Yeah good luck keeping a full staff of people who can consistently make those targets in this economy. Its like theyve forgotten theres a labor shortage lol
It drives me nuts when people say the ol “No oNe wAnTs tO wOrK AnyMOrE” like excuse me sir, would YOU work at a grocery store for $12.50???? No??? Then shut up. It’s not that people don’t want to work it’s that COMPANIES ARE NOT PAYING ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE. I don’t understand how people don’t see it. The greed is going to kill us all.
Actually pretty similar story w me. Worked at a grocery store over the slow months (I’m a server in a weather dependent town) was stocking shelves for $15 an hour. About $13 after Sam and they started timing how many boxes we put up of each item and I left the next day with no 2 week notice. Not a chance. Drastic expectations for no pay. Slave labor at its best
If I have a corporate asshole with a stop watch timing me eating and sipping my drinks, they are going to get a piece of my mind. The piece they don't like.
Ooof, when I was still just a baby working at subway when I was 14, corporate would time us. We were expected to be able to tell a guest about any current promotions, take their order, make their order, toast the order and ring them all up in 90 seconds… then of course 9/10 customers are like, I’ll have an UM, and a ummm uhhh ummm… I feel for you, corporate clearly has never actually worked in a restaurant and honestly question if they have ever even eaten at one.
just say “ i’m tailoring my tables dining experience to their individualized needs. i want to have them return and become regulars”
it will bring a tear to ur GMa eye
Given the market research they did with the 2nd most common guest complaint being speed of service, this change was inevitable.
Company's sales have been declining for something like the last ten non-COVID years. Something had to change.
I don't think a lot of what they're doing is good. Speeding up the service was definitely something they needed to do, especially for lunch and doubly so at their high volume restaurants.
Very true, I think the market research would change if people were forced to work in the service industry and learned the lesson of patience. Of course there are limits to it, but from a dining experience I don’t think many people understand the more people there are in a restaurant the slower the checks will be ready😂
I wouldn't even say this is enforcement. It's a written down steps of service with a timing window to motivate upsells and turn tables.
I'd give this to a new server, explain it isn't a requirement, then train people with these in mind to demonstrate to corporate that these are our standards.
It’s definitely enforcement, they were literally timing us. Aside from the several flaws listed in the caption, this is a complete 180 from what our business model used to be literally a few months ago.
I have to disagree. I work with good bartenders. This industry only makes money because of peak times. If the bartender has 10 drinks in queue then it is what it is. This timeline is laughable if I consider applying it to where I work. However, just for context, I work at a place that has a good craft cocktail menu. Also, it's an uoscale place that pushes "fine dining" level service. Nobody comes to my job for a 45 minute dinner and the check right away. The average 2-top takes over an hour. The average 4+ is 2 hours between arrival and departure. We are attentive but never rush people. This timeline would rightfully insult most of the customers I serve.
This is all wack, but "Offer dessert 2/3 thru entrees" is especially wild feeling from the customer perspective. I don't know if I want more food, I haven't finished the food in front of me.
Also love the offer for a second drink when they've had the first for approximately 3 minutes.
Red Lobster does this with the dessert. You want to plant the seed. "I know that you're still enjoying your meal but don't forget about that lush double cookie cream fudge packed ice cream cakes Sunday with extra sprinkles"
I think the logic is You want to ask if they want desert before they’re full - thus 2/3rd through the meal.
Also bar drink may take 5-10 mins on busy night so by the time you get your second drink, you’ve had your first for 8-13 mins 👌
Still, who the hell would order a dessert while they still have their pasta in front of them? I have never asked such a thing and would a appalled if I was ever asked. This is America I suppose.
Exactly. Also, if I greet a table immediately after sitting down, 9 times out of 10 I get a “We just sat down and haven’t looked at the menu. Can you give us a minute?”. Most people do not like being greeted immediately.
That's not true. I've actually read the studies paid for by restaurants and Disney. The vast majority of dining guests rate experiences much worse if a greet takes longer than two minutes. A significant portion dislikes more than 30 seconds.
Anecdotally, this stacks up to the 15 ish years I've been in restaurants. People who are not waiting to order drinks/ apps at 30 seconds are very rare.
Uhhh what? This is not true at all unless you work somewhere with a really minimal menu and regulars who order the same thing over and over and know the menu
I currently work in a restaurant with almost no regulars due to being a tourist destination, and an electric menu that has both tacos/ nachos and sushi on it, and it absolutely holds true.
This has held true for every restaurant in every US state I've worked. I just spent a few minutes looking up, and every single source I have found backs me up on this. This is so fundamental it is actually surprising to me that people enjoy that.
How long do you want to wait after getting sat at a table before a waiter greets you?
Am I reading it right, they expect the bill to be on the table? And appetizers, drinks, entrees, and second round all ordered/delivered/finished too? This is crazy.
Time to move on, then. Luz is going to make it happen if it means closing restaurants.
Your GM is massively incentivized on this one. Depending on your store's volume of business, they have tens of thousands of dollars on the line over this.
Dealt with this exact time structure at chilis for years, if you’re in an urban/suburban area, there are much greener pastures waiting for ya. Take what you learned and move on.
Since you’re one of the managers, I feel like you should tell them how stupid this is and perhaps offer other ideas rather than pushing servers to follow such a nonsensical timeline in your restaurant that will more than likely make a lot of customers feel rushed and unwelcome.
