Diego

I like a morning coffee.  It is the ritual more than the actual drink.  There are other warm drinks that satisfy the need for comfort when you first meet the new day.  My ritual is walking down a few blocks to a local restaurant that converts the bar area into an Italian caffè.  You order at the bar and when prepared you take it to any table of your choice.  For me, the joy is my Italian/Spanish language conversation with my friends that operate the morning shift.  This morning I was talking to my friend Diego.  He had, uncharacteristically, a few minutes to sit down and have a brief chat with me.  Diego runs the morning Caffè seamlessly.  He greets everyone and knows all the idiosyncrasies of the regulars---and there are a lot of regulars.  You can tell the visitors by their discomfort with the rhythm of the place.  Americans really like a server.  They are uncomfortable doing it themselves or at least doing something different.  Remember this is a country where less than half even have a passport. 

As we sat at the table, I remarked how odd it was that he sat down for a moment.  This is a man who is in constant motion.  I am only there for 30 minutes but no matter what thirty minutes I am there, Diego, and his crew are constantly moving.  He tells me he manages this caffe like his own.  He has a great crew, but it is he who makes it run.  Moving from one customer to the next – settling complaints, taking orders, solving problems--- too hot, too cold; too well done, not done enough --- nothing works smoothly 100% of the time in the restaurant business.  I see my friends Daisy and Greg operate in the same way.  Constant problem-solving, constant movement. 

It is the Diegos of the restaurant world that are required to have a successful operation.  Perpetual motion machines capable of solving all problems, all the time.  The restaurant business looks fun for the brief time you are there, but if it were not for that constant movement of the consistent problem solvers you would still be waiting for your order.

Could I have another cappuccino? --- Grazie!

Prego!!!!