6A - JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, March 31, 2021 Building Plan Review Restaurant re ections: A and Inspection Services server, not a servant estaurants are fun. They are stainless steel, walk-in fridge door with warm places, with food and drinks a sign that read: “Due to social distanc- Request for Qualifications Rand atmosphere. We go out so we ing, only one person can cry in the walk- don’t have to serve ourselves. We can in at a time.” order from a menu and pretty reliably This meme circulated through al- expect something yummy to consume. most every restaurant worker I know. A Teton County Planning & Building Services Department Maybe we can catch a buzz at the friend of mine from Atlanta, and banter with a friend we haven’t Georgia sent it to me when I fi rst saw it. is requesting qualifications for temporary Building Plan seen in a while. Servers past and present all laughed at Restaurants are organized chaos. Ca- it because, unfortunately, crying in the Review Service and Building Inspection Services for the maraderie amongst the staff is common walk-in is painfully common. It seems with staff having a shift that almost everyone who Teton County Planning & Building Services Department. drink after guests have left. has ever worked in service If you’re one of the million or has done it. more folks who read “Kitch- GUEST SHOT When I was 19 I worked en Confi dential” I’ll tell you Hannah Trask as a waitress in a RFQ packages may be obtained online at the Public Purchase what, Anthony Bourdain busy downtown bar in Bur- website, http://www.publicpurchase.com. The bid ID number isn’t far off the mark. He lington, Vermont. I would made his life into restaurants, food and arrive at work at 11 a.m., slice lemons is 140524. Vendors must complete the free registration on atmosphere. and limes for an hour in a basement, get COVID-19 gave us a lot of things coffee for the manager from the local gas the Public Purchase site. Assistance with registration can — Zoomers, masks, and quiet Friday station, restock and , and oc- be obtained by emailing [email protected]. nights. It also revitalized a burgeoning casionally change kegs. This was all for work-life balance movement. Suddenly, $3.50 an hour because I didn’t start mak- Qualifications must be received on or before 5:00 PM on April 9, a lot of folks were more productive. It ing money until the fi rst guest sat down seems you don’t need to suffer through usually around 1 p.m. My income was 2021 at the Public Purchase website. an eight hour work day to complete almost entirely comprised of tips. This is tasks that only take four to six. true in almost all restaurants in America. The one industry that has not To be honest, for the most part, peo- Teton County reserves the right to reject all submitted changed is the very industry most folks ple are kind. But, as with anything, cannot wait to return to. While res- some are very, very unkind. qualifications and to waive informalities and irregularities in taurants all over the country have re- After fi nishing my degree at the Uni- mained closed for a decent portion of this versity of Vermont I moved to Jackson. I proposals. Firms or individuals may submit qualifications for pandemic, most, if not all, restaurants in started working at a local restaurant. I either Building Plan Review Services and/or Building Inspection Jackson have remained open at varying was serving on a busy night, upwards of capacities. This is good, for the most part. 10 tables, each with 2-6 people at them Services. A huge portion of the working population and all with specifi c meal requirements. in Jackson works in the service indus- I was having a hard time keeping up — try. We need to make money so we can in the weeds as we call it. One of my ta- Questions are to be posted on the Public Purchase website. All pay our bills, buy groceries, continue to bles asked for another mustard, which I whittle down student loans, and — if we promptly forgot to bring because I was questions and answers will be available to all bidders. can afford it — treat ourselves to a new overwhelmed by how many people were pair of jeans every now and then. counting on me to serve them quickly. While my gripe with the service in- A woman at that table decided that I dustry isn’t necessarily a product of was a negligent, uneducated and fl ighty 390798 young woman and made a point to tell COVID-19, it certainly has not been me that I was an idiot and that she changed by it. A common mantra or needed her mustard now. I apologized phrase I have used in my 10-plus years profusely, brought her the mustard, and serving food, making and promptly made my way to the walk-in, 4 STEPS FOR A cleaning up after people is: “I am a serv- where I sobbed for about 30 seconds, er, not a servant.” and then went back to work. That table SMOOTH TAKE OFF Yes, I am being paid to serve you, the tipped me 5% on a $100 tab. guest, to my best ability. If you ask for I have never been able to wrap my an Old Fashioned, I’ll make you a good head around the ability some people one. That’s my job. I have no problem have to completely reject empathy or Check in and PAY for with doing my job. I like making cock- understanding for other hard working 1 tails, and I’ve worked hard over the past people. We are just trying to make a liv- your bags online the 10 years to become a bartender. ing like the rest of you. A lot of us have I read about cocktails and study student loans, or other goals to fi nance. night before your flight them. Which kind of bourbon will make Some choose to stay in the industry be- this Manhattan more balanced? If I use cause it affords them the lifestyle they this tequila, will the vanilla overpower prefer — free daytime hours that most or confl ict with the Chartreuse? 9-5ers only dream about. In nice restaurants, servers look at To be honest, I have been yelled at menus and study them — they can tell by strangers more times than I can you the difference between chimichurri list. Every single person you know who PRINT the receipt and salsa verde. They can tell you exact- has ever worked in the service industry and keep the digital ly which cut of steak you will get, how probably has at least one story about 2 it will be presented, and which wine on that time they cried in the walk-in. confirmation the house list goes best with it. What I’m getting at is this: the next Last summer, a pandemic-inspired time you go to a restaurant, remember meme that made the rounds showed a See SERVER on 7A FACIAL Arrive AT LEAST COVERINGS TWO HOURS REQUIRED 3 before departure with online Teton County check-in receipts Public Health Carl Kauba (1865-1922) Order #20-6 “Chief with Stone Club & Shield” Relax and enjoy 19.5” x 10” 4 COMPLIMENTARY 389966 Wi-Fi and Jackson Hole hospitality in the terminal 307.733.2669 • www.fightingbear.com • 375 S. Cache Open Monday - Saturday 10 am to 5 pm • Sunday by appointment only 387705