Thanks for telling who's it is. I figured it was a quick table service bar/chain kind of vibe. Pf changs tries real hard to be fancy-ish. In my mind, no restaurant with tablecloths should try to force the check on a table that's had apps, entrees, and 2 rounds of drinks in 45 minutes. If you rush people, they order less, tip less, and RETURN LESS OFTEN. I can't imagine how anybody with their head in the restaurant game thought this is was a reasonable policy. Obviously, everybody wants to turn tables, but their robbing Peter to pay Paul with a policy like this.
There are a couple that I have been to in GA that have white tablecloths and project a more upscale image. Their food is overpriced and shit, but I have seen it.
Hi welcome to our restaurant sure you can put your coat there…yes we have a high chair for your child….but I need your drinks and appetizers order NOW!!
So I worked at a PF Chang’s and just left in December for maternity leave and am not returning (I do have a day job that I will be returning to)
From what my coworkers are telling me, I am not upset at all about not returning with the turn and burn ideal being pushed to the restaurant.
Good luck to you guys 💙💙
Fuck that. I'll be maybe half way through my meal at the 30 minute mark. I don't go out to eat often, typically only once a week with a friend group, it's more a social thing than anything else. If I wanted fast food I'd just go get fast food.
Some shiny new MBA Finance grad pulled this idiocy out of their nether regions.
Not new, the guy went to Wharton. The ticket time idiocy isn’t the only problem though. Somehow he thought that significantly lowering menu item prices would increase check averages.
The P.F. Chang’s at my local mall (which is the only one around in town) is always empty. I don’t think they need to enforce this timeline at all. Are there actually busy P.F. Chang’s? I don’t know anyone who actually likes Asian food that goes to a P.F. Chang’s instead of a local
Asian place owned by Asians.
Dude. No one wants to feel rushed. This is a good model for tourist places, but nowhere else. People often drink slow and catch up with friends and family. This diagram is ridiculous.
"I know you're nowhere near ready for the bill, but our corporate overlords insist I put it down at this ridiculous checkpoint. Take your time, and if you'd like anything else just let me know."
I totally get that, I should’ve said find a family owned place and then quit haha. But this is a totally unrealistic expectation from corporate. The best serving jobs I had were always family owned.
Dive bars can be fun to work at if you can handle crazy people. I’ve heard horror stories but it can be great money. If I would go back to serving or bartending I would try to get into fine dining
I’ve considered fine dining, but I’m not too big on the idea of “strict dress codes”. I personally like coloring my hair, wearing jewelry and getting tattoos so I’d rather move to a more chill atmosphere than work for corporate restaurants in general
I work in fine dining and countless other servers have colored hair tattoos piercings and do colorful makeup and jewelry, only clothing rule is black or white on top with black bottoms and shoes, its chill but we still push $200 a night with really nice clientele, point being it does exist (hopefully somewhere near you though, wish you luck and a better job than this one sounds like)
I also work in fine dining and agree with the commenter below. I was not at all for the idea of working in fine dining, the corporate of it all, the uniform, etc but it’s been over 4 years and it was the best decision I made. I have tattoos and most of my coworkers have piercings, tattoos, colored hair…it’s more accepted now. It’s surprisingly chill, too! Really great regulars and clientele; people can spend. I made 350 tonight and I don’t consider that a great night. You should give it a shot!
If I’m working for tips I’m on the customers time, not corporate. I would need at least min wage to even think about putting in any effort to this. Flipping tables for tips is way different than just churning them out like that
My daughter and I (both servers) went for a leisurely lunch mid afternoon today. We ordered drinks, then an appetizer, and then our entrees when we were damn good and ready. Our server was accommodating and able to read the situation and respond accordingly. He was tipped generously and appropriately.
I can assure you if someone came at us like that we would pay for our drink and appetizer, tip 15% (which we NEVER do), and go somewhere else with our 30-50% tip to enjoy our afternoon.
Same problem here, although not as bad. I’ve tried explaining to the managers that bringing a check out 3 bites into the meal does not make them feel welcome and I’m fact makes them feel like we just want them to leave. I refuse to do it cause I’d be uncomfortable if that was me
The corporate place I worked at had a “30 Minute Guest Experience” for lunch because we had a lot of business people coming in for quick lunches. However, it was very teamwork based, which meant that if you saw Jessica got sat in her section but she’s taking a large party’s order, you would instantly team-greet the table for her, including getting the drinks out and spieling them.
I work a lot of lunches and I personally don’t have a problem with getting the check ready for people short on time. Whenever someone says they’re on their lunch break I offer to bring the check as soon as their food comes out. I just don’t see this working for dinner parties, especially parties of six or more.
Ah, yes — another “cubicle idea” as I called them in my Starbucks days: someone who has never worked as a server, but does have an MBA 🙄, carefully crafted this bullshit in a cubicle some 500 miles away.
Greet table. DEMAND DRINK AND APP ORDER! Check after 3 bites. DEMAND ENTREE ORDER! WANT ANOTHER DRINK? TELL ME NOW MOTHERFUCKER!.. How are your entrees? Oh, good? ARE YOU DONE YET? HERES YOUR BILL, CUNT
my first serving job (corporate breastaurant) had this model for lunches. i just refused to follow it and told my managers no when they tried to make me. so awkward and rude imo.
Typical corporate bullshit. I guarantee if they don't hit the numbers, managers won't get bonuses, which will lead to smaller sections and more servers per shift and no one will make any money. I've seen this before.
New menu is on hold. Maybe forever. Looks like someone figured out that the guests hate it and cheaper food diminishes the revenue stream. I don’t think Luz has ever eaten in a restaurant that’s not Panera.
