Marriage and the Art of Restaurant Management

Many of you know our story, how we purchased a failing meal assembly business just before the onset of the “great recession”, fumbled our way through various iterations and then began the work of creating a restaurant where there was none, even though our cash had already run out and the economy was as bleak as it's been since the ‘30s. Boy oh boy was it dicey. Janet and I were like two endurance horses pushing each other to - and sometimes past - our limits. Janet could not have done it without David. And David certainly could not have done it without Janet.

There is actually quite a bit of work that remains in order to fully incarnate the restaurant. But it's working now. The people come and they enjoy their experience. The staff is happy and they are able to support their families. The bills get paid. Hooray!

Janet's biography is one that has always had a restaurant and cooking as part of its story. Janet is a restaurant lifer. I am not. I often say that my qualifications for the job as Director of Customer Experience are based on 35 years as a grumpy diner. However, my ability to channel Janet's creativity and talent into the creation of the business that provides her satisfaction and fulfillment was made possible by my 40 years of experience as an entrepreneur. I love being a restaurant owner, but I've never wanted to be a restaurant manager. Janet and I tried for a while to divide the labor of managing the restaurant operations. But the prospects for these two strong personalities and war tested battle-mates to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder and steer the business happily through calm waters became problematic. As a team, well, “…there’s bound to be a fight!” Just too much horsepower for cruising I guess. Janet is perfectly capable of running the business on a day-to-day basis without my meddling. These last two months I backed away to create the space for her to step fully into that role, which she has done beautifully. I moved my office to the house and focused on picking up the administrative details that were scattered about my desktop and knitting together the frayed edges of our home life.

I'm grateful for the spaciousness that allows me to get back into my writing and focus my efforts on behalf of Janet in the areas where I can do the business the most good. Meanwhile, I contemplate the next big thing. Something like: funding a micro-finance initiative to support businesses in the Philippines in their efforts to remediate the effects of climate change, changing weather patterns and rising water levels on their island communities. You know, something easier than starting a restaurant.

I am in the restaurant most days from time to time and I try to be there during busy dinner hours, especially Friday and Saturday night. I am spearheading the work to reinitiate regular winetasting dinners. If you haven't seen me for a while and would like to, just mention this to the staff when you make your reservation and I'll try to make a point to come in while you are dining. It is a good thing that we are taking these next steps as it makes both our professional and our personal lives more sustainable. I am excited to be off on my next adventure. But I do miss my friends and I hope to see you soon.