Free publicity can be a blessing and a curse. In my case, it was a perfect example of the real-world application of that old adage, Be Careful What You Wish For!
After some months of prepping and peeling, stirring and ladling, I found myself thinking that just a few more customers every day would help me avoid tossing out leftover food. Up until now, I’ve treated the lunchtime business as an opportunity for friends and acquaintances to drop by for lunch. I don’t mean to say that everyone who had a bowl of Irish stew set before them is on my Christmas-card list. It has just been a casual sort of lunch hour.
On Tuesday, an article appeared in the Tulsa World, courtesy of food critic Scott Cherry. He had called me and asked a few questions, then mentioned he would later write it up for his blog on the internet. I know the World has an active website, but I assumed the impact would be minimal for an electronic story.
Well, an editor for the Scene section picked up the item for inclusion in the printed edition of the newspaper. I was all ready for Tuesday’s business, the food prepped, the lights on, the door unlocked. I was relaxing with my cup o’ caffeine and scanning the paper.
WHAT?
The name McHuston jumped off the page at me. BAM! My skin got all goose-bumpily. I jumped out of my chair and ran to the kitchen to whip up another batch of stew. What I had made, would not be enough.
In restaurant jargon, there are a number of phrases that are used to describe the situation that developed between 11:30am and 1:30pm, the lunch hour. Several aren’t suitable for print here. “In the weeds” is used to describe a server who is running behind, or a kitchen staff that is having trouble keeping ahead of the orders.
To be frank – I was a bit beyond “In the Weeds.”
Calls were made after Tuesday’s business, in attempts to find a waitress to help me out the next day. Between a new hire on Wednesday and my daughter’s gracious assistance on Thursday, the lunch hours were much more efficient. Smooth sailing? No. Nope. But much, much better.
Today, being Friday, I found myself pretty much out of food, out of energy, and out of sorts – trying to figure a way to reduce the hitches in the process of getting plates and bowls of food out to the guests.
Dishes were still in the sink at 8pm Thursday, with me bending over the sink scrubbing up. There was no time to make an assessment of what items would be required to prep for the next day’s business. The book part of the store – the main attraction! – had been largely abandoned due to the lunch rushes and the attention required cleaning up and prepping.
Friday: Kitchen closed.
The freezer in the kitchen has been relocated, along with the stainless steel work tables, to streamline mobility. (Not so important when serving just a few folks at lunchtime…). The convection oven has been moved to the wire shelving to make the table it was on accessible for other things. Nothing is constant, but change, they say.
Mr Cherry advised me that the upward bump in business would settle down a few days after the article appeared. I remember wishing for a few more lunchtime customers. Be careful what you wish for! In truth, I’m really excited about the attention and the possibility of serving a few more guests at lunchtime. I’m in overdrive, thinking about how to make each person’s experience the best it can be.
Next week should be a little more organized.
At least, I hope so!
McHuston Booksellers
Rose District, Broken Arrow OK
122 South Main Street
918-258-3301
