When Will Bars Open?

When?  When can we open too, like the restaurants are?  This is a question that is being asked of me---on Facebook and also via email.  Folks want to know why there appears to be a double standard allowing "restaurants" to serve alcoholic beverages but not allowing bars and breweries to open to serve alcoholic beverages.

To me it is not unlike the illogical allowance of dental cleanings and procedures while simultaneously barbers were forbidden from opening to cut hair.  Or like hotels being able to cram hundreds of guests into small rooms, and turn over these rooms every couple of days--while the owners of larger condos and homes on the beach could NOT rent their properties on a short term basis.  Those both got fixed thankfully.  So now--why can a restaurant that sells LOTS of alcohol be allowed to serve guests cocktails and beers on a patio---yet the "Bar" next door that does not sell food but that has a patio cannot sell cocktails and beers to guests on their patio?

It is a fair question.  It needs to get fixed ASAP or some of these establishments will not reopen ever...

Albert asks me this in an email to my office Thursday:

"I am emailing you today as the owner of a bar in Downtown Pensacola called XXXXX located on Palafox Pl. We have been open for 10 years and my employees are asking me when we are going to re-open. Now I am calling on you for guidance on this issue. Every business around us, including restaurants, bars that have a food permit but are essentially operating as bars, gyms, and retail shops are open. In some cases, operating at full or even over capacity. We have been closed since March 16th, among the first industries to close and still have no clarity on when we can open, despite being one of only a few industries forced to remain closed. XXXXXXXXXXX. believes this policy may be discriminatory.

Please let me know if you can provide any clarity on this issue for me."

Neal asked me this on Facebook recently:

"With restaurants, beaches, stores and youth sports opening back up,  there are other small businesses that still are forced to remain closed. Many are family owned with no other income. There are nine breweries in the area, and only a few  serve food, all with ample room for people to spread out indoors or go outdoors. Do you have any idea when they might be allowed to reopen? Hopefully before they have to close permanently."

When the Head-Waiter Runs the Restaurant.........Part II: "From Retaliation to Vindication--The Closed Office Door and the Internal Report's Release"

"I am in charge!!" shrieks the Head Waiter at a posh restaurant.  In actuality, he is simply an employee of the restaurant.  As a practical reality, however, perhaps the head waiter does, indeed, run the restaurant.....

Note:  This series is based upon a fictional account of an antisocial, smug restaurant "head waiter" employee that has hijacked and paralyzed an entire fictional restaurant and its staff with his antics and histrionics-jeopardizing profitability, stigmatizing certain employees, and destroying morale among the waitstaff.  The below account is fictional, an account based largely upon the author's imagined scenarios and circumstances combined with his experience working in and owning restaurants; any resemblance or similarity with any person or other entity, living or dead, whatsoever, is purely and simply coincidental....................................................................................

Part II: "From Retaliation to Vindication--The Closed Office Door and the Internal Report's  Release"

This is a story about a series of unfortunate incidents at a well-regarded, very fine French Restaurant in Escambia County known as "Chez Pretentieuse."   As discussed in Part I, many patrons of this establishment had questioned who was actually in charge of the restaurant as morale at the long-established, well-regarded dinner house began to rapidly decline.  

A departing Area Manager brought in a new head waiter in 2018, and at first many of the staff members thought this was going to be a good thing.  One staffer in particular that was an early supporter stated "I thought the new head waiter would be a good thing, with a fresh perspective on service, and recipes, and overall operations."  He continued, "Slowly, though, I realized this was not the case.  It became obvious that the new head waiter came into the restaurant with a preconceived agenda and an axe to grind.  He was picking favorites that kowtowed to his every whim and anyone that disagreed on any aspect of the restaurant service protocols and procedures was immediately made into a pariah.  What amazed me the most--the head waiter's initial 'open door' policy attitude quickly devolved into a 'closed door' demeanor.  I mean, the office door was closed most of the days-- and it appeared that paranoia seemed to be setting in, that's the way I saw it."

Several members of the waitstaff loudly complained to the area manager and the site general manager.  "We're no longer having training sessions, and we are not getting good guidance anymore!"  Others complained of the gossip being spread..."We were asked questions by the head waiter that seemed inappropriate--we were asked our opinions about our fellow waiters and other restaurant employees--including management-- by the new head waiter---It just didn't seem right--so we reported it to the Site General Manager" said one waiter, who continued, "We love working here, serving the public, and doing our jobs--we don't want the unnecessary DRAMA!'

Soon, the restaurant devolved into factions.  Customer service and operational efficiency were the real casualties of this turn of events.   Those employees that supported the new head waiter, and those that did not, became divided.   Soon, multiple employees filed complaints against the new head waiter.  Instead of waiting for the results or answering the complaints, the new head waiter filed counter complaints AND state

When the Head-Waiter Runs the Restaurant.........Part I: "Who is in Charge?"

"I am in charge!!" shrieks the Head Waiter at a posh restaurant.  In actuality, he is simply an employee of the restaurant.  As a practical reality, however, perhaps the head waiter does, indeed, run the restaurant.....

Note:  This series is based upon a fictional account of an antisocial, smug restaurant "head waiter" employee that has hijacked and paralyzed an entire fictional restaurant and its staff with his antics and histrionics-jeopardizing profitability, stigmatizing certain employees, and destroying morale among the waitstaff.  The below account is fictional, an account based largely upon the author's imagined scenarios and circumstances combined with his experience working in and owning restaurants; any resemblance or similarity with any person or other entity, living or dead, whatsoever, is purely and simply coincidental....................................................................................


Part I:  Who Runs This Place?

This is a story about a series of unfortunate incidents at a well-regarded, very fine French Restaurant in Escambia known as "Chez Pretentieuse."  Like many restaurants, it had a hierarchy of super talented extremely dedicated employees, supervisors, shift managers, directors, business managers, site managers, auditors, accountants, head waiters, waiters, food runners, bus boys, chefs, sous chefs, line cooks, valets, parking lot attendants, restroom attendants, and hosts and maitre D's. Because it was a publicly traded business--the actual owners of the restaurant were the members of the public, the shareholders.  Many customers were privately confounded by the massive numbers of employees.  Some regulars would often quip "This restaurant staffing looks like a government bureaucracy--no wonder the price is so high and the service is so slow!"  But they came back again and again because the food was good and in many respects Chez had a monopoly of sorts in the area.

"Who is in charge of the restaurant--who actually calls the shots, Who Runs this Place?"  Some customers and others would often ask whenever the occasion would arise where something was askew at the restaurant.  And this was always a tough one to answer.  But the best explanation would often go something like this:  "Chez is owned by the people, policy is created and overseen by the Board of Directors,  Operations are managed by the Area Manager who supervises the Site General Manager.  The Head Waiter is an employee of the Site General Manager but he, the Head Waiter, supervises the waitstaff (and they shall operate strictly on the state health license and permit of this Head Waiter), but the overall operation is a public corporation, publicly traded and owned!

Although "Chez" was very well regarded, over the last several years some concerning circumstances came to light and area management decided to make various personnel changes to keep the