When you go to a restaurant, there are two big moments. The second one is obvious-your food comes out, it's hot, it looks good, you're hungry and you're going to do some serious eating. However, the first moment is frequently overlooked: it's the moment your server greets you. Sometimes your first impression is not a good one, but usually you get a smile and a pretty good feeling.
However, once in a while, you get a very big smile and a great feeling as if you had met your server before. Last Thursday night, after traveling 13 hours from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Lawrenceville, New Jersey, (Near Princeton) we went to dinner at the Red Lobster near the Quakerbridge Mall and it was a very memorable experience.
We were early and had a room all to ourselves and then our server, who I will call "M" (For magnificent), turned the corner and greeted us. When she smiled, I really thought the room got brighter. My wife immediately connected with her since she used to be a server and we were laughing a lot with her immediately. She told "M" we were from Myrtle Beach and "M" had a friend who lived there. My wife said that she should come down and visit and look us up. I think if we had dessert, "M" would have have been invited to stay in our spare bedroom.
My wife brought up we were Uber drivers and she told the first story. (Really) "M" did not have any other customers so we had a live audience and soon I told her two of my stories. I told her she should pull up a chair and I almost brought her one. My wife told her that I had a blog and I said, "I'm going to have to write about you," which of course she loved.
Half way through my meal, The Admiral's Feast, I realized I should take a picture of what I was eating. We were laughing and having so much fun with "M", the meal was really secondary.
The meal was over and as we got up, "M" was starting to take care of the table behind us and she brought over some biscuits and said, "I ate one in the kitchen." I could not resist and I said, "She ate one from our table too. I didn't mind the first one, but she wanted a second one too." As we walked out of the restaurant, we were laughing, the four people at that table were laughing, and so was "M".
When "M" walked over to our table she found a double tip from us and the below note for her exceptional service she gave us. It said, "Keep smiling and laughing and spreading your sunshine."
Now, I know that "M" is reading this, so I have THREE more things for her:
1. Always remember that any table you serve can be a great table and your personality will automatically make it a better one.
2. I noticed that your General Manager is also named Jeff. Print this out and show it to him. I'm sure he appreciates the service you give his customers, but something like this from a very happy customer will mean a lot. From now on, when we think of Red Lobster, we're going to think of the great dinner we had with you.
3. "M"-You had a choice of picking one of two great southern hospitality stories I have and you chose the first one. Below is the second one and thanks again for a terrific dinner and maybe we'll see you in Myrtle Beach.
THE STEAK DINNER
The woman told me this great family story of how they
try to get together every few years despite living in many different states.
She said, “My ten brothers and sisters and I met at a nice restaurant in
Georgia along with a few spouses. The
older couple sitting at the next table loved the fact that we were all family
and having such a good time. The woman
told me that she hadn’t spoken to her two sisters in a long time and one of my
brothers said that he would pray for her that it would work out. When it came
time to pay we were arguing about who was going to get the big check and the
waitress told us it was taken care of by the older couple. They even paid the tip.” I am pretty sure that family will always
remember that night, because of that couple’s generosity.
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