Politicking at my work...

greatgamer · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:41 pm Post subject: Politicking at my work...

It's April now, and I've been at my current gig for a legitimate three months. I was receiving training prior to that for a good month or two, so combined, it's really been somewhere around 5 months.

Once the initial jitters of a new job settled down, it's been pretty underwhelming for me. Compared to other barista jobs, this is probably one of the worst situations to find yourself in...

Cons:
- No parking for employees. Public parking is scarce, because it's West Hollywood.
- We are not a coffee-first shop. It's a restaurant, and coffee is at the bottom of the pecking order, as far as priorities go.
- We have no sign that says we sell coffee, and therefore you're lucky to sell two coffee drinks during the 8 hour evening shift. So the managers put us to good use, having us wipe down the windows, helping servers, etc.
- None of my co-baristas have any former experience. In other words, I learn nothing from them. There's a saying in MMA that you're only as good as your training partners. I'm always trying to self-improve on my own, but working at a place with role models would probably do wonders for me.
- Every department of the restaurant has two managers looking out for them, from the servers, to the bartenders, to the kitchen. We don't have a single manager among six of 'em, who have the faintest idea about specialty coffee.
- Set-it-and-forget-it coffee blend. We haven't had a different coffee blend for espresso since opening. It's one of the cheapest stuff out there. I want something better. Much better.
- Consultant of the bar is not open to suggestions. I've made plenty of comments, from getting a sign that says we sell coffee, to asking for quality soy milk that allows latte art, etc etc. At this point, my voice is being drowned out, because I'm the only one old enough and ballsy enough to call his BS. My oldest co-barista is 23 years old. All of these cats are scared shitless of losing their jobs.
- The hours are shitty. The coffee bar is open from 7 am - 11 pm. No other specialty coffee shop has hours that extreme. Hell, 90% of specialty coffee shops close by 6 or 7 pm. Some days I'm closing and getting to bed at 2 am in the morning, only to wake up at 6 am to get ready to go back to work and open the bar.

Pro:
- I'm working with a legit commercial espresso machine.

So when you do the math, you start looking for another job. Lately, I've been applying to a few places, and I've been looked over in three interviews.

First interview, the chick interviewing me was a ditz. She didn't even know common coffee terminology. Shocking. The place has lost credibility with me since.

Second interview, the owner and his lead barista interview me for 90 minutes, and they never call me back. They were just picking my brains the whole time, oohing and aweing, and then I never heard back from them again. BTW I was served some seriously burnt siphon coffee at the interview. I didn't mention it, because I thought they'd be offended, but if I can go back, I would call 'em out. Fuck it. The owner and lead barista seemed to really enjoy it, though, which speaks volumes about the shop's skill level (lack thereof).

Third interview, I'm interviewed at a place whose owner ranked very high at the US Barista Championship. Unfortunately, he's not the one who interviews me. It's his "lead barista," who had a really good poker face. He asked me a few generic questions for 10 minutes and called it a day.

Fourth interview comes up... at which point, I said, "Fuck it," and I decided to change my presentation a bit. I went from being the modest, "good guy" at previous interviews to basically saying, "I'm a badass. Take it or leave it." My whole pitch was that I'm bringing street cred to the bar. I know I'm a blockbuster acquisition, so I wasn't gonna beat around the bush about it anymore. Suffice it to say, I got the job, and they want me to come on board full-time. They've promised me the world.

So here's the dilemma. What should I tell my current employer?

Obviously this is a turning point in my career. Someone of my aspirations can only stick around at a restaurant for so long. We are basically everybody's bitch here. The servers boss us around, and the managers take us lightly. It's a place that doesn't understand and respect coffee.

As always, I feel awful just up and quitting a gig within a year. So my game plan is to reduce my hours to just one shift a week. How would you guys suggest I go about it?

I start at my new job on Saturday at 11 am, and I've already told the coffee consultant - who's in charge of our schedules - that I've got some stuff on the side for the coming week and therefore will not be available at all.

But this is just a temporary stall tactic. I need something more permanent without potentially harming his ego. He really thinks he taught me everything I know, and he's always making dry remarks like, "So when are you gonna pay me $5,000 for our barista certification program?"

