Goo Goo Validation
Celebrities can be both a pain and interesting at the same time.One day, lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls, John Rzeznik, was sitting in my section. He was pretty normal, (for a rocker,) but then he...
View ArticleBrought to You by the Number 7
Somehow the number "7" has made it's way as a number to be seen on the gratuity line. Foreigners, in general, have taken this number that only had fame on the Craps table, and slots, and made it...
View ArticleA plus B equals a Restaurant Job
I've noticed a new trend in the restaurant world, for the application process, a lot of places are concentrating on personality traits rather than actual skill and experience. Don't get me wrong, I've...
View ArticleA Mountain of Pink for the Middle East
It seems that LA restaurants like to follow certain trends. Whether it's organic food, comfort food, or celebrity chefs, if it's the thing to do, LA will do it.The newest trend that a lot of...
View ArticleYou Got Yelp!!!
What better way to get through the work week than to pick on the people who's parents truly should have considered contraceptives before having sex, the people who write negative reviews on Yelp.com....
View ArticleThe Bitter Bistro Book (coming soon...)
People have been asking me when I am going to write a book about my career in the service industry, well, it is in the works. I wanted to share an excerpt to give an idea of what to expect. Actually,...
View ArticleWatch the Third Base Coach
Who can forget the scene from "Fletch," when Mr. Underhill gives the server a hard time for taking his plate too soon.Mr. Underhill: "Does it look like I'm finished?"Waiter: "I guess not."Mr....
View ArticleTo Tip or Not to Tip?
I came across an interesting discussion on The Huffington Post about tipping. Now it has become some sort of class war? I'm interested in hearing your opinions about service and tipping. Here's the...
View ArticleI'll Show You How to Wait!!!
Customers love being waited on hand and foot. But there are some customers who love to tell me HOW to wait on them hand and foot. I call these customers "waiter watchers." They weigh their waiter...
View ArticleA Good Attitude on Life
I usually write about the many, many customers who have acted inappropriately and annoyed me throughout the years. But it would be unfair to not tell the story of a customer who amazed me with the...
View ArticleThe Bitter Bistro 101 Podcast
The first podcast is up! Thanks again to my guests, Meredith Green, Katina Nikou, Fran Nichols, and Josh Macuga for helping to make the bitterness happen! For bitterness on Twitter, follow me...
View ArticleExcuse 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...
View ArticlePeople Who Need People
It sounds harsh, but after dealing with people yelling at you that their steak is overcooked, undercooked, still in the form of a cow, I kind of have a hard time dealing with people's antics on a...
View ArticleCustomer Sudoku
Customers like to have proof that the food is good. I can understand. Who the hell wants to eat something that tastes bad? But when I go down the ENTIRE menu with you, and give you my opinion of all...
View ArticleYou Got YelpED!!!
It seems as if some people never learn, and if they did, they would probably find something wrong with what they had learned and then they would "Yelp" about it.This time around, it's Barry "No, it...
View ArticleMayan Customers
Everybody is talking about the end of the world. According to the Mayan Calendar, that's going to be tomorrow, December 21st, 2012. I am scheduled to work, but if the world is ending, and I'm going...
View ArticleTips for the New Year
Another New Year was rung in working in the service industry. Nothing can make you evaluate your life faster, than hearing the countdown poorly counted down by a bunch drunk people who've paid a cover...
View ArticleCelebrity of Sorts
I have waited on all types of celebrities throughout my career in the service industry. Some of my favorites have been Molly Shannon, Mark Wahlberg, and even Ozzy Osbourne--even though I couldn't...
View ArticleLobster and Fruit and Complaints
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease," is a horrible saying that always seems to be true. That is especially true for customers at restaurants. The ones who complain the most, seem to get what they...
View ArticleApplebee's = Crapplebee''s
This past week, the Internet has been buzzing about a woman, Pastor Alois Bell of the Word Deliverance Ministries, who decided to leave a smart-ass comment instead of a tip at an Applebee's in St....
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