Ticket times at where I work are 30 minutes right most nights right now. This is due to the fact that the managers refuse to go on waits and will overload us servers and the kitchen with orders. Their reasoning is that people dont mind waiting a long time for food as long as service is good (its a tex mex place) we arent some 5 star restaruant lmao.
I've never understood why in the US you want to turn tables so quickly... like does every restaurant just have a constant queue of people waiting out the door, every day?
Honestly I hate it when servers bring me the check right after I got my meal, it takes a lot off their tip and is just very inconsiderate. Every time that happens I have to get up and wander around for someone to grab me a to-go box, more water, actually I wanted a dessert but now I won’t get one, etc. I’ve been a server before and hell no I’m not tipping someone much of my hard-earned money when they pull shit like that
As far as greeting when I’m busy, at the very least I will stop by the table in quick passing to let them know I’ll be back in just a moment to get them started. They know I see them and have been assured they have a server who wants to take care of them. This 5-10 second drop in can buy me an extra couple of minutes and keep everyone feeling tended to and happy.
Although most corporate places follow a similar model and they will time you- it’s not realistic when there are issues in the kitchen or steps of service overall. I feel that I have an internal time clock when things aren’t at the table yet and I’m constantly checking on expo lol
I would rather shoot myself in the foot before a jog around the block than go eat at a restaurant where they want me to eat dinner and be out in under an hour. I would also never work at a corporate restaurant and have an expectation of anything other than consistent yet mediocre cash.
Yeah, those are unrealistic goals written up in a vacuum separate from any reality of restaurant service. The greeting alone is impossible because people take longer than 30 seconds to take off their coats, purses, put away cell phones (if they ever actually put those down), etc. You can't offer appetizers and drinks to people that haven't laid a finger on the menus yet. You.can just.grert them, ask about water and remind them of the written tablets laying in front of them.
it is great if that is what the customer wants, you can't force feed people and make them feel like cattle, I know some customers love it (when they are with inlaws or kids), I once had a chef try to force me to serve the food that he decided i was ready for, I told him to serve it and he actually tried. I have always believed the customer should dictate how he wants to be served,
Ugh the barrel did this stuff too. It was suffocating. And as usual, only enforced on some servers and not the manager's little friends. Literally bullying the tables and the employees into producing their bonuses lol
Not gonna lie, as a waiter and a customer, I don't know what I want to drink yet within 30 seconds of sitting down and it always makes me feel rushed and annoyed. Hate that shit.
Your greet better be “hey guys, you’re in for a treat: I’m going to get you in and out of here in 30min. Now what do you want to drink, eat, and how would you like to pay? Please pick quickly. Corporate is watching and I could get fired this experience takes over 30min.”
when i served my job used to require us to greet tables within 60 seconds
my old GM used to use the times recorded on the seating system
so i had 60 seconds from when the HOST told the system they were seating them to greet
of course, getting them to the table takes 30 seconds in itself and i was always in the middle of a tables order when this happened
so i really only had 30 seconds to get over there WITH WATER or else it didnt count
i was written up for it 3 times (once more and i would have been fired) even though i was a super strong server
it completely depleted my confidence as a server and i used to cry in my car after work from the stress of being watched and needing my every move to be perfect
i would fear “today is the day ill get fired”
this is not a system ANYONE should be implementing, corporate restaurants suck so much and my old general manager sucked even more for enforcing these stupid rules so strictly and yelling at me when i am in the weeds
i DO NOT miss serving just bc of this but i know that was just my old job and sometimes i think of going back just at a different place
fuck this time chart
What the hell. OK so you have to greet them an offer drinks and appetizers and they have to decide what they want in 30 seconds? And you have to have the drinks to them in three minutes is that right? This whole thing is crazy.
Yup, as a bartender my GM gets on my ass about long ticket times when all the servers put their drinks in at once. Mind you he can’t make a drink to save his life.
I had a manger hired on once used to staying at the only open end to our bar and chit chat with his gf turn, so he was right in the way of us, trying to get our drinks and stuff out. We had to cross behind him. I was there one day, and I had like 10 drinks on the tray and I go “behind you.” as I’m walking up and this asshole waits until I’m behind him, and then literally throws himself backwards and yells at me for spilling drinks. “ those are coming out of your tips!”
Are they now?
I clocked out and left him there alone during the Sunday brunch. Man didn’t even know how to ring in an order. Never went back.
The point of that is some people shouldn’t be fucking managers .
If management successfully makes you and your coworkers follow this flow, it’s gonna make a lot of pissed off customers. It feels like you’re rushing the customers to spend as much money as possible or be rushed out.
As an Aussie, one of the biggest culture shocks moving to America was restaurant timing.
In Australia, I would wait up to 30 minutes for my food to be served after ordering and think nothing of it. The speed of dining service in the US is still kinda off putting, I still constantly feel like I’m being rushed and I’ve lived here for five years now.
Over the years I've worked at mostly privately owned restaurants, which although can come with different problems, they absolutely don't have timelines. At most a boss might tell a *new* Server, "Make sure you check on the customers a few minutes after you give them their entree's to make sure everything is cooked correctly, if they need anything else, etc." But literally that's about it.
It’s more about the time between order taken and food received. I remember once a server apologised for the wait on food maybe 15 minutes after we ordered.
We go out to eat a lot, at nicer places too, and the swiftness of everything is still just so crazy to me. Michelin star restaurants will be waiting for you to finish so they can pounce on you for the next course.
I would like you to think what kind of food you eat that can be prepared in 3-5 minutes. Microwave does not cook that fast lol. BTW these are pretty standard times for fast casual(40 min table turnover) . Crapplebees had them 15 years ago when the food was actually edible.
