Today is Jennifer's birthday and our family tradition is to eat out at an establishment of the birthday boy/girl's choice. It's especially nice when it's Jennifer or me who have the birthday because it's the one time we can go to a restaurant that doesn't serve chicken nuggets or strips or pulverized pieces.
Jennifer chose a local pizza and deli establishment that shall remain nameless. We've eaten there before but it's been awhile and memories tend to fade. Then, suddenly, it all comes back to you in a rush when you remember that you said "Never again" the last time you were there. Our experience:
- Temperatures this time of year in the evening in Park City are approaching autumn-like, yet the restaurant had it's retractable glass walls wide open, making it a bit chilly.
- We found a back booth out of the wind, but the table had not been wiped off. We waited ten minutes for someone to come and take our order.
- After sitting down, a live "folk singer" began whining her way through a set of folk and rock classics. I used to like Neil Young and Sheryl Crow, but not tossed in a yodel-y blender. She was earnest and probably a pretty good singer at some level, but all the songs sounded the same and were so loud we couldn't hear each other at the table.
- We ordered food, which came in shifts (kids, then, 10 minutes later, us). We didn't get the appetizer we ordered. Jennifer's calzone had unbaked dough all through it and was mostly inedible, but since it took so long to get the first time we bagged it.
- Our ears bleeding from the loud, overly indulged music we split as soon as we could. I had to go find the waiter to get the check.
We then went to an ice cream establishment and got some treats, but the staff is apparently instructed to sing at the top of their lungs every time they get a tip or someone has a birthday. We didn't mention the birthday. The extra money we spent was worth not hearing some disinterested teen workers quickly and dispassionately run their way through a canned song about getting a dollar tip.
Sometimes I wonder whether many restaurant folks really pay attention to what's happening in their place of business, much like people wonder about the same sorts of things when they come to our churches. Are people feeling welcome? Is everything clean and inviting? Are the staff paying attention? Is the music of the best quality and not too obnoxious? It's always good to go through an experience like tonight because it gets you thinking about how you conduct your own business.
I'll never be a restauranteur, but if I were here are some absolutes I'd establish for my business:
- If the music volume requires me to lean over the table to be heard by my dinner companions, it's too loud.
- If the singer doesn't use consonants and plays every song the same, get another one. Better yet, skip the live music altogether at dinner time and play music in the background. Live stuff is better later in evening.
- Management should be walking around and observing, paying attention to detail all the time.
- Under no circumstances will the staff be required to sing any kind of birthday song complete with clapping to any customer. If it's their birthday, just give them a free appetizer or dessert or something and be done with it. The staff doesn't want to sing it, and the rest of us don't want to hear it.
- Cook the food. Seems elementary, but there it is…
- Skip the cute names on the menu. Just tell us what it is.
Perhaps this is why I'm such a big fan of restaurants like Chipotle. They have a very focused menu, the food is fresh and hot, the staff efficient and quick, the decor spartan yet inviting, and the whole experience leaves you feeling full and satisfied.
It kind of goes back to what Jim Collins says in Good to Great–great companies focus on the one thing they do best. That's good advice for restaurants and churches.
Anyway, it was a good reminder. And tell Jennifer "Happy Birthday" when you see her!
