He's Probably Nuts
Yesterday, the New York Times launched a blog called "Start-Up Chronicle: Are You Nuts?" The first post is about a restaurant start-up. True, there’s nothing inherently interesting in that subject given the thousands of ambitious people who have opened restaurants over the last 20 years. In this case, however, the blogger, Bruce Buschel, is the guy opening the restaurant.
Here is a taste of Bruschel, oddly enough, in conversation with himself:
| What kind of restaurant you starting? Fish. Fish? And what else? Sure, vegetables, what else? But you’re going to serve some meat, right? Some burgers and steaks? You’re nuts all right. What if a party of six wants to come to dinner, but one guy doesn’t eat fish? No meat at all? No chicken? So it’s an organic/nouvelle/locavore/fish restaurant? |
The restaurant is on Long Island, in the Hampton’s. Which already has plenty of restaurants. By the way, Buschel has no experience in the restaurant business — or any business related to food. Nada. Still, he has plenty of rules his staff must abide by once his place opens (next April, maybe?):
| Never wear perfume. Never touch a patron. Never let the wine bottle touch the glass. Never announce your name. Never tell a joke. Never blame the chef. Never say “good choice.” Never steal any money. Never tell anyone your favorite dessert. Never interrupt a conversation. |
Chain restaurants must drive him crazy. After all, touching a patron, especially a male, is a recommended way for female servers to increase tips. And tell me that blaming the chef — or in the case of chains, "the kitchen" — isn’t a time-honored technique to explain why the entrée is goofed up. Never tell anyone your fave dessert … dude, that’s called suggestive selling!
Who does Buschel think will work for him let alone eat in a restaurant that doesn’t serve burgers?