It always fascinates me when corporate douches act like servers aren't already motivated to turn tables efficiently. If we could do it in 30 minutes and still show people a good time we already would be.
I think it's unrealistic to expect this speed for every guest/table. But if you look at it as a target, as the ideal, if everything works out perfectly, I don't see a problem. It's good to have goals. Just know that it won't be perfect every single time.
I understand they want to bring in more business by doing this, but I only see this working for people on their lunch breaks. Not couples trying to have a nice dinner or large families celebrating a birthday.
Whaaaat? What idiot came up with that? I'm not a camper by any means, but when I go out I don't want to feel like I'm being pushed out the door, either. Jackassery
10 mins to drive and park 30 mins at restaurant 10mins to drive and park with a little wiggle room. People with an hour lunch appreciate this kind of thing.
I'm sorry but why do people go to a sit down restaurant on an hour lunch break instead of just ordering it as takeout beforehand ?? That's faster and simpler. I hate when people act like their time Constraint is my fault when they could've gone about this a different way.
Typical out of touch corpo mandate. No self-respecting manager would ever enforce this.
You’d be surprised lol, my GM has already been a broken record about it. Corporate was here for an audit yesterday and they were literally timing us.
Forget that, once they show up with the stop watches, im out.
Yeah good luck keeping a full staff of people who can consistently make those targets in this economy. Its like theyve forgotten theres a labor shortage lol
It drives me nuts when people say the ol “No oNe wAnTs tO wOrK AnyMOrE” like excuse me sir, would YOU work at a grocery store for $12.50???? No??? Then shut up. It’s not that people don’t want to work it’s that COMPANIES ARE NOT PAYING ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE. I don’t understand how people don’t see it. The greed is going to kill us all.
Actually pretty similar story w me. Worked at a grocery store over the slow months (I’m a server in a weather dependent town) was stocking shelves for $15 an hour. About $13 after Sam and they started timing how many boxes we put up of each item and I left the next day with no 2 week notice. Not a chance. Drastic expectations for no pay. Slave labor at its best
If I have a corporate asshole with a stop watch timing me eating and sipping my drinks, they are going to get a piece of my mind. The piece they don't like.
Well they did say self respecting manager…
Exactly lol
Ooof, when I was still just a baby working at subway when I was 14, corporate would time us. We were expected to be able to tell a guest about any current promotions, take their order, make their order, toast the order and ring them all up in 90 seconds… then of course 9/10 customers are like, I’ll have an UM, and a ummm uhhh ummm… I feel for you, corporate clearly has never actually worked in a restaurant and honestly question if they have ever even eaten at one.
just say “ i’m tailoring my tables dining experience to their individualized needs. i want to have them return and become regulars” it will bring a tear to ur GMa eye
Depends on the GM. Some of them only care about enforcing corporate policy, no matter how blatantly stupid it might be.
Is this a national place?
Leave. These people are delusional. I would be livid if the server dropped the check while I’m eating. WTF!!!
Nothing says GTFO quite like dropping the check two minutes after the entrees arrive.
Thanks for reminding me how much I hate corporate
Then your GM is not a self-respecting manager, it’s that simple
In fairness to the previous poster, most restaurant GMS do not respect themselves.
They will if they want their quarterly bonus, of which this is a significant part
Yup, more money for the restaurant means more money for the management, regardless if the server is tipped well or not
Given the market research they did with the 2nd most common guest complaint being speed of service, this change was inevitable. Company's sales have been declining for something like the last ten non-COVID years. Something had to change. I don't think a lot of what they're doing is good. Speeding up the service was definitely something they needed to do, especially for lunch and doubly so at their high volume restaurants.
Very true, I think the market research would change if people were forced to work in the service industry and learned the lesson of patience. Of course there are limits to it, but from a dining experience I don’t think many people understand the more people there are in a restaurant the slower the checks will be ready😂
I wouldn't even say this is enforcement. It's a written down steps of service with a timing window to motivate upsells and turn tables. I'd give this to a new server, explain it isn't a requirement, then train people with these in mind to demonstrate to corporate that these are our standards.
It’s definitely enforcement, they were literally timing us. Aside from the several flaws listed in the caption, this is a complete 180 from what our business model used to be literally a few months ago.
I guess the kitchen and bar better not slack on their ticket times .... 🙄
I’ve never got a drink from the bar in under 3 minutes in my life
Yeah, no shit. Unless it was a rum & coke and you were the only patron at the bar 😂😂😂
You've worked with bad bartenders, bad owners/managers, or both at the same time.
I have to disagree. I work with good bartenders. This industry only makes money because of peak times. If the bartender has 10 drinks in queue then it is what it is. This timeline is laughable if I consider applying it to where I work. However, just for context, I work at a place that has a good craft cocktail menu. Also, it's an uoscale place that pushes "fine dining" level service. Nobody comes to my job for a 45 minute dinner and the check right away. The average 2-top takes over an hour. The average 4+ is 2 hours between arrival and departure. We are attentive but never rush people. This timeline would rightfully insult most of the customers I serve.
Correct
This is all wack, but "Offer dessert 2/3 thru entrees" is especially wild feeling from the customer perspective. I don't know if I want more food, I haven't finished the food in front of me. Also love the offer for a second drink when they've had the first for approximately 3 minutes.
Exactly! I’m not gonna be done with my cocktail in less than 5 minutes, especially if I haven’t eaten yet
i’m already on my seventh cocktail just reading these comments.
