The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-10-25
HOTEL MANAGEMENT.
Where the Losses Oecar and the Profits
Accrue.

Where the Losses Occ1r and the Profits
Accrue.
The management of great hotel requires
as much active ability as the command of
brigade in the field The same attention to
details is necessary, and strict system,
which approaches military discipline, is fol-
lowed. The profits of a hotel may be largely
diminished or fr;ttered away entirely through
lack of Judgment ON the part of the heads of
departments and through the various leak
ages that are apt to occur in every large es-
adjustment In speaking of the losses Of
hotels, hotel man said recently:
In well managed hotel, however large,
The losses are not so great as is often sup
posed Take the provisions. With careful
buying and adequate loo house and cooling
vooms, there should be very little wasted
Things that are not used as originally IN
tended can be utilized in some other way,
as, for example, fruit which is not available
for desert eau be turned into tarts and pies.
But the greatest loss in food is caused by the
guests themselves table fhote. or course
first class house presents n bill of fare for
any meal which contains more than five men
can eat. There are some people, however,
who are not accustomed to the best fare,
aud are unable TO make selections, and they
simply go in on the principle of getting their
moneys worth. So they order everything,
and, if at dinner, so straight through from
soup to coffee, calling for every dish that
the menu contains OF course, they can't
eat one quarter of the amount, and so they
cave great deal to be wasted,
There is u chance, also for the walters to
cause loss, by bringing guests more things
than they want, in the hope that this undue
attention viii increase their fees. But the
head waiter aud controller, who stand at the
doors of the kitchen, always keep sharp
lookout for this, aud when waiter is found
bringing a guest half dozen things instead
of two that are really wanted, he is immo-
aiately discharged
When meals are served Ia carte u great
deal of money is often lost to the guest by
the double check racket" which is fav-
orite game with dishonest walters The
guest writes his orders on Il check, which
the waiter takes to TIE cashiers desk, where
the prices are put on aud the check stamped.
But while the guest is eating his meal, the
waiter secretly makes out another check
with the same orders, but with the prices in
creased from ten 10 fifty per cent. Then he
hands this raised check to the gnest for pay
ment, but gives 10 the cashier the first check
with the proper prices, aud pockets the diff.
ference. II the guest pass his check with.
out close examination, as he is likely to do
il ho has ladies with him, of course he il
swndled, aud We can't prevent it. | have
heard people say they wouldn't 20 TO the
Manhattan, Brighton on Long Branch hotels
again because the prices We're so outrageous,
and knew at once that the walters had
raised their checks The only remedy is for
the guest to carefully compare the prices on
his check with those on the bill of fare.
men. they are usually French, German or
Italian, generally speak two, three, or four
languages, and often have some edncatiof.
The best waiter ever knew was something
of lingust something of musician and
no mean artist Then he was an admirable
waiter, and had the knack of satisfactorily
serving y great many people at the same
time. His fees we're very large. He re-
ceived the usual salary of 1870 or 1856 a
month and board We offered him the po-
sition of head waiter at a salary of 300 n
month and board aud he refused it. He
i,,II MI ,I,,N In,
lose money by taking the place 80 you see
what his fees must have amounted TO.
At great seaside hotel in the height of
the season, good waiter will make from
five to fifteen dollars day in fees. 1t is
not an uncommon thing for a waiter to re-
coive II dollar Ms n single foe, and if he is
serving a large party he sometimes gets
five.
But, returning to the losses in hotels, |
come to the bar, which is really the most
important feature of II mousse No hotel can
be successfully run without bar. The
goods are not perishable, aud the receipts
are SO largely profit that the manager often
expects the bar alone TO pay the expenses of
running the hotel. No system on chech
that know of is efrectual in keeping the
barl1eepers from knocking down. still l
don't think there is much of it done at the
best houses The reason is that the best
men attainabe are selected for the places,
and they are paid good salaries.
In the past there has been considerable
money lost through hotel beats, and by cash
Il
clerk can usually measure his man pretty ex-
nctly, and il he has any well founded doubts,
1t is u very simple matter TO say that the Gus
tom of the house is for strangers to pay in
advance.
don't think there is so much money lost
in this way ms there used to be, although
hotel-keepers are still occasionally taken in.
Most hotels now fatly refuse to cash checks
or drafts for anyone. That game has been
played too often. OF course, with the large
number of employees in great seaside
house, the expenses are enormous, but the
profits of successful house are correspond
ingly great. At the Long Branch hotel,
which is probably the largest seaside hotel,
there are between 800 and 400 employees,
and the expenses of running the house
amount to about 1900 a day.-N y.
Tribune.
>.-sNR--.~ ------
VIRGINIA BARBECUE.