Regarding a negative restaurant review of another’s restaurant on social media recently, I read a woman’s less sympathetic reply; “I am so tired of restaurants using the pandemic as an excuse…” and “Call me Karen, it’s just a deflection.” From another in her know-it-all on FB circle, “It was 4 years ago!”
Guess what I am tired of, Karen? You and your friends who think you’re on to something. When did you decide enough time had passed? What was your criteria? I’m also tired of finding the bread delivery in the empty keg room after searching, or on another day, blocking the front door–because the new driver didn’t know where the delivery dock was. New drivers every week. I’m tired of the beer delivery being dropped off outside the cooler, and the driver leaving without a verifying signature because he/she/they/them doesn’t really care about us, or the job. I’m tired of fighting for lunch business because so many people are now remote or learned how to make their own food while sheltering in space, and all the other days of the week missing phone calls because we don’t get there early anymore–no lunch. I’m tired of training and training and training because after 26 years in business, we needed to (mostly) start over and also of having to explain that we are out of short ribs because they didn’t arrive with the truck–and who knows why? I am tired of wondering why the best steak I ever had at my favorite place for great steak no longer serves the best steak I ever head. And I surely know there’s a reason beyond them being incapable. It as always the best pre pandemic. I could go on. And on. And what I am truly most tired of is having to explain to all the tone-deaf people out there that the pandemic was NOT 4 years ago–that’s just when it began–and that the ravage and destruction and lingering results, coupled with the exacerbation of a tight and more expensive labor market combined with our entire governments refusal to do what both sides knows needs to be done in terms of education, immigration and a legal, available workforce to drive economic initiatives are real and manifesting on a daily basis for those of us out here strategizing 24/7.
Faking knowing things only fools other people faking knowing things.
To quote a good and intelligent friend recently; “You can’t just turn off the world’s largest economy and then throw a switch and expect everything to go back to normal.”
Thanks for reading–and where it applies, for your ongoing patience for all the varied imperfections that we the many (in numerous industries) are struggling to overcome, still.
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