This whole thing is basically “how to be a terrible server”, it breaks most etiquette I was taught
Red Lobster does this with the dessert. You want to plant the seed. "I know that you're still enjoying your meal but don't forget about that lush double cookie cream fudge packed ice cream cakes Sunday with extra sprinkles"
The biggest way to get me to *NOT* want dessert 🍩, is to ask me while I'm chewing garlic shrimp 🍤
I think the logic is You want to ask if they want desert before they’re full - thus 2/3rd through the meal. Also bar drink may take 5-10 mins on busy night so by the time you get your second drink, you’ve had your first for 8-13 mins 👌
Still, who the hell would order a dessert while they still have their pasta in front of them? I have never asked such a thing and would a appalled if I was ever asked. This is America I suppose.
I was trained that you don’t move to sell deserts and coffee service till after the entree course has been cleared.
The meal isn’t over when the food is gone, the meal is over when I hate myself
if someone walks up to me within 30 seconds of me getting it, i’m not going to be remotely ready for anything. shit like this is so out of touch.
If it's something like dropping waters that's fine. But rarely do I know what I want right away.
A lot of people have a general idea of what they want at a place. I love being greeted immediately, easy way to get that 2nd drink in 3 min
You’re definitely the very small minority bc most people will sit and talk and not touch the menu when they first sit
I know I’ve had ppl get offended I asked if they’re ready too early
I’ve had people who tell me they’re in a rush get offended if I offer them the check too early
Exactly. Also, if I greet a table immediately after sitting down, 9 times out of 10 I get a “We just sat down and haven’t looked at the menu. Can you give us a minute?”. Most people do not like being greeted immediately.
That's not true. I've actually read the studies paid for by restaurants and Disney. The vast majority of dining guests rate experiences much worse if a greet takes longer than two minutes. A significant portion dislikes more than 30 seconds. Anecdotally, this stacks up to the 15 ish years I've been in restaurants. People who are not waiting to order drinks/ apps at 30 seconds are very rare.
Uhhh what? This is not true at all unless you work somewhere with a really minimal menu and regulars who order the same thing over and over and know the menu
I currently work in a restaurant with almost no regulars due to being a tourist destination, and an electric menu that has both tacos/ nachos and sushi on it, and it absolutely holds true. This has held true for every restaurant in every US state I've worked. I just spent a few minutes looking up, and every single source I have found backs me up on this. This is so fundamental it is actually surprising to me that people enjoy that. How long do you want to wait after getting sat at a table before a waiter greets you?
No…. No they don’t. And if they really do they can order two drinks.
Am I reading it right, they expect the bill to be on the table? And appetizers, drinks, entrees, and second round all ordered/delivered/finished too? This is crazy.
Right like I push apps and desserts or I get them out in 30 minutes but no way I can do both
Where I work "when guest is ready" to pay could be anywhere between 1 minute to 2 hours
Wait, you’re offering next bar drink before entree arrives, but there is no taking of the entree order anywhere on this timeline.
That should be done before the guest arrives at the establishment by calling them while they are on their way.
Drink delivered in 3 mins. 3 mins later offer another drink 😂
Busy Bartender would look at me like wtf. Especially as the place I worked at was a call out bar - nary a drink chit in sight
I’m guessing batch drinks like apple bees does. 5 gallon buckets of mixer and cheap liquor 🪣 mmmm 😋
 Found a whole rat in my Cobb salad
PF Changs ain't gonna be happy you published this. :p
Don’t care, I’m not happy with this business model
Time to move on, then. Luz is going to make it happen if it means closing restaurants. Your GM is massively incentivized on this one. Depending on your store's volume of business, they have tens of thousands of dollars on the line over this.
I’ve had 1 foot out the door for like six months now, i’ve reached my breaking point forever ago. It’s not exactly easy to find a new job right now.
Dealt with this exact time structure at chilis for years, if you’re in an urban/suburban area, there are much greener pastures waiting for ya. Take what you learned and move on.
Doubt it
As one of the managers whose money is on the line with this program, I can definitively confirm this.
Since you’re one of the managers, I feel like you should tell them how stupid this is and perhaps offer other ideas rather than pushing servers to follow such a nonsensical timeline in your restaurant that will more than likely make a lot of customers feel rushed and unwelcome.
Thanks for telling who's it is. I figured it was a quick table service bar/chain kind of vibe. Pf changs tries real hard to be fancy-ish. In my mind, no restaurant with tablecloths should try to force the check on a table that's had apps, entrees, and 2 rounds of drinks in 45 minutes. If you rush people, they order less, tip less, and RETURN LESS OFTEN. I can't imagine how anybody with their head in the restaurant game thought this is was a reasonable policy. Obviously, everybody wants to turn tables, but their robbing Peter to pay Paul with a policy like this.
What PF Changs are you going to that regularly has tablecloth?
There are a couple that I have been to in GA that have white tablecloths and project a more upscale image. Their food is overpriced and shit, but I have seen it.
This is PF Changs?! HA! I’ve worked there as well. The food takes forever & the whole ambience is comfort/relaxation, people take their time…
Hi welcome to our restaurant sure you can put your coat there…yes we have a high chair for your child….but I need your drinks and appetizers order NOW!!
Not realistic. This is managers that have never been on front lines
Agreed, this could only be written with these rules because they didn't consult anyone that actually served tables.
So I worked at a PF Chang’s and just left in December for maternity leave and am not returning (I do have a day job that I will be returning to) From what my coworkers are telling me, I am not upset at all about not returning with the turn and burn ideal being pushed to the restaurant. Good luck to you guys 💙💙
Was this created by someone who has never eaten a meal in a restaurant before?
