Closing Time

So as I wrote previously about trying to make decision and making gunslinger comparisons to being a restaurateur. Well, I made my decision. I have taken great pride in running my restaurant. I have taken great pride in my people, customers, food and building. I mean, I would beat my head against the wall just to make sure the tables under the lights were angled just right. When one of my line cooks would not use a spatula to spat all the flavors in a saute' pan after deglazing a piece of veal would drive me nuts. I mean how disrespectful to that poor veal cutlet. I mean that calf lived a whole month(maybe), and for them not to scrape all that beautiful flavor out of that pan. I apologize.. I don't mean to get worked up. It's just that in this business you have to be super competitive. You cannot afford to be good. You have to be great. Not only do you have to be great, but many things under that roof have to be great and not only do many things underneath that roof have to be great they have to be great all the time. Your days and nights in this business are about a bunch of wins. Little wins that add up to big wins. Accurate quotes, happy hosts,  great ticket times, phenomenal pre-bussing, beautiful plate presentations, quick food running, clean floors, perfect ambiance, consistent teamwork. It all adds up. Now, do this day in and day out for 363 days a year. No off season. No time to "re-build", hell we rebuild while we perform. The average turnover percentage in a restaurant is almost 80%. Can you imagine the a professional sports team continuing to play with close to 80% of it's team turned over?  To me the NFL has it easy they have 16 games a year. We play 363. Playing while we train, all while not letting our customers be effected. Like I tell my staff, "our food does not get discounted ever so why would we perform any less at any time?"
With that being said.. Back to my decision. I have decided to leave my life that I have known for the past 18 years. I started at that restaurant company as a bus boy. None of what I know would not be possible if it wasn't for the people who I grew so close with and learn to respect so much. Over the past almost 2 decades I have seen and done so much. I have been a part of many amazing moments. I have been a part of history. Through the ups and the downs I have realized that what we do is not easy but if you have what it takes it's the absolute best most satisfying profession out there. I really am so grateful for my career at Carrabbas's. I am so proud to have been a managing partner with them. It's still hard for me to say "them" it was always "we". I guess that will change with time. All things do change with time. We are ruled by it.  There are so many special people that are associated with our company all started by an amazing incredible family that has the most superior recipes and uncompromising standards. My staff is why we were so successful. We endured some turnover at first,  you always do when trying to change and create a culture. We did just that. They are a group of intelligent, hard working, bright, passionate people that are all for the most part trying to pursue their dream in music either writing or singing or trying to earn a degree here in Nashville.  When they would enter in the restaurant to begin their shift it took a special kind of energy and focus to get them all on the same page so that our common goal of delivering an unforgetable experience was reachable. It's funny where things start and where they end up. I started out almost 5 years ago as their leader and after this week I feel like a student.  The community around me, well I think anyone who has came into our restaurant understands what our customers mean to me. I simply never ever wanted to let them down. They are family to me. I wanted our restaurant to be a warm hug to them when they came in from a long day at work or school. I can only hope that's what they felt. People have many choices to go dine. They will always lots of options. We all are provided with options everyday. We have to make decisions everyday.
So,  moving forward and onward to a new chapter.  A new beginning. A fresh start. New names to learn and more memories to make. New food to fall in love with and new passions to chase. I'm very excited about this new venture. I will always honor where I came from and cherish every moment of every shift and  milestone. On my last night I could not help but take pictures of my favorite time of day. Closing time when everyone leaves and myself and my restaurant planning and bonding reflecting and recharging. There was nothing like closing down the restaurant at night and seeing the tables glimmer in the dinning room lights or the shine from the stainless steel walls beaming becoming a part of the dinning room making one united stage and hearing nothing but the white noise of the coolers and ice machines running. That is poetry to me my friends. That is ownership.  I am completely blessed to do what I simply love to do.