Great Taste Magazine

 By Todd Lejnieks

August 2010

The concept of Tao is based upon the understanding that the only constant in the Universe is change and that we must understand and be in harmony with this change. This, of course, is a perfect description on how to run a dining room or kitchen successfully.

What follows are some ways to approach what we do in our day-to-day jobs serving food to the masses, and hopefully along the way, find our own little nirvana.

Service as a Practice of Selfless Love. Anyone who dines in a restaurant knows the difference between a conscious, aware food server, and one who is just there to make a buck and get home to the TV. One can sense this, even without words, from the way a server sets down a plate in front of a customer. Do they do it haphazardly, already rushing over to the next table to take an order, or are they fully present, carefully putting the plate down with care? Are they aware of the table’s needs for refills and the clearing of plates? Or do they let the glasses run dry and the dinnerware stack up like a game of Jenga? In many traditions, “Selfless Service” is step one towards the path of spiritual awareness. It forces a person to put one’s own egoic concerns aside, and focus their awareness on someone else. By truly “serving another” without regard to payback (monetarily, emotionally, or otherwise) we become larger than our own wants and needs. The best food servers understand this.

Escaping the World of Suffering. Every restaurant worker in the world intuitively knows that leaving one’s “suitcase of problems” at the door is more likely to result in a productive shift than carrying around their bag of troubles. It’s not practicing “denial,” it’s learning that focusing on the task at hand allows one’s awareness to be in a place where their everyday worries drift away.

The Ego Cooks a Lousy Burger. Eckhardt Tolle, in The New Earth, uses his eloquence to point us in the direction of living in the moment. After all, what other time is there? Obsessing over the past and worrying about the future causes not only an inability to enjoy life, but also leads to illness, neurosis and depression. Ever spent any time on a cook’s line? The present moment is all that exists. Tickets are rolling in, burgers are getting thrown on the grill, sauté pans are heating up with oil, waiting for garlic, sauce and pasta, and a server just brought back a plate delivered to the wrong table, where a guest took a bite out of it so you have to make a whole new dish…right now! No time for blame, no time to fear the worst, only time to focus, be and do. This is as “now” as it gets and anyone ever fortunate enough to experience this knows that there are few other feelings like a line full of cooks operating at 100%. It is the dance of life of which even Shiva would be proud.

Sometimes the Universe Leaves a Big Tip, Sometimes It Doesn’t. The greatest artists and performers don’t do what they do for the applause. They are trying to achieve excellence. Be the same way when working the floor or in the kitchen and watch the results improve. It’s not about not caring; it’s about caring about what you can affect. People tip what they tip and most walk into your restaurant with a pretty good idea what they’ll be spending, including how much they are going to leave you. To paraphrase a Zen teaching, “Rocks are hard, water is wet, and the guy on table 13 just left a fifty-three cents tip for a 40-dollar meal.” Reality is what it is. Does that mean you approach your job differently based on whatever external circumstances dictate? No. And, as if by magic, when we stop focusing on the result and begin to pay attention to the process, to being the best we can be right now, the tips tend to improve.

Gratitude is the Best Attitude. There are so many things for which to be thankful for in this business. Flexible schedules, advancement opportunities, employee discounts on food, opportunities to meet all kinds of people, and in tough economic times, just having a job! Take a moment and thank God, your lucky stars or whoever it is you thank for what you have.

In Case of Emergency, Break Open These Four Words: “This Too Shall Pass.” Ok, you’re trying to be thankful, really you are. But man, sometimes the burger just keeps getting sent back and those screaming kids on table 32…well that just isn’t your type of movie! Take a deep breath and repeat the magic four words, “This too shall pass…” Because you know what? It will.

Everyone You Wait On is You. Carl Jung taught us that we are all connected subconsciously, and we can grow as individuals by delving into that subconscious and learning about it. One way to do that is to realize that everyone we meet shows us a piece of ourselves. That’s right, everyone! That grouch on table 2? That’s you, last week when you hated getting up in the morning to go to a boring lecture. The absent-minded manager of yours that lost your schedule request? She’s just reminding you of all the times you forgot to send your mom a birthday card. We are all the stars of our own movie. Fortunately for those of us in the restaurant business, we get to see a lot of screenplays being written. Take advantage by appreciating the stories other people are living and you’ll deepen your own.