The Modern Waiter Podcast

Bonus Episode: This episode of shift drinks finds us at the turning point of brunch. Things are looking promising. Friend of the show Omar joins us and airs his gripes he has with a coworker. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Let us discuss the Tip Pool with friend of the show Linsey Onken. This week’s restaurant podcast is a fun round table discussion where we look at the pros and cons of pooling tips. Does it work or are we carrying the lazy?  Guest: Linsey Onken @linseyjoyonkenthefirst Like this episode? Subscribe to our podcast on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-modern-waiter-podcast/id1445...

Shift drinks continues on Ft. Lauderdale Beach at the Parrot Lounge with Chris G. right off his breakfast shift at a popular beach restaurant. We unwind with a couple of drinks on a summer Sunday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

This week’s restaurant podcast explores the stigma of drugs in the industry. There are many contributing factors to why the industry has the association of drugs and alcohol. Some of it is earned and some not warranted. We laugh at the hypocrisy of the whole thing. We had a good time laughing at what we find under the magnifying glass. Danny and I make some admissions on t...

Brunch is starting to point in the right direction. We return to Anthony's Clam Bar to record. Oh wait, it is July 4th and we cant get a table to set up. No problem. We record right at the bar rail. Nothing stops the show. Jimmy G (@rebelinthenight) joins us to weigh in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In a climate of restaurants being short staffed, mix in a set of uncommon circumstances, we identify the anatomy of a s#*t show. Sometimes things go sideways on a shift making it a “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. Maybe it happens often at some places. Still hot after the worst brunch ever, we invite Omar back to the show to discuss ways in which we can survive a S#*t Sh...

In the 1st episode of shift drinks Marlon is defeated by the worst brunch EVER See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

This weeks restaurant podcast episode discusses how to pay the check. From discrete payments to fighting fair when multiple people wish to pay. It may seem simple, however as with many things there is nuance. Like this episode? Subscribe to our podcast on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-modern-waiter-podcast/id1445457201 and https://open.spotify.com/show/2WwXTEggjmNDh4rafHtO85...

Cell phone use in society is wide spread. By extension their use in the restaurant by guests and employees is pervasive. Do servers want to approach a guest while on their phone? Do guests want to see employees on their phone? These are some of the issues that that we discuss in this week’s restaurant podcast on cell phones. Like this episode? Subscribe to our podcast on https:...

Mispronunciations are very pervasive in the restaurant. Many names of ingredients have foreign language origins which raises the bar further when it comes to knowing how things are pronounces. How so we handle ordering that menu item when a name is botched? We handle it by not handling it. However we can certainly have fun with it. We have all had the challenge but it is n...

This week’s restaurant podcast finds us in a place where we air our “mild” annoyances with some of the working parts of the business. Of course we like to offer solutions to every problem. Does that ratio really exist? Danny and I take issue with guests as well as coworkers. I admit some things just need an attitude adjustment. For now you are gonna hear what grinds my gea...

Help Wanted Pt. 2: A continuation of last week’s restaurant podcast. Jason Raymond of Seed Kitchen, Stem Wine Bar and Drift Oyster Bar in Atlanta has a bone to pick with us right at the top of the show. We do not see eye to eye on going to restaurants on busy holidays and we have “healthy conflict” on the topic. Fresh from the trauma of Mother’s day and the anticipation of Fath...

Help Wanted. While the majority of owners sweep the lack of employees under the rug of unemployment benefits and stimulus checks, we know it is not that simple. Specifically restaurant employees struggle with finding what is best for them. We lift the rug of lazy oversimplification and start the conversation attempting to answer why is there a dearth of applicants for restauran...

This week’s restaurant podcast we close out our look into eating utensils with part 2. So many designs for specific uses it is worth exploring the design of some of the most common and interesting utensils. What are their proper uses. Would you believe there is an ice cream fork? Or a spoon with a serrated edge?   Here is an example of an ice cream fork. https://amzn.to/3c...

This week’s restaurant podcast we review the history of eating utensils. From sticks and stones to silver and gold, eating utensils have had specialized purpose. Born from necessity and advanced by materials they have an interesting journey to become the silverware we take for granted. More Info https://www.themodernwaiter.com/ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themodernwa...

Part 5 in the restaurant movie series we explore Big Night (1996). Loaded with talented stars this movie escaped my original watchlist for the series. Thank you to listener Brendan O’Brien for the suggestion. Set in the 50’s two brothers struggle to engineer a turn around for their failing restaurant. The big night, the movie’s name sake, is their last effort to put on an eveni...

This weeks restaurant podcast is all about the candy. We enlisted the help of the ladies from the Sidework Podcast, Brooke Van Poppelen and Andrea Wallace. We collaborated on a list of over 80 popular candies. The lobbying was fierce, but we whittled down the choices to our top 8 candies. Truly big fun we rank the big 4 candy holidays (8:07). We get into the candy draft (19:20)...

Mother’s Day is the busiest restaurant day of the year. Most in the industry believe it is a day to be survived. This holiday holds a mixed bag for everyone in the service industry, large parties, kids, slammed all day, and everything in between. On this restaurant podcast episode we share some of our Mother’s Day experiences and share our tips on how to thrive on this day. Like thi...

Waiting on a table of service industry people is an interesting experience. Whether you are a bartender or a server you have to be prepared for shenanigans or a super easy time. From ultra politeness to ultra demanding, we turn into different animals when we sit at a table all together and receive service. Like this episode? Subscribe to our podcast on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...

Ever wonder if there are fundamental differences in the hospitality industry between the U.S. and Canada? Friend of the show Matt Glover gives us a bit of insight from his perspective. From the western province of Alberta, this week’s restaurant podcast gets the low down on minimum wage for restaurant employees, rules of engagement for alcohol sales and even tips. Matt provides some...

Industry Profile: With Scott Lustig. As promised we will showcase servers, bartenders, chefs, and other restaurant industry professionals in season 3. This episode Scott shares his passion for the industry as a chef, owner, and server. Thank you Scott for being candid about your highlights and challenging times.   We are very proud to be a part of the One Star Podcast Network.&...

Kids in the restaurant. How do you navigate kids at the table? How do you deal with poor behavior? How do you make them feel empowered and facilitate their experience in the restaurant? We explore the ways that you can survive and thrive during their visit.  We are very proud to be a part of the One Star Network. The one stop shop for restaurant and food podcasts.&nbs...

Surprise! Danny leads the show in this week’s restaurant podcast: Paying Your Dues. Feeling a bit entitled, Danny describes how we arrived to this stage in our serving career and what colors our perspective on the industry. Later in the show we admit how personal serving and podcasting is to us both.  We are very proud to be a part of the One Star Network. The one stop sho...

This week’s restaurant podcast features Brandon Tendler, a product developer with a passion for restaurants. Brandon shares his expectations on restaurant systems and execution. We also discuss the feature he wrote on Ghost Kitchens linked below. Guest: Brandon Tendler Author Subject Ghost Kitchens: http://www.atthemargins.com/2019/08/15/i-aint-afraid-of-no-ghost/ Linkedin: https://...

Working a Double. Everyone has worked a double shift at some point. The restaurant double seems to be particularly taxing. Danny and I discuss what it takes to survive working a double in the restaurant.   We are very proud to be a part of the One Star Network. The one stop shop for restaurant and food podcasts. Featuring Side Work Podcast, Copper and Heat, In Yo Mout...