Unaswered prayers

(for the record, that is one of my favorite songs by Garth Brooks)

Some time ago I interviewed for a job in a very high end restaurant. An uber restaurant. A place with bottles of wine that exceed $400 on the rack, and more expensive reserves in the cellar. A place with a rotating menu, the kind where you have to get and extended briefing from the chef daily so you can explain the features for that day. The kind of place where you might only have 6-8 tables a night. The kind of place you dream (as a server) about working at. Privately owned, world renowned chef, very chic.

As I weighed their offer (it potentially conflicted with my schooling, but for an opportunity like this I considered changing things for them) something happened. Something bad. In a blink of an eye the place went out of business after a handful of years of outstanding food and service. A real head scratcher. Apparently the owner had some personal issues, quit paying some venders, and they all quit delivering their products/services almost simultaineously.

A few weeks later, the general manager who interviewed me for the job happened to come into my restaurant. He looked aweful, to the point he might have been strung out for as bad as he looked. I didn't have him in my section, but I discovered he was in our store when I walked his food out to his table (I couldn't see him from my section). It was a bit strange to say the least.

In manly fashion we visually acknowledged each other, nodded heads, and let it pass. He had a guest, a girlfriend perhaps with him. I wanted to ask, but rather delivered the food and verified nothing else was needed.


The other grass isn't always greener, and sometimes unanswered prayers are the best kind.


Related Tags: Unanswered prayers, Greener Grass, Server, Waiter, Waitress, General Manager, Restaurant, Red Lobster, Fine Dining, Food Service, Wine, Changing jobs, Career change, Career