A friend was reminiscing about her first job after leaving babysitting behind. It was working in a luncheonette which is a smallish neighborhood restaurant that serves home style cooking, the kind that brings comfort when you need it and even when you don’t. It was a temporary summer job that wound up forming a basis that she relied on throughout her life.

She said it was easy to love her customers by listening to their stories while serving breakfast and lunch. When some of the regulars didn’t show up on a particular day, she had to inquire why, reaffirming nothing was wrong in their lives. A bonding formed and they followed her life, staying in touch for several years after she left school. But the shift that came in to serve dinners loved her too. She was a good teammate to the wait staff even though she didn’t actually work with them.

They appreciated that when they came on shift, all the salt and pepper shakers, as well as the condiments had been filled. The pantry was restocked and in order. They never had to go hunting down an item they needed for their diners. Her station was always clean before she left and they never had to pick up after her. She even left the boss in a good mood.

Food servers in a community have a much larger picture to work in. Their dining room serves many more people from varied cultural backgrounds and sometimes with physical disabilities. But the teamwork effort works in the same way. When a shift is considerate of the food servers who come on next by refilling what needs to be refilled, by stocking the pantry, and tending to the little things that can make working a pleasure or, if not done, can create annoyance that builds discontent in the workplace. It’s wonderful to see food servers and food handlers helping each other during mealtimes, but it also makes a tremendous difference when the shifts of food servers respect the ones who come to work next. It’s communication without words. It’s the teamwork that Kind Dining® demonstrates.

Our B♥ Kind® Tip: Setting higher standards in dining is a positive change; embrace it!