Here we are in the middle of summer in Newport. A successful U.S. Senior Open has come and gone only to make room for the Infosys Hall of Fame Open now in full swing. On the horizon, the Folk Festival will be at Fort Adams soon and the Jazz Festival is queued up right behind it. Meanwhile, the Island is still a preeminent vacation spot for tourists and travelers looking for a special escape, which is keeping things busy around here, while the ongoing high temps and humidity are driving even more people to our hometown to stay cool by the ocean air. Hotels are being booked, restaurants are filling up and the whole Island is abuzz with activity. It’s go time in the City by the Sea.
So, at this mid-summer mark, we’ve got a message to all those people who have been working hard as part of the hospitality industry. These are the folks that keep the restaurants, bars, cafes, event centers, hotels and catering venues up and running. They’ve been putting in the hours all summer and they know the bulk of the summer business is still to come. For all those who are already a little worn down, overworked, and over-tired, we want to say thank you for all you do. Keep up the good work. You Got This!
Hospitality work is not the easiest. It’s long hours on your feet running around while trying to stay pleasant for the people who will arbitrarily control your pay. It requires efficient prioritization and constant multi-tasking. It calls for you to lift heavy plates, to reach over long tables and to walk through a crowd balancing martini glasses filled to the brim. You have to know when to refill someone’s drink while at the same time, know how to gauge when a complete stranger has had too much. It’s clearing and stacking plates in a steamy dish room. It’s cleaning up Cheerios on a floor from the aftermath of a rambunctious toddler. It’s mopping floors at the end of the day. And that’s just your run-of-the-mill everyday shift.
The summer months bring in a whole new set of variables to the mix. With more business comes more issues. It means longer hours so you’re getting out of work even later. Staffing is always a concern in the summer and it often means you’re called in to work an extra shift. Or when that summer staff member decided he wanted to go to a party instead of show up at work, it means someone has to pick up the extra shift or you’re all working short-handed. The long hours can wear you down. On the other side of things, the customers are in vacation mode which can mean they are more demanding than usual. You’ll have a group that made a reservation for four but show up with five people. You’ll have other groups mad that they have to wait when they show up at seven without any reservation. Some guests will question the price of a lobster roll or say there’s not enough booze in the drink. Others will yell at you for how expensive the parking is. Some people just like to complain, which is fine, but it never makes the night go faster or easier. Still, our hospitality friends push on with a smile on their faces. We see you!
And don’t forget about our comrades in the kitchens. They’re working the extra shifts and long hours too, but also dealing with the summer heat. When it’s in the 90s outside and you have to work in a poorly cooled space in front of a 400-degree oven or a flaming-hot grill, you learn to appreciate the joy of ice. It can already be a tense area to work with tempers running high fueled by a ticket printer that’s chugging away with new orders. Adding intense temperatures to the mix heightens it all. Add to that the server who is asking for table 31 because they are about to leave or a steak that comes back as overcooked and you’ve got a powder keg of tension boiling up. But the kitchen crews get it done. The food comes out and goes to the table to rave reviews. The hangry-est of guests are satisfied. But our kitchen teams can’t rest on their laurels. They still have to clean it all up and prep it for the next day. Scrubbing countertops and mopping floors until the stainless steel is shining. Then get ready to it all again tomorrow. Cheers to the kitchen crew for all they do!
The hospitality industry thrives when the summer tourists and travelers come to town. We are lucky to have such an incredible community that so many people want to visit. Our bars, restaurants, cafes, stores and hotels are all grateful for the opportunity to serve those guests and make some money. But, we too should be grateful for all the efforts that go into to making all those visitors happy. Our hospitality community is doing all they can to make great memories. And as we head towards the dog days of summer, let’s appreciate all those working hard to make it happen. We see you all and we are grateful for the efforts.
You got this! Stay strong! Keep smiling! And keep showing all those who come to Newport what great hospitality is all about. And most importantly, thank you!
Dan Lederer is a Middletown resident with 30 years experience in the food service industry throughout New England. He continues to work locally behind the scenes within the industry and remains a devoted fan of all things restaurant and hospitality-related. His column appears on newportri.com and in The Daily News. Cheers!
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