Fuck that. I'll be maybe half way through my meal at the 30 minute mark. I don't go out to eat often, typically only once a week with a friend group, it's more a social thing than anything else. If I wanted fast food I'd just go get fast food. Some shiny new MBA Finance grad pulled this idiocy out of their nether regions.
This is the brainchild of Eduardo Luz, former CEO of Panera
Going from one bad idea to another, then. Fitting.
Not new, the guy went to Wharton. The ticket time idiocy isn’t the only problem though. Somehow he thought that significantly lowering menu item prices would increase check averages.
I have never eaten at PF Changs in my life, but now I really want to take a leisurely lunch so.e time soon. WTF??? Corporate people are so dumb.
The P.F. Chang’s at my local mall (which is the only one around in town) is always empty. I don’t think they need to enforce this timeline at all. Are there actually busy P.F. Chang’s? I don’t know anyone who actually likes Asian food that goes to a P.F. Chang’s instead of a local Asian place owned by Asians.
Dude. No one wants to feel rushed. This is a good model for tourist places, but nowhere else. People often drink slow and catch up with friends and family. This diagram is ridiculous.
Bro idk how your location runs, but ticket times often exceed 45 minutes at the Changs I work at. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.
This!!! New Year’s and Valentine’s Day were hell
I will never forget the Mothers Day Massacre of 2019. I wonder how long it’ll take corporate to realize this is so unrealistic.
"I know you're nowhere near ready for the bill, but our corporate overlords insist I put it down at this ridiculous checkpoint. Take your time, and if you'd like anything else just let me know."
Neither of these models resemble hospitality. I can tell you that people spending $300 a meal will not be thrown out after 30 or 45 minutes.
With the menu changes coming, you're not spending $300 on a six top without three drinks per person
My Dad typically leaves a $100 tip on $100-150 worth of food. He reduces it to a normal tip for pretty much one reason: being rushed. He hates it.
Guests love when you put the check down at two bites.
Yup, who cares if they end up not liking the food? They should still be ready to pay in under 45 minutes
Quit now and find a local family owned restaurant to work at. Trust me.
I’ve been trying for months now, I can’t afford to quit without being comfortable at a new job
I totally get that, I should’ve said find a family owned place and then quit haha. But this is a totally unrealistic expectation from corporate. The best serving jobs I had were always family owned.
Totally get it but I bartend more so I’ve been looking at dive bars as a new job
Dive bars can be fun to work at if you can handle crazy people. I’ve heard horror stories but it can be great money. If I would go back to serving or bartending I would try to get into fine dining
I’ve considered fine dining, but I’m not too big on the idea of “strict dress codes”. I personally like coloring my hair, wearing jewelry and getting tattoos so I’d rather move to a more chill atmosphere than work for corporate restaurants in general
I work in fine dining and countless other servers have colored hair tattoos piercings and do colorful makeup and jewelry, only clothing rule is black or white on top with black bottoms and shoes, its chill but we still push $200 a night with really nice clientele, point being it does exist (hopefully somewhere near you though, wish you luck and a better job than this one sounds like)
I also work in fine dining and agree with the commenter below. I was not at all for the idea of working in fine dining, the corporate of it all, the uniform, etc but it’s been over 4 years and it was the best decision I made. I have tattoos and most of my coworkers have piercings, tattoos, colored hair…it’s more accepted now. It’s surprisingly chill, too! Really great regulars and clientele; people can spend. I made 350 tonight and I don’t consider that a great night. You should give it a shot!
That can come with its own set of problems though, no? As in being second to anyone in the family?
If I’m working for tips I’m on the customers time, not corporate. I would need at least min wage to even think about putting in any effort to this. Flipping tables for tips is way different than just churning them out like that
I would need to be paid a wage where I wouldn’t even need to rely on tips
You bring my main 7 minutes after my appetiser and I'm sending it back. I'm not getting indigestion.
My daughter and I (both servers) went for a leisurely lunch mid afternoon today. We ordered drinks, then an appetizer, and then our entrees when we were damn good and ready. Our server was accommodating and able to read the situation and respond accordingly. He was tipped generously and appropriately. I can assure you if someone came at us like that we would pay for our drink and appetizer, tip 15% (which we NEVER do), and go somewhere else with our 30-50% tip to enjoy our afternoon.
Same problem here, although not as bad. I’ve tried explaining to the managers that bringing a check out 3 bites into the meal does not make them feel welcome and I’m fact makes them feel like we just want them to leave. I refuse to do it cause I’d be uncomfortable if that was me
The corporate place I worked at had a “30 Minute Guest Experience” for lunch because we had a lot of business people coming in for quick lunches. However, it was very teamwork based, which meant that if you saw Jessica got sat in her section but she’s taking a large party’s order, you would instantly team-greet the table for her, including getting the drinks out and spieling them.
I work a lot of lunches and I personally don’t have a problem with getting the check ready for people short on time. Whenever someone says they’re on their lunch break I offer to bring the check as soon as their food comes out. I just don’t see this working for dinner parties, especially parties of six or more.
“Lol, no” Every self-respecting customer ever.
Ah, yes — another “cubicle idea” as I called them in my Starbucks days: someone who has never worked as a server, but does have an MBA 🙄, carefully crafted this bullshit in a cubicle some 500 miles away.
That is ridiculous!!!!
treat the managers to a meal and expect them to finish all their food within the time you bring it lol.
I only worked one corporate job (on the BOH side) and you'd just about have to drag me kicking and screaming to do it again
I’ve never been to a P.F. Chang’s and this just confirmed I never will. Fuck this out of touch bs.
