Nothing (and everything) in Moderation
It turns out opening a new restaurant is hard work from the top of the chain to the bottom. Even after a month of training in preparation for the opening of the steak house at which I work the entire staff has had a rough beginning. We opened on the 20th of October amongst construction and disarray. I got to display skills learned over years of being the oldest child (translation: indentured servant) as I taped and stained doors, walls, window frames - essentially the entire front facade of the place. As we had sent out invitations, we held out party that night amidst sheetrock dust and wet paint. Denver's elite showed up in force, and we've been struggling to catch up ever since.
Having worked so many places for so many people, it's fascinating to be amongst this group as a new elite establishment is brought to life. Leadership mistakes are being blatantly made, and I'm lucky enough to have had the experience in life to recognize, learn from, and try to aide in the group's recovery. We have career servers who think they know everything, young kids who can't wait to make money to buy their next purse or pair of jeans, managers who'd love to be the boss but know that every decision they make will be undermined at some point by someone else. I stick my nose in where there's an opportunity, and I've established a working environment for myself that allows me to be who I am without jeopardizing my job safety. If you know me, you're chuckling right now, because it has taken me a lot of years to not have to choose one or the other. I've also finessed things into a point where I can work a second job at another great place in Denver - a fast-paced sushi restaurant. In addition to the extra income the sushi place allows me to observe a highly efficient restaurant as well as the trendy Denver culture. It's a fun job, low stress, and good to have as a back up in case the health department shuts me down somewhere else.
All this means I'm incredibly busy. I like working a lot, so there's no complaining, but it certainly dictates a lot of my daily life. Max doesn't get walked enough, but he's happy with his new friends and roommates. Eventually I'll develop more of a social life, but for right now the work interaction will have to do. I'll stay hunkered down for the next few months as I work on my legs and bank account, and rise like the phoenix come spring.
posted by Nate C @ 2:09 PM
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