Blue Moon

I turn and quickly glance at the clock on the wall. It is nine-thirty; half an hour before close. In front of me an old bus tub full of dishes from the last table. I grab a dish and bang it against the side of the garbage can next to me, spray it off, and place it in a rack. I repeat the process until there is nothing but a small pool of sauce with grains of soy soaked rice floating throughout the tub. I slide the Tetris of dishes into the dish washer, close the hood, and press the button. As it runs, I clean the sink of all the debris, remove my gloves and apron, and make my way to the front of the restaurant. I walk past the bar to see my owner, Moon, sitting in the waiting area staring out the window. The reflection reveals his eyes, and that Look of despair will forever ripple in my mind. I call to him, “Moon, I’m going for a cigarette.” As he turns, he changes face, forces a small smile, and nods. I sit on an old soy sauce bucket in the back of the restaurant and reflect on that look I have seen so many times. That Look of not knowing what to do to bring in money. The worry of losing your business because nothing you have tried has worked. That Look comes to mind often when sitting in class.

Our discussion of having a balance of technical skills and managerial merit was the first to spark this memory. I remember countless days my owner had to step up and boomerang back to cooking tables because of understaffing, when he should have been focusing on the restaurant as a whole. He was a very proud man, and felt like he had to do it all himself. It was his restaurant. All the money was counted by him, the purchasing, receiving, overseeing the daily operation of the kitchen and front of house was all done by one man. I knew even before stepping foot in Hyde Park that this was not how a restaurant should be run. Having these memories engrains the importance of setting yourself up for success with a good staff, and being able to trust them enough to let them work independently. Knowing your staff will produce up to your standards without micromanaging frees up time to look at the bigger picture. To do so, you need to lead by example and motivate your staff by simply showing that you are technically sound, that you possess strong interpersonal skills, and have a positive outlook of the future of the establishment. When considering opening my own restaurant I will take in consideration what I have learned in class, but no amount of schooling can teach me more than that Look I cannot forget.