FIlm Friday: SCRATCHbread ( & server loves)

Good morning darlings! Happy Film Friday!

The other day I posted this - an enormously angry rant about the life of a server. Yes - guests can be infuriating and I stand by my decision to verbally spout off about that. At the same time however, customers really can make a server's day. And it's those guests (and the experiences with them) that has allowed me to continue serving for 10 years. With joy (95% of the time). It's no 5 acre farm with a trailer but it's decent... More on that later...

So, without too much further ado, here are my restaurant "Do's"... Obviously don't do any of the don'ts - though I feel like some of the don'ts need particular attention in the Do's:

• Click here and take heed! 
• When you show up, be polite. Say hello back to me when I say hello to you. If I ask you how you're doing I am actually asking how you're doing. Please respond. I don't need to hear about your dying Grandmother, but generally, how you are. If you aren't great, say so. And I'll do my damnedest to help make your day better while you're in my restaurant.
• Engage with me. Ask me how I'm doing and maybe even a question about my day or what I do outside the restaurant, etc... Not only will you shock the crap out of me (people are very self-involved when they go out to eat), but it will open up a space for continued engagement and therefore a much more holistic and enjoyable experience.
• Make eye contact with me! (but don't stare)... I'm a person too :)
• Ask questions! If you aren't sure what something is, or need to know where something comes from (though be careful not to become this. seriously.), or need assistance selecting a drink - I'm here to help. Give me some direction as to your needs and I'll do everything I can to get you what your little heart desires.
• Two words: Please and Thank you.
• Acknowledge that extras cost money. Unless bread is presented at your table without request, shit adds to the expenses of the restaurant. Unless you've seen the business plan, please be patient and polite about this.
• Read the menu. Even if it's just a cursory glance. I'm more than pleased to help you select dishes or drinks - especially if you are unfamiliar with things. But I can't go through the list, top to bottom, because you're just too lazy to read what's on the page. 
• When you're finished with something (i.e. glassware, plates, etc...), keep it within my reaching distance so I can clear it away for you. I know you want it out of your way but that'll happen much faster if I can reach it.
• Again, tipping. 
• Acknowledge the restaurant is busy and that either the front of house (servers, bartenders, bussers, etc...) and/or the back of house (chefs, cooks, expediters, etc...) may be short staffed. This isn't an excuse for consistently slow food and bad service each time you come into a place, but it could explain why I can't make it to your table to top your water glass up every three minutes.
• If you liked my service, tell me! Or even better yet, tell my manager.
• Again, time restraint? Food allergy? Tell me. Moreover, I can't possibly know all the diets in the world and all their limitations - therefore, be specific in what you can't eat. Don't just say "I'm a celiac" or "I'm on a cleanse" or "I'm off carbs" and expect me to know what that entails - be specific. 
• And lastly, enjoy yourself. It's food. Not... well, I don't think anything needs to be too grave in it's seriousness. Except maybe genocide. You know what I mean? Have fun with it! Really good food and drinks require a laugh and kindness and generosity - there's no need to be hoity-toity or rude or pretentious. It may look fancy but it's all an act. In the end, it all came from the same dirt pile planet and grown in the same shit-based fertilizer. It's food. Love it and relish.

Now, in alignment with the last point (and still in the same general theme as the rest of the post) I bring you this week's absolutely breathtaking Film Friday. This is a video by Liza de Guia, titled SCRATCHbread....

"...His day begins as yours ends, working on the counters of a dimly lit, closed-for-the-night pizzeria where he unwraps sourdoughs and shapes breads that he knows, in time, everyone will know about. But come to know, not just for their taste or uniqueness in technique, more so for the ideals they represent.

For SCRATCHbread is much more than just bread, it's about bringing together people with a shared belief about food, to start a food movement in New York City to change the way we see and perceive the food we eat..."

A. Do you enjoy your job? What do you love most about your job? What makes one day better than the next?

B. Do you enjoy Film Friday or would your rather something else be going on? If something else, what would you like to see instead?