The other thing that really bothered me about this consultant, was when he decided to overlook me and pick one of the new guys to come over to his coffee shop and start working there. I just did not understand that at all. Here I am with over two years of experience, and he gets a complete newb to work at his shop. He's an incredibly poor judge of talent. And whenever I upload new latte art photos on the Yelp page to promote the shop, he asks, "Who did this?" I'm on a completely different planet than the rest of these cats, and the fact that he needs to ask who did what, is a testament to his ignorance. Here I am making all these intricate patterns, and then there are the rest, who are making blobs. Do you really need to ask?

Rabbi Noculars · Death: Horseman of the Jadepocalypse

Communist.
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Anil · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:25 am Post subject:

Speaking as an unemployed bum with no education and even less common sense, I recommend the following:

Finish being a badass. If being the Charlie Bronson of coffee beans got you the gig, follow through. Tell your other job to pound sand.

Then tell me where this new place is, so I can stop by before I fly out.
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"Fetch me my fighting trousers."

greatgamer · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 7:56 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:21 pm Post subject:

can i give you honest factual advice in terms of working in the higher end food industry?

this is only from higher end restaurants, i'm almost positive it applies to specialty coffee especially at a very competitive level, so...

high end restaurants not only know but EXPECT you to leave. really. most chefs, be it sous chefs, pastry chefs, line chefs, etc., everyone other than head chef, knows that a good resume does not include long stints of work at one restaurant, it includes stints at MANY restaurants.

i know high end head/executive chefs and they all say that people on the line all rotate around every 1/2 a year to a year. that's how you build your credentials.

this isn't an accounting job where you stay at your position for 3 years and demand a promotion due to your seniority and hard work. no, it's the opposite. restaurant owners want to see that you've studied under various chefs/conditions and in various fields of expertise so they can properly use you for their own restaurant. to stay at one restaurant for a long time tells a future employer that you didn't have enough drive to keep moving and improve.

so with that said the chefs i know feel NO ill will towards chefs that move to other places, in fact most encourage them to become better at their craft. sure they're kinda upset that they are losing a skilled individual, but the restaurant industry has a lot of skilled people, and if your restaurant is quality, then another skilled individual will want to work for you.

with that said you need to move on and get more coffee shops under your belt and improve upon them as you go along. if you have the expertise and they aren't taking advantage of it, then you are hurting your professional career. that's time spent wasting your skills and time spent wasting opportunities of owners who would LOVE to have you, but they don't because you're stuck in a shitty place.

so don't even worry about being their for 5 months. you just tell them that you found a wonderful opportunity at a new place and that you need to move on. if they need anything in the future feel free to call you. i probably wouldn't tell them where you're going just yet, just say you were asked to not tell anyone where you were going for a few weeks. who knows they could be assholes and call the coffee place and talk shit. from your description they already seem like they don't value expert skills.

good luck.
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greatgamer · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:49 am Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:59 pm Post subject:

all of what you said makes sense, and i agree. though, it's still food service, even Cut or some fancy high end french restaurant is food service, and they know, even if they're some lawyer living a dream they'll learn, that there's high turn over in food service, so again, don't get all sad if you leave.

do your time, get your licks in, and move on and up. even high end chefs started out as line cooks at a medium level restaurant and moved up. sure they know that the product they're serving is a product they ever wanted to do, but they do it to make a living, and move on and up.
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greatgamer · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:00 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:59 pm Post subject:

what you're doing there is building up a resume and putting your time in. you watched wrestling, you know that an up and comer gets a push, and then gets sent down the roster. they then make their way back up, and then hit super stardom. Stone cold, HHH, undertaker, edge, everyone got a push (you getting this job) then toiled a bit on the undercard (training) then they could flourish after that.

get in good with the owners, make some good coffee, put some time in, keep your ear to the ground for new opportunities, and then go from there.
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greatgamer · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:39 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:52 pm Post subject:

wait, you're working at the restaurant AND at the coffee shop? I thought you were quitting the restaurant to work the coffee shop full time?
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greatgamer · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:24 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:32 pm Post subject:

i don't think he's an owner/consultant, as Im not sure how that exists haha. He consults himself? You can't own the place and also be a consultant to your own business, so which is he? Does he own the joint, or is he a paid 3rd party who is helping the place find its feet?

there's a service component to all restaurants above mcdonalds. People go to mcdonalds not to talk to the staff or enjoy the surroundings, they want their food and they want it now.

