I never thought that my column, "How not to get a job in the restaurant business," would generate so much interest. Everywhere I went, somebody mentioned it to me; the valet at the local restaurant, my favorite hot dog vendor, the breakfast server at my favorite egg spot all offered input. While the restaurant I work at remains anonymous in this column, I - with 20 years spent at the area's most popular restaurants and bars - am not.

Even more interesting were the letters I received. For anyone who doubts whether the things I write about actually happen, I submit the following:

"Dear Mr. Burkhart: I love your column! My friends and I always read it.

"Imagine my surprise when two of my friends called me the day that your article 'How not to get hired in a restaurant' was published. My friends claimed that the first woman described in your article had to be none other than myself.

"I have a question for you - what do you do when someone other than the manager sets up an interview for you at what seems to be an inappropriate time? The economy is tough and some employees attempt to salvage their jobs by misinforming applicants. This has happened to me more than once."

This letter brings up several interesting points:

- It is true that sometimes the employed will sabotage people whom they see as more qualified than themselves. I have seen it, too. The best server/bartender/cook at a restaurant will almost always set the bar for how good that restaurant is - meaning

Advertisement
that someone who is hard-working, sober and diligent will have a heck of a time at places staffed with people who aren't. Whereas if the head "whatevers" are capable and hardworking, then the tolerance level for those who aren't is far less. The restaurant business is a team venture and a team is only as good as its weakest link.

That is why it is important to hire quality people. One bad manager can bring an entire restaurant/bar down. Not just because they might miss the obvious, like serving minors or not obeying the liquor laws, but because eventually the good people will become frustrated and go elsewhere. A good chef/manager is worth his or her weight in gold. That might be why good employees seem to always end up at the good places. It is a symbiotic arrangement, not an accidental one.

- If the person conducting the interview or setting it up is less than professional, go somewhere else; it's not going to get better. I remember an interview at a new busy place that started like this, "It's common knowledge that all bartenders are thieves." I knew instantly that it wasn't going to get better, and it didn't. The place sputtered on for several years in a quasi-professional manner before it closed, leaving being a trail of frustrated and disgruntled employees. Luckily, one of them wasn't me.

- If you are looking for a job in the restaurant business remember that all restaurants have their problems; working at the busiest one in town might not be the best option. Busy does not mean best. Find a place that subscribes to no less than your minimum level of professionalism. In the long run it will work out better for you. Trying to force professionalism onto your place of employment, especially from the bottom up, will never work. It must flow from the top down.

I remember being invited for an interview at a busy nightclub by the manager at 11 p.m. on a Friday. I went in and waited 1 hours before he sent someone to tell me that he wouldn't be able to talk to me. I never went back and ended up with a far better situation somewhere else. Meanwhile that club closed six months later, and I have never seen that manager working in the area again.

- Finally, I am glad my column actually gets people to think about things. My goal is not to offend or belittle; I try to offer ways to help. It amazes me how people will replicate the same unsuccessful behavior over and over and expect different results.

A martial arts instructor once told me something I've never forgotten: "If you keep trying to do something a certain way, and you keep having difficulty, try doing it completely differently." It seemed so simple. But remember that the way to doing it differently might involve asking someone else how to do it. And sometimes that is the hardest part.

Jeff Burkhart is an award-winning bartender at a Marin bar/restaurant and an author. His columns appear weekly in Here. Add your comments to the end of this story. Contact him at jeffb@thebarflyonline.com.