Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
P aul went into the kitchen, dreading the conversation he needed to have with Zach. It was four now, so the other kitchen staff had arrived, and Zach was putting his coat on. Paul had just caught him before he left for the day.
“Hey, Zach, can we chat for a minute? Let’s step outside.”
Zach’s shoulder’s stiffened, and his eyes narrowed a bit.
He looked worried, wary, and defensive all at once.
Paul suspected he knew what was coming. He opened the back door and stepped outside.
Zach followed and leaned against the metal railing, facing Paul.
He stayed silent, waiting for Paul to speak.
Paul chose his words carefully. “How’s everything going? Are you happy here?” he began.
The question seemed to surprise Zach. “Am I happy? Sure. It’s going fine.” He lifted his chin and met Paul’s gaze. “I know my food is good.”
Paul nodded. “Your food is good. We’ve mostly heard good things. Your broiled haddock is excellent. Mandy had compliments just today on that.”
Zach’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “What is it then?” he asked.
Paul walked him through the issues with the scallops and consistency in general. He tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice as they’d had this conversation before.
“Just be careful. If scallops are underdone, it’s such an easy fix, but it’s just a matter of minutes before they cross the line to overdone and rubbery.
If it wasn’t for Mandy overhearing the two ladies complaining to each other as they left and intervening, we might have lost those customers.
And they would have told their friends.”
Zach sighed. “I’m sorry about that. I’ll be more careful. Is there anything else?”
Paul hesitated. It was bad enough to have to discuss food issues.
Mentioning behavior was even more delicate.
And in many kitchens, it was acceptable for chefs and cooks to have an antagonistic relationship with waitstaff, to snap or even yell at them.
Paul had seen chefs make servers cry more than once, and it had always made him cringe.
He found the behavior appalling and unacceptable.
He would not allow it in his kitchen. Ever.
“Please be more respectful with your interactions with servers. I know it’s allowed in other restaurants, maybe even encouraged, but it’s not here.
Mandy witnessed your behavior with Stacy earlier, and she explained that the error wasn’t Stacy’s, it was yours, so there was no reason for you to be short with her or to yell or slam things around.
Even if it had been Stacy’s error, it still wouldn’t have mattered. People make mistakes.”
Zach nodded again. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I was in a mood today, and I took it out on her. It won’t happen again.”
He seemed genuinely contrite, and Paul relaxed a bit.
He didn’t want to have to replace Zach. There were still at least three weeks to go before Jason would be back.
Paul had checked in with him earlier in the day, and he was doing well but couldn’t come back until his doctor saw him at his six-week appointment and cleared him to return to work.
“All right, that’s it then. Have a good night, Zach, and we’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Thanks. See you tomorrow.” Zach shuffled off to his car, and Paul watched him go.
He drove a beat-up Civic. It looked like he’d sideswiped his passenger side mirror and duct-taped it back together.
It looked like it was barely hanging on.
Paul sighed. He hoped he wouldn’t have to have a conversation like this with Zach again.
Because the next time, it would end very differently.