At this moment we collectively long for our nation's dining rooms. My name is Tyler Christensen and I am the owner of SoSoBa. I am a restauranteur, which means I am a prep cook, dishwasher, porter, line cook, server, bartender, plumber, electrician, carpenter, interior designer and your host for this message. And from my side of the fence, I can assure you that we have been longing for our nation's dining rooms too.
So, I would like to tell you what we have been up to while you have been away. We have been setting the table. We have been perfecting our Togo and Delivery service. We have finally been able to slow down and think for a moment. Developing our systems to better serve you. We have been tackling those tasks that had previously been swept under the rug and hidden with the proper low-lighting.
In the service industry we have a thing called ‘pre-shift’ , a pre-shift meeting. A brief encounter where in passing the baton of the nights service we triage the dining room and read-in our relief. Table 20 seat 2 just got another glass of wine. 14 was just sat. Drop check on 204.
My wife is a nurse. I own restaurants. Every job has similar protocols. Speed, efficiency, communication, shorthand, acronyms. We all work, so this message applies to all.
Let’s talk about last night’s service. And by last night's service I do not mean yesterday. I do not mean the last night of service. I do mean the last time we had dinner together. In a public place. Or shared any social setting of any kind - real or virtual. Did we find faults in one other? Did we actively seek them? Did some go online and grade each other on a scale of one to five stars? Did we appreciate each other then? Do we now?
The luxury of a dinner on the town is on hiatus. Many industries are on hold. But most are adapting. And so too will we. But we need a break. We need time to assess what we are doing. If it is correct, and safe.
In this time, I feel we are moving far too fast to pay proper attention to information that we need dearly to follow. Yes it is our livelihoods. But, more importantly…
IT IS OUR LIVES.
-Tyler
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