this is quite the coincidence

most of my friends are in the service industry. on sunday, i asked my friend 'a' (who was working at the time) if she used an order form or if she used her memory alone for orders.

what she said was, she CAN use her memory even for big orders IF they're almost all straight. when people start modifying or substituting, THEN she said she has to write things down.

and this article was in the wapo this morning (as i said, coincidence)

don't know if the author is using the word 'waiter' for both genders (as is sometimes done). i sure hope so. if not, women (once again) don't count BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MENTIONED AT ALL


The old-school way of memorizing diners' orders is fried

By Steve Hendrix

Washington Post Staff Writer

Richard Weber can still do the hardest part of his job with both hands behind his back, literally. But maybe not for long.

Weber, a waiter at Washington's iconic Palm restaurant, is a 20-year professional who prides himself on fast service, deferential courtesy and, most important, impeccable and unassisted memory. During a lunch rush last week, he smoothly kept track of the food and beverage demands of almost 20 diners, an ever-shifting matrix of steaks and salads, cocktails and Cokes, running credit cards for some, describing specials to others.

All with nary an order pad in sight...............

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