It’s not how you feel; but how you look! And you look Mahvelous!

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

I always loved when Billy Crystal did his Ricardo Montalban impression when he said “You look Mahvelous!”. Of course, I like most of what Billy Crystal did! However, there is something to be said for appearances. Now I know that everyone is lining up to tell me that it doesn’t matter and that everyone has the right to be an individual and look like they want. And I agree, on their time they do. But when your employees are in your restaurant, they represent you, and then, looks are important. At some point when you get your employee manuals together and save yourself countless headaches by putting the rules and regulations down on paper much of that will clear up, but you cannot let your staff dictate to you how they are going to dress. This is a subject that we have had to deal with over the years and it is always challenging.

I had a server at one restaurant who was making $300 plus a night serving and one night she made a turn and put her foot through the side of her horribly worn shoes that she had for years. She got duct tape and made the repair and got through the evening shift. I informed her that the next time she worked a shift, she would have new work shoes or she would not work. She got the message and so whenever I see her I compliment her on her new shoes. Although many people do not know what an iron is, we posted a one sheet instruction sheet on the schedule board at one of the restaurants. Staff had been taking their shirts off, throwing them in the backpack and then pulling them out and putting them on for the next shift. We have moved to a pre-shift meeting where the managers will point out uniform issues and instruct staff to get it handled or they will lose shifts.

I mentioned that the Employee Manual and what we do is to be as detailed as we possibly can about the uniform code so that there is no room for error. It’s not enough to say, a plain t-shirt. If you do, you may get a lime green tank top. It needs to be spelled out. A cotton, short sleeved, crew neck, shirt in Black or Navy blue that is long enough to be tucked into the pants and stay there. I am sure that I missed a million things in the description but the point is that it is written down and everyone must adhere, so no one is being singled out. As to the kitchen and BOH staff, we required chefs jackets for upper level kitchen staff and work shirts for everyone else. We would make use of food and beverage connections and get a liquor company to give us free t-shirts that we would distribute to the staff. They had to have an apron, most of the time ones that we rented and had laundered. The same thing with hats.

We would get a box of a particular promo hat and give them to everyone so they didn’t have hair issues. If they didn’t like that we gave them hair nets, which generally meant that they took the hats. Our dishwashers liked to go out on the restaurant floor and use the guests' bathrooms, but they would walk through a crowded dining room wearing dirty clothes while guests were enjoying their meal. Hair must be clean and out of the face. Hands washed. Beards must be trimmed. Long hair in a pony tail. Be specific. If you aren’t, you’ll have a great deal of disparity.

When guests see well-groomed and clean employees, they feel better about where they are dining and the overall impression of their experience. It doesn’t matter how much the staff doesn’t like it. As long as you have told them up front (Employee manual) what they are allowed to wear and do, you are covered. Be the leader. Come in and look sharp. Have the managers looking well dressed and neat. And hold your ground. After all, It’s your business.

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