especially not checking in seeing what’s working and what isn’t. It was just another moment that made me realize when I open my restaurant, it will be a shift for the industry. And a little while later, I saw that the shift is possible.

I was out sick today from work. Even though the owner was the first person I spoke with before joining the team, I don’t report directly to him, I report to a person who reports to a person who reports to him, so there’s 3 degrees of separation. In restaurants calling out sick is often known as unacceptable, today when I called out nobody gave me a hard time and nobody was upset. In fact the owner called me, and at first when I saw him name come up on my screen I panicked, this has nothing to do with his character, it was instinct based on 11 years of working in this business. I answered the phone “hello sir” He said “glorious day to you sir” and then asked me if I needed soup, if I was okay, if I was staying hydrated.

Let me be clear, this is a guy who currently operates 13 locations with more on the way. Today he gave me his most valuable asset, to show that he cares; his time. I’ve never had my boss call and check in on me when I was sick, let alone my boss’s boss’s boss. It was a unique and profound moment of hospitality, and a relieving one.

I genuinely enjoy the folks I work with and report to, everyone is very kind, happy to guide, and overall easygoing. I have been struggling with the service we offer at craft food halls, it’s much more casual than I’m used to, and that’s not a bad thing, it’s just different.

I have been battling in my head whether it’s the right fit or not because for me, full service is always how I’ve made the impact on guests. Making an impact on guests is what fills my cup and honestly what fills a deep void within me.

The owner of craft food halls, Gardy, he’s a devote christian. Last week I had asked him about god and patience because I don’t feel as though I am patient, and being patient is what it’s ultimately going to take to succeed during my time at craft food halls, and my future after craft food halls. He explained that by design we are all patient, and if you asked Jesus Christ he would say you are patient.

I’m not sure I’ve ever believed in god, and I’m still not sure I do, but I don’t believe in coincidence. At my last job I was impatient and it cost me my job. I think god, the universe, whatever you believe in, brought me to craft food halls on purpose. A penance of sorts, to learn patience, an opportunity to get more inline with what the universe ultimately has planned for me.

The world works in mysterious ways.

Where the skies are gold not gray,

J.