Here it is September 2001 and here we go again ready to open another dining out season. 'Tis the season when everyone who took vacations, hung out in the yard and "did Bar-Be-Que" took the kids to Mickey D's, return full force to the restaurants in our town and your town to commence another season for social gathering, theater, concerts and to be seen the latest "fad" eateries. The last function on this list pertains to us! The folks who wonder out of their homes in search of good, bad or indifferent food do so with the express intention of leaving their money somewhere. They are looking to be entertained for however long it takes them to exhaust the money reserves in their wallets. They enter into the arena of the dining out scene with the expectations of be' seen by as many people they believe are influential or at best famous or a celebrity in their locale. If we have planned and played our cards right, we have created the perfect atmosphere for such desired activity to go on. We have created the drawing ard which lures customers into our establishments where they can, for a short time, become part of the rich and famous and maybe get a good meal. Mostly, they want entertainers.
You know, we have become the entertainers of the first decade of the 21" century! Yeah, the entertainers. Witness the food channel  ..... cooks as entertainers. Those of us who are skilled at creating a show as we spotlight our "show place restaurants" will be the cooks who draw the spending public into our dining rooms. No longer are we shackled to or confined to the "back of the house." We're being summoned into the dining rooms to perform before our guests. The better the show, the more rave the reviews, the glitzier the menu, the more frequently we'll see patrons return and leave their money. We can no longer be like the silly musician above and try to play on any pipe to make "music." People are too savvy, they're demanding talented
entertainers" in the concert halls, live stage productions and especially in restaurants & from its cooks. Establishments where less dm half the dining room is filled are perceived as poor entertainment and the purse strings get tight as the tongues become loose.. Oh, Oh! This can be headed for a bad review in the morning (at the water fountains around town.) No one needs bad publicity          ... if we get it, we earned it!
Know the score. Be prepared to put on a show, it's expected. Offer the flare of a bright menu and a talent to deliver the goods ..... any short fall could spell disaster. Hone your people skills to be sharper than your knives. Develop a "shtick" different from all the rest.... your signature act, so to say, and perform it flawlessly. Display your name in as many places as you can. Tell the guest that you are preparing their food exclusively for them. If they're good and frequent guests, ask them if you can use their first name featuring their favorite recipe, and print 'in on your menu. They'll sell your dining room to everyone they meet. Guaranteed!!
Remember the place where the public are entertained best is the place they'll come back to time and again, I don't care if it's a club, hotel, white cloth or Joe's diner. Good food coupled with good entertainment go hand in hand these days and those of us who fall short will suffer the consequence (?) So, Go ahead.... .  "the show must go on!" What are your chances for the best reviews and the packed house night after night? It's Show Time right now    ... light the lights, you've got nothing to hit but the heights! Go for it.