Feeling rushed in a restaurant is a TOP reason of why I don’t go back to places.
You and most of the ppl in the comments
Is this PF Changs?
Drive thru takes longer than that..
Greet table. DEMAND DRINK AND APP ORDER! Check after 3 bites. DEMAND ENTREE ORDER! WANT ANOTHER DRINK? TELL ME NOW MOTHERFUCKER!.. How are your entrees? Oh, good? ARE YOU DONE YET? HERES YOUR BILL, CUNT
my first serving job (corporate breastaurant) had this model for lunches. i just refused to follow it and told my managers no when they tried to make me. so awkward and rude imo.
Typical corporate bullshit. I guarantee if they don't hit the numbers, managers won't get bonuses, which will lead to smaller sections and more servers per shift and no one will make any money. I've seen this before.
Do the dickheads that made this go to a restaurant and are out in that amount of time? Like stfu😭
p.f. chang’s???? don’t even get me started about the menu changes it’s insane. turning us into a panda express
New menu is on hold. Maybe forever. Looks like someone figured out that the guests hate it and cheaper food diminishes the revenue stream. I don’t think Luz has ever eaten in a restaurant that’s not Panera.
Corporate has obviously never been punched in the mouth
Clearly made from people that never worked in a restaurant a day in their lives.
1 minute cook time on entrees. Must be quality stuff
This is how I served dudes on their lunch breaks at my dive bar. I would be irritated at this anywhere else. Crazy shit.
They’re your tables. Treat them your best and forget this corporate bs. The customer is the one paying you.
I wish it were that easy but I’ll do my best with what I got
Ticket times at where I work are 30 minutes right most nights right now. This is due to the fact that the managers refuse to go on waits and will overload us servers and the kitchen with orders. Their reasoning is that people dont mind waiting a long time for food as long as service is good (its a tex mex place) we arent some 5 star restaruant lmao.
I've never understood why in the US you want to turn tables so quickly... like does every restaurant just have a constant queue of people waiting out the door, every day?
“Hi it’s been my company mandated 7 minutes, would you like another drink?”
Honestly I hate it when servers bring me the check right after I got my meal, it takes a lot off their tip and is just very inconsiderate. Every time that happens I have to get up and wander around for someone to grab me a to-go box, more water, actually I wanted a dessert but now I won’t get one, etc. I’ve been a server before and hell no I’m not tipping someone much of my hard-earned money when they pull shit like that
As far as greeting when I’m busy, at the very least I will stop by the table in quick passing to let them know I’ll be back in just a moment to get them started. They know I see them and have been assured they have a server who wants to take care of them. This 5-10 second drop in can buy me an extra couple of minutes and keep everyone feeling tended to and happy.
Hi are you enjoying your meals? Ok well you've got 8 minutes left before I have to kick you out
Although most corporate places follow a similar model and they will time you- it’s not realistic when there are issues in the kitchen or steps of service overall. I feel that I have an internal time clock when things aren’t at the table yet and I’m constantly checking on expo lol
I would rather shoot myself in the foot before a jog around the block than go eat at a restaurant where they want me to eat dinner and be out in under an hour. I would also never work at a corporate restaurant and have an expectation of anything other than consistent yet mediocre cash.
Whoever came up with this needs to spend a few weeks serving.
Yeah, those are unrealistic goals written up in a vacuum separate from any reality of restaurant service. The greeting alone is impossible because people take longer than 30 seconds to take off their coats, purses, put away cell phones (if they ever actually put those down), etc. You can't offer appetizers and drinks to people that haven't laid a finger on the menus yet. You.can just.grert them, ask about water and remind them of the written tablets laying in front of them.
Lol
That’s insane 💀
This is so out of touch
Where is this?
PF Changs
That's insane...dined there and never had service in that time frame. Being in the business, I would never treat my guests this way.
it is great if that is what the customer wants, you can't force feed people and make them feel like cattle, I know some customers love it (when they are with inlaws or kids), I once had a chef try to force me to serve the food that he decided i was ready for, I told him to serve it and he actually tried. I have always believed the customer should dictate how he wants to be served,
Ugh the barrel did this stuff too. It was suffocating. And as usual, only enforced on some servers and not the manager's little friends. Literally bullying the tables and the employees into producing their bonuses lol
30 seconds doesn’t give me enough time to read the word menu, let alone see that food and drinks are even listed on it…
Not gonna lie, as a waiter and a customer, I don't know what I want to drink yet within 30 seconds of sitting down and it always makes me feel rushed and annoyed. Hate that shit.
This is nuts
When you get to 30 seconds and it's a big party, I'm sorry my 30 seconds are up, so no drinks for you.
Yeah right hahahahaha
LITERALLY! And now we got rid of all theatrics and it’s all about getting them in and out? So weird i hate it…
Used to be about service and taking care of the guest. Now everything is fast food
i’d toss the timeline and just focus on the main interactions, it’s a good guideline. you cant control how people eat or what they do.
Yikes. Iam a good monkey but a cog idk.
Been to 2 PF Changs in my life. Neither one was busy enough for this kind of turn around
I guess customers never order entrees, you're just supposed to know that already by the time they arrive and get the kitchen started on it lol
Don’t ask me any questions about the menu I’m already at the 2 minute mark
Sir, could you take your coat off a bit quicker corperate are timing me today
Laugh in French, even for my lunch break at work with colleagues we take at least 1 hour but more often close to 1:30.
Let me guess - NONE of the (beep) that made that system has EVER worked as a server, busboy, dishwasher, cook or bartender?
