Post #421447 by Bongo Bungalow on Sun, Nov 30, 2008 3:47 AM

St Tiki, it sounds like you've got your head in the right place. The restaurant/bar business is THE COOLEST business in the world! Every night is an adventure, the people you work with, the guests you meet, the stuff that happens, the craziness of it all... and you create the whole thing!

Here's one little idea: I love a place with traditions. Start some on the day you open up. At some of our locations, we do a six o'clock toast every night. The manager introduces him or her self to each guest seated at the bar and at exactly six, they all raise their glasses and toast all past guests, all future guests and especially those at the bar right now. Often, the manager buys a round for everyone at the bar of whatever they're drinking. Everyone joins in and the conversation is always livelier afterwards. I love it; it feels great! (We'd do it all all locations, but some are just too big and busy.)