Karma is Cruel
I was working as a General Manager at a struggling restaurant–struggling despite excellent business, because the owners would do stupid things like take trips to Italy on the company dime to source the “perfect” panini press. The owners also didn’t properly staff the restaurant; I was there six days a weeks, from open to closing, as well as handling phone orders, managing inventory and other management duties. I was overworked but I put up with it because I got a good base salary plus tips.
To fund these extravagant “business” trips the store had to cut costs. They decided to do this by bumping me down to minimum wage for tipped employees–effectively cutting my salary to 1/10 of its previous level. They didn’t tell me about the mistake until I received my new tiny paycheck.
I was unaware that I had been working at the new, lower rate for two weeks. I’m pretty sure this is against the law but, hey, there are a lot sketchy things that happen in the restaurant business. ….a few hours later I was fuming, and I decided I couldn’t work at the lower rate.
They brought in a former delivery man who had been fired just a few weeks earlier, and talked about hiring him for our Facebook posts and to hand out flyers all over town. Whatever. When I heard them say that they would pay him close to what I used to earn as “Promotions manager”, my heart jumped. What??? What???
It gets worse.
This guy suggested asking our friends to post positive Yelp reviews. The boss laughs and says, “Better don’t ask our waitress for one. It’ll be all bad, don’t eat here, I can’t afford to pay my rent because they cut my salary without telling wahhhh!”
I was furious! I quit the job on the spot and told them they were screwed. I wished them luck in keeping the shop open without me. I knew they were wrong, since neither one of them could do anything more than collect the money once a week. They begged for me to stay. They were so desperate, they allowed me to tell them in detail what kind of idiots they were for a half-hour.
They listened quietly, nodding, and apologized. After I calmed down, I left the restaurant 30 minutes before dinner rush. I didn’t know how to open the register or staff the floor. They were idiots. They listened when I told them how stupid they were. I had no repercussions, since the restaurant industry doesn’t check references.
The restaurant closed about 18 months after I first visited it.
