I stuck my head into a very popular Savannah kitchen this week to say hello. It was certainly not the first time I’ve done that. What happened next wasn’t an isolated incident either.
I got pulled aside for a private chat. “Hey Jesse, I know you talk to people in the business all the time.” Chef said. “If you know of any really good, solid kitchen talent, please send them my way.”
I smiled to keep from laughing, because ultimately it is not a laughing matter. But if I had a nickel for every time I’ve gotten a text, social media message or email about a restaurant looking for help. Everyone is in a desperate search.
I know exactly what you are thinking right now. And no, this isn’t another ‘labor shortage’ write up. You can read all about that here. We discussed it at length a few weeks ago.
Yeah, yeah yeah, Unemployment benefits. Yeah, yeah yeah, I can’t find anyone to work. We get it. It’s going to be a minute before we get back to normal in that corner of the world. Not only Savannah and Hilton Head Island but everywhere.
In the meantime, I’m sharing with you something that-I think- most of us are fine with, but some of us could use some work on. That’s the long lost art of patience in the face of a thinly spread restaurant staff.
As we head into the Summer and we toss caution into the wind because you are ‘on vacation’ it is easy to lose track of the fact that the problems we’ve mentioned above aren’t likely to correct themselves by the time the kids go back to school in August.
There’s a good chance this summer that you are going to head to your destination of choice and have your patience tested by a restaurant that is understaffed in the face of larger than normal Summer crowds.
No, not all of them, of course. Some places here and there have got the situation under control. But Summer 2021, I dare to say those places are in the minority. In some way or another, a restaurant is understaffed right now. That means someone is working a double shift they’d rather not be on. That means a manager is going on their 10th straight 14 hour day because there aren’t enough hands on the floor.
That means a General Manager shows up to work in a beautiful summer dress, but instead of working the floor making sure her guests are happy, she’s in the kitchen expediting orders to and from the cooks because the chef is in the next room prepping for a weekend wedding reception.
There aren’t enough bodies anywhere right now.
The pressure at some of these restaurants is nothing short of absurd. Privately, most of them tell me this. Publicly, they are putting on their best face for you. Because that is what they do. That is what they signed up for.
Your job this Summer is to be mindful of all of that. If you are reading this, I think it is fair to say that you have more than a passing interest in not only dining out but in our food scene. On both sides of the Savannah River.
On Hilton Head Island and on Tybee I know PLENTY of locals that avoid their favorite spots during the Summer season because they just aren’t the same when they are so crowded (Frankly, I’m one of them).
But that doesn’t mean we never go. And when we do visit in Summer 2021, I think we all have a responsibility to understand how much of that iceberg is below the water line and react accordingly when something doesn’t go our way.
That’s not to say a restaurant should be allowed to get away with murder this Summer. That’s not fair either. But instead of running to your car so you can blast a place on social media, ask your manager to make your situation right.
Trust me, right now more than ever, they understand.
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