Skip to main content

The Expendables


People who work in the "service industry" are extremely expendable.  Owners and managers like to show how powerful and mighty they can be by placing you on suspensions, and the ultimate, letting you go.  And in a world where you are living by the money you make shift by shift, this can hurt not only your wallet, but your pride as well.

There was one establishment in particular that reveled in treating their employees like cattle, slaughtering them at their leisure, and threatening to do the same to anybody else who didn't fall in line.  I know many of you who live in Los Angeles probably have worked at this restaurant, or one of the sister restaurants at one point in your service career, the dreaded... Miyagi's on Sunset.

One of the owners set the tone the first staff meeting that I attended.  I was hired as a bartender, and was actually pretty excited to be working at such a busy and trendy night spot in Hollywood at the time.  Tom, the owner, simply stated at the meeting, "These are the way things work around here.  I don't care if you like it or not.  If you don't, you can walk out the door right now!"  Alec Baldwin in "Glengarry Glen Ross" showed more compassion.

I was stuck working the 2nd floor bar.  The place was 3 stories with a bar on each one.  The busiest bars were on 1 and 3.  I was the newbie, and got the crap bar.  But they thought that they would be nice to me and throw me a bone by putting me on the 3rd floor on the weekends to work the service bar that was set up next to the dance floor.  This meant that the servers would come to me for cocktails that they couldn't get from the main service bar because that bar was too busy serving customers.  Needless to say, I hardly made any drinks, and barely made 35 dollars working a shift that I didn't leave until 2:30 in the morning.  I finally got fed up and decided to exercise my entrepreneurial skills, by making 4 or 5 Long Island Ice Teas, putting them on a tray, stepping out from my partitioned bar, and selling the drinks for 5 bucks a pop.  Larceny, allegedly.  But I got bills, people!

I was involved in a theater company in Hollywood this time as well.  I had finally gotten a part in one of the mainstage shows, and had requested the appropriate time off from Miyagi's, getting it approved, so I thought I was okay.  Wrong!  As I was walking up to the theater company on opening night, I get a phone call.  It's Heather, my manager at Miyagi's.

"Hi Joey.  It's Heather from Miyagi's.  I was wondering if you were planning on coming into work tonight?"

"I requested the time off and got it approved, by you, so I wouldn't have to come in this weekend."  I stated.

"Well, we are going to be really busy.  And one of the other bartenders called off, so I need you to come in."  She said, with her best manager voice as possible.

"I'm in a show.  I can't come in.  That's why I requested the time off."  I was beyond frustrated at this point.

"Well, since you aren't coming in, we're going to have to let you go."  Heather said, without even missing a beat.  Pretty obvious that she had said this speech before.

"Just so I'm clear, you're letting me go for following procedure for getting time off?"

"If you aren't coming into work, then yes."

I hung up.  This was my first time getting fired from a service job, and I'm proud to say, that it wasn't the last.

Until next time... Server's don't pay their rent with compliments.

"Bitter.  Party of one?  Your table is ready."

The Bitter Bistro

Comments

Anonymous said…
I know that place!!! Their used to be a manager named Chris that worked there. He was the biggest douchebag in a city filled with douchebaggery!
That's one of the boxes you have to check on the application for management there. Douchebag... Check!

Popular posts from this blog

Excuse Tips

It's ideal for a server to receive 18 to 20 percent gratuity for a job well done.  Now it seems that customers are looking to leave an excuse rather than a monetary tip explaining why they couldn't leave their server any money.  WTF?!! Of course, because my landlord would love to receive an excuse instead of a check for rent this month. "I don't have the money for rent, because I'm a writer/comedian.  But I adore this building.  So secure." The above picture was found on Yahoo.com .  One of the comments said that they thought this was an altered pic, but I have actually seen this happen to myself and co-workers.  And by-the-way, what if the server waiting on the woman was a single parent?  So the lady who wrote this has now started a domino effect on their server who is struggling to make ends meet.  And so on, and so on...  Get bent! I don't believe in saying that if you can't afford to go out, that you should never go out.  There are ways t

10 Ways To Get Better Service At A Restaurant

I have noticed that there are many variables that can lead to a bad dining experience, and for the customer to say that they received "poor service" has become cliche, and just the "go to" for when all things go bad in a restaurant.  Here is a Top 10 list to help customers have a positive experience the next time they dine out. 10.  SIT AT THE FIRST TABLE THE HOST GIVES YOU "This table's too round.  This table's too brown.  This table's just right."  You are not buying real estate.  So for you to pass on the first, then the second, and even the third table option the host gives you is beyond ridiculous.  The tables are all made the same, have four legs, four chairs, (if applicable,) and are strong enough to hold food, drinks, and purses.  And if you pass on a table, now you've messed up the floor plan that the host has prepared at the beginning of their shift, and everybody in the restaurant takes notice as you are aimlessly walking a

Breast Milk Macchiato

There are too many choices for milk nowadays.  Organic.  Almond.  Breast? Soon "breast milk" will be the new craze everywhere, and people will be ordering it for their Lattes thanks to the constant problem of breast feeding in restaurants. The policia teta have been called upon again to smack the cuffs on the latest perpetrators of breast feeders in restaurants.  This isn't the first, nor will it be the last time.  But to celebrate my 100th Bitter Bistro post, what better way to celebrate then to debate the issues of breast feeding in restaurants. I am going to say that I am "pro boob," but I am against them being out to feed your child while you are dining in a restaurant.  I get it.  It's natural, it's best for your child, but most people go out to a restaurant for a good time, and your breast-feeding is not included in the price of an entree. "Waiter!  Can you do something about this?  That woman's breast is exposed and I'm try