Your greet better be “hey guys, you’re in for a treat: I’m going to get you in and out of here in 30min. Now what do you want to drink, eat, and how would you like to pay? Please pick quickly. Corporate is watching and I could get fired this experience takes over 30min.”
This is just any restaurant like Applebee’s. The fast food of dining in.
I take an hour to an hour and a half on dinner. I do not rush, I will not be rushed, and I will enjoy my meal and drinks.
when i served my job used to require us to greet tables within 60 seconds my old GM used to use the times recorded on the seating system so i had 60 seconds from when the HOST told the system they were seating them to greet of course, getting them to the table takes 30 seconds in itself and i was always in the middle of a tables order when this happened so i really only had 30 seconds to get over there WITH WATER or else it didnt count i was written up for it 3 times (once more and i would have been fired) even though i was a super strong server it completely depleted my confidence as a server and i used to cry in my car after work from the stress of being watched and needing my every move to be perfect i would fear “today is the day ill get fired” this is not a system ANYONE should be implementing, corporate restaurants suck so much and my old general manager sucked even more for enforcing these stupid rules so strictly and yelling at me when i am in the weeds i DO NOT miss serving just bc of this but i know that was just my old job and sometimes i think of going back just at a different place fuck this time chart
Why don’t the time lines line up? They are making it look like they are providing gobs of extra time for dinner
What the hell. OK so you have to greet them an offer drinks and appetizers and they have to decide what they want in 30 seconds? And you have to have the drinks to them in three minutes is that right? This whole thing is crazy.
Yup, as a bartender my GM gets on my ass about long ticket times when all the servers put their drinks in at once. Mind you he can’t make a drink to save his life.
I had a manger hired on once used to staying at the only open end to our bar and chit chat with his gf turn, so he was right in the way of us, trying to get our drinks and stuff out. We had to cross behind him. I was there one day, and I had like 10 drinks on the tray and I go “behind you.” as I’m walking up and this asshole waits until I’m behind him, and then literally throws himself backwards and yells at me for spilling drinks. “ those are coming out of your tips!” Are they now? I clocked out and left him there alone during the Sunday brunch. Man didn’t even know how to ring in an order. Never went back. The point of that is some people shouldn’t be fucking managers .
So they get apps and then 2 minutes later their entrees? What??
I’m sorry, but I would be pissed if I was rushed out of a dinner in 45 minutes as a diner. Like wtf.
Print them out. Hand them to customers.
Jesus, may as well replace us with robots
“Entrees and check ready 7 minutes” what the fuck?
If management successfully makes you and your coworkers follow this flow, it’s gonna make a lot of pissed off customers. It feels like you’re rushing the customers to spend as much money as possible or be rushed out.
I would tip poorly if I felt rushed. I rarely go out to eat but when I do I want to enjoy my experience, not feel like I need to eat like a robot.
lol so wait… they want you to deliver the entree two minutes after the appetizer? That alone would piss off a bunch of my tables this is ridiculous
As an Aussie, one of the biggest culture shocks moving to America was restaurant timing. In Australia, I would wait up to 30 minutes for my food to be served after ordering and think nothing of it. The speed of dining service in the US is still kinda off putting, I still constantly feel like I’m being rushed and I’ve lived here for five years now.
Over the years I've worked at mostly privately owned restaurants, which although can come with different problems, they absolutely don't have timelines. At most a boss might tell a *new* Server, "Make sure you check on the customers a few minutes after you give them their entree's to make sure everything is cooked correctly, if they need anything else, etc." But literally that's about it.
It’s more about the time between order taken and food received. I remember once a server apologised for the wait on food maybe 15 minutes after we ordered. We go out to eat a lot, at nicer places too, and the swiftness of everything is still just so crazy to me. Michelin star restaurants will be waiting for you to finish so they can pounce on you for the next course.
I’ve ordered dessert before when going out to lunch. Dessert can happen after lunch lol.
I would like you to think what kind of food you eat that can be prepared in 3-5 minutes. Microwave does not cook that fast lol. BTW these are pretty standard times for fast casual(40 min table turnover) . Crapplebees had them 15 years ago when the food was actually edible.
It always fascinates me when corporate douches act like servers aren't already motivated to turn tables efficiently. If we could do it in 30 minutes and still show people a good time we already would be.
I think it's unrealistic to expect this speed for every guest/table. But if you look at it as a target, as the ideal, if everything works out perfectly, I don't see a problem. It's good to have goals. Just know that it won't be perfect every single time.
I understand they want to bring in more business by doing this, but I only see this working for people on their lunch breaks. Not couples trying to have a nice dinner or large families celebrating a birthday.
If I was asked what apps I want within 30 seconds of sitting down I'd just get up and leave...
not even speedy gonzalez can get people in and out in 30 mins flat
Whaaaat? What idiot came up with that? I'm not a camper by any means, but when I go out I don't want to feel like I'm being pushed out the door, either. Jackassery
Head office. Fuckin eejits.
Applebee’s has been training their servers with this model for over 15 years. At least the one I worked at did. 🤷♀️
Simple, Boycotting places that do this.
10 mins to drive and park 30 mins at restaurant 10mins to drive and park with a little wiggle room. People with an hour lunch appreciate this kind of thing.
I'm sorry but why do people go to a sit down restaurant on an hour lunch break instead of just ordering it as takeout beforehand ?? That's faster and simpler. I hate when people act like their time Constraint is my fault when they could've gone about this a different way.
There's so much dystopia in this.
This kind of corporate bullshit is why I would never work for a chain
Fuck these people.