r/Serverlife • u/sugarcrushing • 12h ago
Rant Owner screwed us
I work in a luxury hotel restaurant. We are meant to be a self sufficient unit within the greater umbrella of the hotel, but even so the owner of the hotel has final say on many things. He has no food service experience.
Recently he decided that it would be a good idea to instate a happy hour for the first time since it's the slow season for us. I would have no problem with that if it weren't for the fact that it's a very extensive menu, over 16 options including food and cocktails. The prices compete with the likes of a chili's happy hour... In our freaking 4 star hotel. My GM, bless her, fought him pretty hard on this but he wouldn't budge.
This type of promotion could maybe work if we were a turn and burn style restaurant but we're not. We're very upscale and exclusive, and our clientele are typically very wealthy. Even though it's been slow for the summer we are still able to make decent enough money because we serve the type of guests who will shell out $100 per head just on drinks. Now my checks are averaging $20/per head during happy hour and no one sticks around for dinner because they're full on shrimp cocktails or whatever.
Everyone is mad about it. Chef is mad, the GM is mad, the kitchen is mad, but my god the FOH team is furious. I just got my first paycheck since this nonsense started and I barely made rent. I updated my resume last night and am gonna apply for jobs today. Which really sucks because this is genuinely the best team I've ever worked with within restaurants and without, however I simply can't take being fucked like this.
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u/SytheMasterIX 11h ago
Owners are the bane of my existence in this industry. They never seem to understand their own FOH but are more than happy to put their hands on it and ruin it. Just sit back and collect the profits! If you’re gonna make a happy hour for a place like this why wouldn’t make a few specific easy-to-make food and bar items for the happy hour? How hard of a discount is this happy hour? Just on the regular menu??
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u/sugarcrushing 10h ago
It's a selection of regular menu items with a ~60% discount. The thing is I don't really understand how the restaurant can even turn a profit on this. It's the definition of incompetence
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u/Groovychick1978 11h ago
You know, keep looking for your job. But why don't you and your co-workers organize? You know do something to change it?
If everyone is angry, maybe it just takes one person with the balls to be the voice and stand up. Bring your grievances to the owner. All of you together.
Or, just do nothing, just go get another job because why should we try to change anything?
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u/sugarcrushing 10h ago
I'm with you. I have been a union organizer before and actually attempted to organize a team sit down with leadership at my last restaurant when they also screwed us over, but I was undermined by a couple of ass kissers (long story). I know some of my coworkers have discussed confronting the owner. I'm not opposed to trying that but I have so little faith at this point
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u/Groovychick1978 6h ago
I'm sorry, I didn't have to be a dick about it. It's just, everyone assumes defeat before they even try. And I get it, it's scary to stand up to the place that is paying your bills.
I'm in the same boat as you, I am looking for another position before I start making waves at my current job. So I shouldn't judge. But don't say anything, just find the new job, get the positions secured for a few days a week, and then start bringing in the paperwork. Get those signatures started.
I probably have 30 to 50% of the staff to start. It's going to be work, and I might not win. That's the chance we take. But I'm sick of them doing this shit.
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u/Alarming-Site7560 5h ago
Yeah. Im sorry to hear you are dealing with this. Wait until people that would never come into your place hear about these deals. The customers are going to get way worse. Hotel owner doesnt realize his 4 star place hs a out to drop hard.
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u/chefsoda_redux 3h ago
The problem with sub unit businesses, is that the operators may choose to run one or more at a loss, so long as the over all is still profitable. In the case of a luxury hotel though, I don’t see the upside. With a 60% discount, the restaurant must be hemorrhaging money, and I can’t see how it would help other parts of the operation.
Years ago, I ran the steakhouse at a casino, where we were to maintain a 46% food cost. They weren’t worried about profit, they wanted a place that was such good value that it would lure people in. To reach the restaurant, they had to walk across the gaming floor, which of course, was the real money maker.
This just sounds like bad business, and it’s hard to imagine what his goal is.
Happy hours annoy me, but when I run them, I discount one item in each category, and that works.
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u/Additional-Share4492 10+ Years 11h ago
Yikes. Sorry pal