The Show Must Go On

When you are the owner and hands-on chef for a restaurant, you need to be there. Rain, sleet, snow, heart-ache, family occasions or lazy days, you still have to find the energy and enthusiasm and BE THERE.

There is nothing like consistency, and leadership to ensure your business succeeds.

It's not always easy. In fact, most days it's hard. But yesterday, that was one of the most trying and one of the hardest workdays I've ever personally experienced. My dear, sweet, loving, old dog (Mocha) passed away. My dog was 15 years old and simply the sweetest creature.

But she died on a Friday. A payday friday non-the-less, and in restaurant terms that's a really, really,  busy day. A day you can NEVER afford to screw up. So, I put on my glasses to hide my puffy, bloodshot eyes and I stayed in the kitchen. I cooked and tried not to think about anything. I just worked through the dinner rush on auto-pilot. I tried not to look at any of my kind, caring staff. To meet the eyes of the ones who knew I was hurting was too much to bear.

And then, like any good restaurant employee, I smiled for the customers. I made chit chat here and there when I simply could not hide in the kitchen.

When the rush was over, and things had settled down I snuck out the back door and sat on a parking curb in the lane. I bawled my eyes out. A few deep breaths, a coke and 2 tylenol later I was back in the kitchen ready to scrub and clean the Friday mess until it sparkled again.  Because that's what you do, when you're the boss.

Mocha - the loving dog who would happily eat whatever scraps or burnt offerings  I brought home.