Craving for bagels again

I've noticed that there's not even a picture of my sweet sweet bagels in here, although i can remember strictly that i have written about it. Apparently i only shared the pictures in my facebook page. Anyways, here's a preview for you.

Who wants to come over for breakfast?;)

Back to Life

The first free day i had, we celebrated with a beautiful breakfast followed by some incredibly delicious icecream... Maybe i should try icecream aswell;)

Day X: End of D Days

I'm glad to announce that this marathon will be over by the end of this friday. YES...

And as a gift of departure, I get two consequent double shifts. Who else would have thought of a better present?:D

Couple of things I've learned (both from the experience and the readings i was able to do at work) other than what kind of an ass I shouldn't be as a boss :

- An all-inclusive restaurant is a tough business and apparently that's why all fail here in Istanbul, because they just wanna serve everything. You CANNOT be an everymeal, anything restaurant. Specializing is of high importance.

- An all-inclusive restaurant with a sales section is a stupid job. You can never satify a whole day's client if you have only one kitchen and a dozen workers for wholefood sales, catering events, special orders, last minute special orders and the 'casual' restaurant orders. Evvvereything gets delayed. Go ahead and open a supermarket or better yet a mall:)

- Bad management> unhappy employees > unhappy customers > low tip rates> unhappier employees> lack of attention> worse everything:(

- you never have the right to assume anything if you haven't done that specific job for at least a couple of -very busy- days. Not ever...

- Customers are customers, they will want more and more. Having some principles elevates the quality of both your restaurant and your customers.

- Good food is a form of art. Accepting mix-matched orders from the customers is an insult to the chef.

- A good social circle can work even the worst of all resturants...almost:D

Anyways, i will be back into production by next week. And I have some plans and surprises. A late birthday cake and truffles coming up next;)

Day 26th of March - Sad but True

One good-working bartender of ours was fired this week. Another service member has decided to leave ASAP and the rest, including myself, is just counting days.

Today's subject:

The legal limit of working hours is 45 per week in Turkey. We work 9 hours a day and 12 hours once in a week, in a total of 6 work days. So, i work a total of 57 hours in a week. This week, though, i did a second 12-hour marathon because of a badly-planned catering event. Because we have nooo other person to go in our 50-membered crew, nor do we have the finances to get an extra (that's what they call a daily rented staff). So, they send my partner. And the funny thing is she goes only as a waitress. We are the only couple, by the way, whose schedules are strictly dependant to eachother.

Anyways, by the end of this saturday, I probably will have done 63 hours of work.

So...

Our accountant was here today and I humorously asked him why we don't get paid for the extra hours we work.

-BTW: those extras are not a situation of 'CAN YOU PLEASE', but more of a 'YOU WILL, PERIOD!'-

What would you say his answer was? He lists me the hours he worked this week and says he worked a full 48 hours only in the last two days, so be GLAD!

?!?!?!?!?!?!

Do I really look stupid? Seriously?

And when I tell him that the existence of a worse situation does not make mine more tolerable, he says it does. And the real annoying part comes later:

" Instead, think about the rights we don't expliot. We pay your insurance by your full salary. Noone does that. Ha?! If you don't like it, go back to a bank..."

I didn't know that I should feel gratitude for the things they are already legally binded to do. WTF?

Slavery rulez:)

Will I survive as a future-restauranteur if I sustain ideal working conditions or do I also have to get corrupt?

THANK YOU FOR BEING NOT FULLY-CORRUPT:)

PS: I do realize that the working conditions are always harsch in Turkey, but all these could have been tolerable if a motivational environment existed. Your staff's motivation and mood directly reflects on the customer and in return on your finances. So just make them happy to make your customers happy... Am i missing out on smt?

Day End of Second Month - written in 24th of march

Such an awful day...

I did my second 12-hour shift for the week and found out that I would also be doing a 12 on saturday?!#$&*#...

Ofcourse, we don't get paid for the extra hours we work. And apparently, coming late or leaving early the next day is out of the question.

So, what could make this work anyways?

YES, a little appreciation, a thank you or a small motivational sentence. Instead what do you get? An evil snob smart-ass face saying nada, or already yelling at you for some other stupid thing. YES, we are her bitches:) Slaves not worthy of any appreciation, non-human workers...What a bee?!?!

Time to find a new job...