It's day 14 of Thirty Straight Days of Blogging. The title of this post really says it all. I'm going to sit here and rant about something that's been bugging me for quite sometime. I was originally going to call this post "Reigning in the chefs", but I didn't like that title. I guess the closest thing to sum up what I'm about talk is this: Chefs Going Too Far.
In this day and age, being a talented chef can mean a lot more than just running a kitchen brigade. A new dish can get your plate of food pictured and shared on every social media outlet. A twist on that classic comfort food can get your face in a food magazine and have you hailed as a virtuoso. Next thing you know, you have a restaurant with your name on it. The place is yours and you are going to run it your way, and nobody is going to tell you what to do. Even the customer.
More and more chefs these days aren't catering to anyone but themselves. So many chefs want to do these "pop up" dining events simply because they take away the option of a menu. There are numerous food truck and food cart owners who openly tell customers they serve their dishes one way only, no exceptions.
While I'm sure telling a customer "No" must feel great, you have to remember that they are the ones keeping the lights on. If the customer feels like they can't get what they want, they'll find another place they can.
One new trend that is really bugging me is restaurants charging people for not showing up to their reservation. That's right, if you make a reservation and don't show up, the restaurant will still charge you a fee. In my opinion, that is pure bullshit. How are you going to charge me when you didn't even cook me a fucking meal?!?!
I understand that restaurants lose money on large parties that don't show up. They have extra people working and extra food ordered. But to charge a party of 3 or 4 for not showing up is just being an asshole about it. The whole idea of charging someone because they didn't step foot in your restaurant just really pisses me off.
Of course, if you don't want to charge them, you could go on twitter and cry like a little bitch about it. That's what Noah Ellis of the restaurant Red Medicine did. He went on twitter and named a bunch of people who no-showed on their reservation. Instead of crying about it, he should have been asking himself some serious questions.
Why didn't they show up?
Was it the food?
Was it the service?
Was it the prices?
What can I do to get them in here?
At this point, giving that asshole any advice is a waste of time. And I'm not going to waste anymore of my time on him or his restaurant.
I can try and understand how getting all the accolades from cooking could be very exciting. I can understand how when you do finally get your own place, you don't want to take shit from anyone, let alone some "foodie" trying to tell you that you didn't cook something properly. Every cook out there has at some point wanted to scream at a customer and say "IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, YOU GO BACK THERE AND COOK IT YOURSELF!". I understand all the frustrations and the angst to take control.
What I also understand is that I'm in a service industry. As a cook, I work to make food for others, not myself. The customers are showing up and paying money for food to feed themselves and the ones they are with, not me. While I may scoff at someone ordering a steak well-done, I'm not the one who is going to eat that shoe leather, they are.
While it's impossible to cater to every need of a guest, you should be willing to work with them at every turn. To start taking away their options and trying to make the guest feel lucky to get their food from you just seems wrong.
That's it for the rant. What's your take on these topics? Are chefs going to far, or is that customer are getting spoiled and wanting too much? Let me know what you think.
See you tomorrow!
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