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ONE
In theory,Mondays were the dead zone when it came to restaurant life.
This was the theory, but not exactly what I was seeing as I looked over the dining room at ten in the morning.
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays were buzzy and busy. It was May in Crescent Cove, and my customers were hungry for the longer days. And luckily, that included my exceptional food and drinks. The Mason Jar had boasted a packed house since Thursday, and it seemed like Monday was going to be the same.
Mondays were for recovery, balancing the books, and paperwork. Not exactly my favorite thing to do, but it was a cycle I was used to.
Then again, it wasn’t usually ninety degrees this early in the season, let alone before noon. I was relieved to see Rami and Esther were jumping into action. My hostess, Sara Beth, was seating people and the morning crew was clearing tables and rapidly setting new places.
I’d called in reinforcements because of the interviews, but I’d figured I’d have to send someone home. The revenue-conscious half of me was happy to see the dozen or so people who had just been seated, but the other half was worried.
Summer staffing was in process and I had a feeling I’d need to up my previous number. Especially since I was also adding a party barge to the outdoor activities for the summer. The Mason Jar sat on Crescent Lake and we had prime real estate with multiple docks.
I’d just recently upgraded a boat launch for water-set picnics. My kitchen had perfected the to-go lunch for those who spent the afternoon on the lake. I was even toying with the idea of a boat version of UberEats.
I had a lot of plans, but it required people and new employees.
And that meant interviews.
“Hey, Boss.”
“Hey, Rami.”
Her sweetly freckled face warred with the fact that she was stunningly gorgeous. Her dark hair was scraped back in a high ponytail against the heat. She wore a The Mason Jar black T-shirt with a pair of black shorts and her ever present kicks.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I called in Christy and Megan.”
“No, I’m glad you did. I was just wondering how I was going to do the interviews with all this extra traffic. Any idea why we’re so busy?”
“According to Patty Duncan, there’s a flea market on Main.”
Patty Duncan was one of the many town busybodies and part of our hub of information since she was addicted to our morning coffee service. “Well, shit.”
“Yep.”
I raked my fingers through my hair. “All right. If you need to call anyone else in today, go ahead.”
“Got it. Oh, and your first three interviewees are here.”
“Three?” I’d specifically staggered them so I didn’t have people waiting.
“Yeah. I think they’re anxious. I set them up at the second level bar so they’d be out of the way. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if the drinking starts before noon today.”
I blew out a breath. “Guess we should call in some of the bartenders too. It’s too hot to have people on the back patio.” I moved to the windows and Rami followed me. There wasn’t a cloud in the damn sky. I could practically feel the sun sizzling the deck.
I made a mental note to have the umbrellas and pergola shades be pulled out of storage. It looked like summer was definitely making herself known before the holiday this year.
“If you need overflow from the dining room, push some people onto the second floor patio instead. There should be enough shade up there to eat comfortably.”
“Got it.”
I gripped my small tablet and started up the stairs to the second level. “I’ll probably be out of pocket for the next few hours. You and Esther have the floor.” I glanced over my shoulder. “If you are jammed up, call in Gillian.”
Rami’s nose wrinkled.
“I know. She doesn’t usually work Mondays, but if it’s going to be this crazy before the lunch rush, we might have to drag her in.”
