There’s the story of a group of friends out for a bite to eat. Around the table sat a partner in a law firm, bank president, doctor, priest, a president of a sports team and a restaurant owner. Talk centered around the people with whom they do business. Clients, customers, patients, followers, fans – the only one who could claim guests as theirs was the restaurant owner. And a G.U.E.S.T is Greeted Unconditionally Every Single Time.
But these people began their visit long before they arrived. And that’s why hospitality is a 24/7 job.
If you ask people “What’s a restaurant?” you'll get answers like:
A place to share some food and/or drinks with friends
A place to take a date
A place to celebrate a birthday, promotion, graduation, family event.
A break - I’m tired of cooking
Relaxation from a long day at work.
An escape from an argument with a partner
But a visit to a favorite restaurant can be as restorative as a visit to a psychiatrist.
What do you feel like tonight?
Steak? Maybe seafood? Or Italian? How about a salad bar?
And the style of place also gets batted around --
It could be a café, fine dining, fast food, family style, diner or pub.
Then there are the viewpoints of what a restaurant can be:
Employees say it's a paycheck
Realtors tell you it's a listing
Landlords say it's income
Purveyors call it a customer.
The Chamber of Commerce sees dues
Builders see a possible remodeling job
The town/city sees fees
BUT a restaurant is a business in the business of sharing. And once this is recognized, everything changes - From how you interact with people to how problems are solved to how to read a table. And how you influence those decisions people make before they arrive at your place.
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