At high end restaurants, you think people go there and think "fuck, this 100 dollar steak is worth every f'ing dollar!" no they think "This 100 dollar steak is worth about 40 bucks, BUT, i will pay 60 bucks any day for this service!"

use this time to stop worrying about the level of quality that the coffee shop is that you're at. I mean you're already actively looking to move up. that's awesome. so start working on the service. Are you a great drink maker? Or are you also a great service provider? Do people when they come in there go "ah sweet, andy's behind the counter!" or do they go "time to get some coffee..."

the service component will help you out tremendously in the future. I'd rather get average coffee from a personable and friendly person than great coffee from someone i'll never remember again.

I went to susina bakery on sunday with my girlfriend, we love going there. the mixed coffee drinks are pretty good, and their baked goods are great. the guy at the counter goes "if you can answer me this riddle i'll give you a discount!" i go "ok!" he goes "what gets more wet as it dries" and he barely said "dries" before i blurted "A TOWEL!" and he went "DAMNIT!" and viola, he took 25% off the bill. that's a memory i'll have of the place, it'll help me to keep coming back.

so basically you're always talking about how the coffee you make is awesome, which i believe, but what about your people skills with the customers?

and now back to the owner dude: don't sweat it, just quit that place. if you need the cash, just view him as an irate customer. meaning you placate him, but no matter how much he bitches, you don't give him a discount because he's being an asshole.

if you wanted to make a career at that restaurant i'd have different advice for you, but you're already going to bolt so just placate the guy, and do your best as you always do, and then leave i guess.
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greatgamer · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:37 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject:

You're not a natural at being personable behind the bar, hence why it's an item you have to WORK on. Shaq wasn't good at free throws, but he worked on it constantly. At the end of his career he still sucked at it, but atleast he tried instead of just going to the free throw line and saying "I'm not even going to try, because when the clock starts up, i'm just going to slam dunk it" but if he never gets the ball, he never gets to slam dunk the ball and thus gets no points.

I'm almost positive that 99.998% of the people that go into a nice cafe and are greeted by a personable employee behind the counter who offers to give them a discount if they get a riddle correct won't leave disappointed if they get it wrong. They'll leave happy that another normal experience was spiced up. If a person walks away witha negative feeling that they didn't get a discount, they probably aren't very happy to begin with when they lose a trivial spontaneous game.

You're comparing two different cultures, you're not comparing two different restaurants. you're also using anecdotal evidence from one cafe owner from spain, who's to say that the guy down the street from him in barcelona isn't the exact opposite? In America, where you live right now, when people pay a premium for an item they want to be pampered. That's why that mercedes doesn't just have 400 horsepower, leather seats, and a smooth ride, it has heated seats, and tiny touches everywhere to make you feel pampered. It's why when you go to applebees the server is no where to be found, but at a nice french restaurant the server is at your beck and call.

all food related establishments that that have seating and aren't just a window with food coming out of it, are BASED on service, and the customer experience. even mcdonalds dresses up their joint so the customer feels happy when they go in.

a theatre actor is different as they are performing, not making you food. and at nice restaurants you can ask to speak with the chef, and if they are a GOOD chef, they will greet you with kindness and a welcoming attitude, because, wait for it, the customer experience is a component of their business, it's why they are allowed to charge so much. most coffee customers know a "base" for coffee but past that you can give them beans that cost 1000 dollars a pound or 10 dollars a pound, and they won't know. but they'll pay 6 bucks for a coffee if they feel welcomed.

you're on the outter edge of customers it seems. i'm with you though, if there's an item i want, i'll probably make due with a rude salesman. but it's gotta be a rare item. you mentioned a rare item, the exclusive shoe. but what if you just wanted sketchers, and there's 5 stores in the mall who sell the same shoe, and the guy you're talking with is a dick? do you not leave and go to the dick's next door and get the shoe for the same price?

