I just spent an afternoon visiting a few restaurants around the greater Concord area, seeing what was life was like for restaurant personnel, and I can tell you, it was not great. I asked a bartender in Sunapee, “Why do you still come to work?” and was told “I like to serve people and make them happy,” which is far from what I saw in many of the customers. To be fair, there were a few people who chilled out and made the best of a beautiful day on the lakefront, but by far the majority acted like they were entitled to A+ treatment in a short-staffed world and felt they needed to unload their angst on others.
In a restaurant in Henniker, the owner had to say to a patron, “I do not need your attitude or your business, so please leave” after the patron verbally assaulted the wait staff. None of this negative behavior is making it any more bearable for any of us. We are all lucky any waitresses, waiters and bartenders are even showing up for work at this time. I asked one today, why she still showed up, and she said, “I work three jobs.” ‘Nough said. People! Use your manners, stick a smile on your face, be kind. And I do realize, the people who read editorials in the Monitor are not the problem. But let’s spread a little more joy in the world, and we will get through this.
Milli Knudsen
Henniker