Unpredictable

I'm directing this thread towards all of our restaurant professionals out there.

The unpredictable nature of the food service business has all of my feathers ruffled and my head throbbing. Maybe my memory is failing me or perhaps I am far less observant than I once believed, but I've never seen such an unpredictable place as the CPC. By unpredictable, I mean that in the span of twenty minutes the restaurant can go from completely empty to nearly full (and never at a predictable time).
Not that I'm complaining mind you, we love and appreciate the business. The conundrum presented by this unpredictability is a serious headache though.
How to provide quality and timely service, when under staffed and overwhelmed? (Without breaking the budget by over staffing every night OR leaving the waitstaff fighting over tables)

I have tried to monitor the local community events to be prepared for sporting events, graduations, etc. Apparently though, these events have very little to do with the "flash mobs" that appear at the CPC. Maybe, it is just the small town nature of Charlestown?

There just doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it: from 0 to 60 covers and none of them are coming from the same place or came for the same reason.

So, the solution is the obvious one of course. I'll attempt to add an extra person who can both cook and serve and allow them to leave early.

Shawn, you have learned a valuable lesson- there is absolutely no rhyme or reason in the food industry. I've worked in and around the industry all my life and it still makes no sense whatsoever, which for me is part of the fun.
Yes, staffing sucks sometimes, and it sounds like you have come up with a good plan, the early out position works quite well.
Get a good supply of aspirin and get your feathers unruffled - congrats on the success of CPC.

My husband Joe, and I swear that people arranged to meet at a certain place like the town hall parking lot and then descend upon us all at once!! It is incredible how often A.J.'s can go from being deserted to having 12 cars in the parking lot within 10 minutes. I love it when it is busy like that, althought it can get a bit frantic. lol

We witnessed this the other day at Simply Thai. When the hubby and I sat down to eat, the place was pretty much deserted. Within 20 minutes, it was full, with a line out the door of people wanting a place to sit, plus the takeout window. Crazy!

Sounds like you need a 'Key Employee.' There are maybe 20 in Louisville, worth thier salt...

The key employee is a special breed. Most restaurants will never see these people, ever, they are that rare. It is the cook that can, on the same day, serve and bartend- check out your waitstaff and then close up shop for you when you get sick.

Like you, they wear all unifoms- from dish to prep to host. Generally, they will get the job and then move across the street- just to be closer to the 'house.'

These people wake up thinking about your business, fall to bed recifying the day's triumphs and tragedies. Then wake up and do it again.

When you find that one- and you will be blessed when you do- pay them well and stroke the daylights out of them. When you open CPC 5, they will be your area director!



EDIT: You can develop this talent. Do you have a good, young cook, that enjoys people almost more than his own job? Is there a server that spends more time chewing the fat with the kitchen staff? Youth is important here, as they have fewer preconcieved notions- you can mold them.

EDIT2: Let me drop a name- Jesse Badger. Haven't talked to him in awhile. This is no whoop-whoop pitch. Yet, the man has it, whether he knows it or not...

We witnessed this the other day at Simply Thai. When the hubby and I sat down to eat, the place was pretty much deserted. Within 20 minutes, it was full, with a line out the door of people wanting a place to sit, plus the takeout window. Crazy!

Well considering three people can fit in there at a time, that's not quite an accomplishment!

I kid, I kid, but I cannot wait for them to move.

I've often thought that is there was an Restaurant actuary like the Insurance bus has, that person or persons would be billionaires, Rainy, stormy day...here come the hoards of elderly on canes and walkers, days I wouldn't even want to go out! Election day, when often people use lunch breaks to vote... one our busiest days this year... yeah, it goes on and on, and then have the whole kitchen prepped except for that one item no one ever orders and what the hell, order after order of that particular item. No rhyme or reason. Crazy.

One person orders it...then it's taken to a table; seen by everyone on the way to its destination. Pretty soon...you have 5 more orders. I can't COUNT the number of times it happened while I worked in the kitchen...seemingly when I was the one making it. Maybe I should not have made it so pretty lookin'.