May 5, 2020
You’re a sunflower.
Ruby Tuesdays won’t reopen. The Italian oven won’t reopen. How many jobs are now gone forever, how many people are waking up scared today? Scared more than they were yesterday. It’s hard enough to live working in restaurants, trying to pay your rent. Trying to provide for your family. Trying to pay off student loans, car payments, electric bills and phone bills. We don’t make a lot of money in food. The margins are tight, it’s not why we do it. We do it because we love what we do.
Working in a restaurant was never part of my plan, let alone owning one. I wanted to be a teacher. To guide young minds, be a positive influence, like the teachers in my life. I had been here for a decade before I understood that I was a teacher, not someone who just makes sandwiches. I make sandwiches second, I try to teach first. Kat makes sandwiches second, she tries to teach first. How to handle difficult situations. How to self manage. How to stay active. How to be creative with ingredients and style. How to believe in the team not the individual. That last one is one of my favorites, we are stronger together than we are by ourselves. Together we can feed thousands of people, alone I’m just scared.
Brandy said something pretty great last month, and I think of it more than I admit. I don’t like compliments, I shy away from praise. It’s always been uncomfortable for me as I don’t believe in me, I believe in us. We were talking about leaders, sports, politics. I mentioned to her how someone in the news had called themselves a cheerleader for America, and the reply on the great Twitter was “we don’t need a cheerleader, we need a quarterback.” Brandy called me our quarterback, leading the team. I humbly accept the compliment and challenge.
All of us in restaurants are nothing without each other. You won’t find a place that can survive with just an owner or a GM and no team. You won’t find a place with just a team and no QB. We’re in this together because we believe in something greater than ourselves. It was my idea to open up PHP to anyone in need of a meal. It was the right thing to do 2 months ago, it’s the right thing to do now. Damn the cost. But it’s these wonderful people who work here that make it happen every day. I hope they believe as much as I do in our greatness to each other.
Today’s quote comes from a princess.
This is perhaps the greatest risk any of us will ever take
To be seen as we truly are.