After returning from a brief vacation to visit the best Columbia, MO dentist I know and documenting the Jardines mess, it is time to get things back to normal. This is the fourth installment of theœsimple tricks for servers series. If you missed the others, check out parts one, two, and three. These are some of the tricks I have picked up over the years that I believe will make a server’s life easier if they implement them. They are also from in my experience a sure fire way to fight writer’s block. If the next post isn’t a series of photoshops on Restaurant Laughs, you will know it worked.
Here are five more simple tricks to make your life easier as a server.
Get Pints Unstuck: If you work at a restaurant where the glasses get stacked, you will occasionally find that they get stuck together. This is common with pint glasses and gibraltars. Here is a quick solution that will not cause the glasses to break. Lay them on their side and roll the glasses back and forth. Add very slight pressure to the top of the inside glass. They should come apart with no problem and no breakage.
Get Shakers Unstuck: I do love boston shakers. The only problem is that if you stack them with any moisture inside they have a bad habit of getting stuck. This is where physics comes in handy. Heat makes metal expand while cold makes it contrast. Fill a bar sink with hot water. Fill the shaker with ice and the place the stuck pair of shakers in the water. Make sure the water level is low enough it will not mix with the ice. After 30 seconds or so, pull the shakers out of the water and pull them apart.
Get Streak-Free Windows: If you want your windows to look spotless, use coffee filters to clean them instead of paper towels. This will prevent streaks. It will also prevent any lint being left on the window. Spray the cleaner on the window. Now start in the top corner and clean a path the entire length of the window. Continue working down the window in rows that stretch the entire length of the window. Change filters as needed. Check this top rated food service supply store where you can get your cleaning supplies. You may also hire a service that provides pressure washing for businesses for a better cleaning job,
Make Big Anniversaries Flattering: This is a line I came up with about a year and a half ago and has proven incredibly successful. When a table tells you they are celebrating an anniversary that is greater than 30, turn to the lady at the table and say, “Happy Birthday.” When they tell you it is their anniversary, respond by saying, “, I thought you said 30 years.” When it sinks in the lady will be flattered. Of course this line is cheesy, but it is so cheesy that it works like a charm every time.
Stop Confusing Ranch And Bleu Cheese: I cannot tell you how many times I have seen servers hold a cup of dressing an inch from their face to find the specks of paprika that distinguish ranch and bleu cheese dressing. I was guilty of this myself as a rookie server. Here is a great way to prevent it from occurring again. Place a component of the salad next to all salads with one of the two dressings. In my case, I place a tomato next to ranch dressing. I place the bleu cheese dressings on the opposite side of the plate from the tomato. This prevents me from ever being confused at the table.
There are five simple tricks to make life as a server simpler. I hope they serve you well. I also hope to be providing more non-pictorial posts following this one. I know there are a million other little tricks out there. If you have one that you would like to share, the comment section is open to you.
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