sorry for the long response, but the bottom line, the basic advice I can give is this: if you don't like the place, and are leaving, when you leave, tell them the inconsistencies in the restaurant. i did that at my last job. when i left i told them a lot of the problems they need to address, and guess what? they actually addressed some I later learned. unless you want a good recommendation, in which case, it probably won't come anyways if the owner of the restaurant and the consultant both hate you.[/b]
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greatgamer · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 9:47 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 10:51 pm Post subject:

If I go to a winery, i look for that LATTER. At a winery you want drink wine, have a good time, and get to know some stuff in that order. If I went to a wine CLASS i'd want the former. the winery is a service oriented establishment, I want a somlier who knows his stuff but is also personable.

my chef example still holds true though. The chef will come out and thank the customer for coming in, chit chat for a sec, then leave. If I was at a high end place and asked to see the chef and they said that he said the servers can take care of that, i assure you i'd never come back, no matter the quality of food.
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greatgamer · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:32 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 12:21 am Post subject:

this is the place next to the hotel right, the place that you want to work at 2 days a week? again are you working there 2 days a week just for some extra cash, or to be nice to them so they're not short staffed?
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greatgamer · Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:11 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:53 pm Post subject:

so let me ask you, if you go to another place after this coffee joint, and the new place asks for your references, and you give them the restaurant place, who exactly will vouch for you and speak of your qualifications, and what do you think they will say?
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greatgamer · Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:46 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:42 am Post subject:

greatgamer · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:07 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:21 pm Post subject:

i hear ya. again, just move on. go to the new place, show your skills, get better (everyone can get better at everything), get some contacts GET SOME CONTACTS i'll say it again GET SOME CONTACTS. the owner/consultant? bad contact. forget him. everyonee else? a contact. these are people who will help you realize your goals.

also start saving up. doesn't take as much money as you think to start a business. yes it takes a lot, but if you have a good business plan and some start up capital, people will invest in you.
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greatgamer · Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:45 pm Post subject:

batmanbooyah · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:10 am Post subject:

i'm either getting the impression that no one knows "real" coffee, or coffee is sort of limited in how much it can expand, which is it?

if you're a fine chef, you should be able to make dozens and dozens of extremely delicious desserts, dozens and dozens of extremely delicious first course meals, etc. etc. to the point where your repertoire is hundreds of dishes, each perfected (as much as you can).

then on top of that you have your techniques on how to do something. one chef poaching an egg is different than other's. i don't understand "techniques" in cooking but whatever, that's what i've been told.

so either everyone you've met in LA has been working hard for awhile and is at your level or below, meaning you've reached the end of the line in terms of coffee preparation expertise, or just everyone else is sort of not as good as other areas, does that sum it up, or am i missing something?

take craft beer. beer is beer, there's what, 4 kinds of beer, some with a bit more flavor than the next in the same category, but to be called "beer" you reach an end point in terms of quality. you might taste a really good pilsner then go to another place and taste a really good pilsner that's a little better than the previous, but the previous was so good that you'd drink either of them any day of the week. and the only way to expand the beer repertoire is to add flavors, at which point it stops being beer.

but with fine dining there's no end to a pasta dish, know what I mean?

i've been working all night on some shit, so forgive me if any of the above is either wrong, insulting, or gibberish haha
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greatgamer · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:30 pm Post subject:

greatgamer · Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 5:13 pm Post subject:

Update...

Apparently, the restaurant coffee bar interviewed a couple folks this week, but none made the cut.

I spoke to one of the managers and relayed my plans for Chicago, and how things are only gonna get worse. She made note of it and told me we'll discuss it further when she has more time.

As for the current place I'm fulltiming, the co-owner let me know about his plans for the company, and I just wasn't feeling it at all. He wants to expand his stores at a rapid pace and create a chain. He seems hellbent on capitalizing on the coffee cash cow, as opposed to streamlining his menu into a legitimate third wave coffee house.

Right now, the place is a hybrid of Starbucks (too many cup sizes, syrups), third wave coffee beans, and a Chinese tea cafe (too many teas, tea lattes, and other odd/random beverages).

batmanbooyah · Posted: Sun May 06, 2012 7:29 pm Post subject:

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