(Pictured with Dan Penco)

Management, in particular, are feeling the crush of opening a brand new restaurant. We are all getting tired. Although we are much better today than we were a week ago.

The fatigue accelerated certain needs. Specifically, getting some help in place for our managers as quickly as possible.

Neveen Sourour has joined us as evening supervisor. Neveen has been in restaurant management for some time and is a huge help with all the administrative details of the place – an area in which I have no real experience.

The proud part, though, comes from promoting one of the Little Banzinis. Dan Penco is the new Flying Banzini Sous Chef. I like people who lift those around them up. Dan is one of those. He is a smiling, happy, positive guy who is keen to take on his new role and learn as much as he can from Chef Ryan Moore. If you see Dan behind the kitchen counter, congratulate him. You will find his smile and his vigorous “thumbs up” to be contagious.

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Yesterday was our slowest day to date. This is good. We needed a breather. I needed a day to run some errands and get caught up behind the scenes. Shelves needed buying, lightbulbs, paper supplies, etc.

It is a lot like evolution. You put pressure on the system and slowly, things adapt. Storage of empty bottles, for instance. Where do they go? Where does all the chemical for the dishwasher go? What about cash our procedures? The list goes on.

Today the back parking lot will finally be cleaned up from a summer of construction and we will get that outside part of the restaurant polished up. I hate the mess. Hate hate hate. It reflects badly upon my restaurant and I want this fixed.

Dave

Oh… we had our first Roughriders jersey in, too! Thanks Calvin. It didn’t help, mind you, the Riders lost to Winnipeg (our second loss of the season).