The side of Hospitality that no one talks about

Before I set foot for the first time in a restaurant as a worker, and not as a guest, I wished somebody had told me that, in one of the most fast-paced and stressful environment ever, it was not all about good food, good wines, good drinks and good service.

I wish somebody would have told me that 51% of the experience and of the restaurant business is food & beverage, but you have a 49% which is something else, that" boring but necessary part" for people like me. That part is made up of several elements that sometimes has nothing to do with the taste, but it is almost as important as the croquette of pigeon that is served that night.

I am thinking about the economy, orders, deliveries (and missing deliveries), shift, organisations, machines, taxes, banks, loans, swiping the floors, cleaning the cutlery, polishing it, flowers - together with machines/windows/doors that break, alarms, staff that doesn't show up for his/her shifts or resign (or worse, disappear all of the sudden), customer complaints, customer crazy wishes, incredibly late nights, shifts in hangovers, paychecks that are not paid, hours that are not counted, stress levels almost intolerable.

Despite this apparent chaos, restaurants and bars open and close, every night that they're supposed to, in almost all the worst-case scenarios. I guess most people that work in hospitality because they love it, love the balance between the incredible food and drinks experiences that create memories for astonished guests with the chaos that had occurred before the entrance door was opened at 5 pm.

I wished I knew that it was not only about how that Barbera on the list tastes like and matches wonderfully that croquette of pigeon, but it is also about a few other things that may not be as enjoyable. Just don't forget that the" boring but necessary part" constitutes 49% of the job. The 51% is pure magic.