Evening star., 1902-08-12
FOOD ON THE JUMP
How Business Men Are Fur
nished With Quick Lunch.
BUILDING UP A. TRADE
THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIoNS
OF A RESTAURANT KEEPER.
Many Glimpses of Human Nature Has
the Man Behind the
Counter.
BUILDING UP A. TRADE

counter.
Just let me tell you little story Of life
as the restaurant man sees 1t" remarked
the proprietor of a popular restaurant and
lunch room to Star reporter recently. In
feeding over GOO people every day-mostly
men-there Is a variety of human nature
presented, variety Of appetite to be met
and altogether mixture of animal and
human which is wonderfully educating.
After all, this business of feeding people
is a good deal like politics. The people
make the issues by popular waves OF
thought. and the politicians supply the red
fire and emphasize and season the dish with
the issue demanded. So here we do not go
to market in the morning decided that
the 600 people who come In during the day
shall eat just the certain things which we
may be able to buy-perhaps at bargain.
We have got to constantly feel the public
appetite, to watch the proportion OF our
prepared dishes of foods which are selected.
ITO be sure, we are experimenterS we
are constantly trying to create something
new in the way of an attraction. Just to
illustrate this let me give you little bit
of restaurant history.
A Steady Growth.
when this place was opened eight years
ago nor my partner knew nothing about
the business. We fixed up the place at an
expense of about 81. 900. The day we opened
We laid In a plentiful supply of coffee and
sandwiches. For dessert we thought We
would feed our customers cream puffs. We
bought four dozen. Well, the day went by
and l think we sold six cream puffs. We
had, however disposed of $3.50 worth of
coffee and sandwiches.
Our friends sized up that night and
the advice from all was that we had got
up against it We were told to quit. We
were not cutters, though, and the next
day we saved money by not buying cream
puffs. Our receipts were increased also
by the sum of 10 cents Well,
We kept on. For thirteen days with
out break our receipts were larger
at the end Of each day by 5, 10 or even so
cents. The thirteenth day we fell behind
from the previous day just cents; but
the tide had not turned for good, and the
next day. and for three months In all. the
receipts of the business Increased, one day
over the preceding. To show you how this
has kept up for eight years let me say that
our receipts yesterday, which was the larg-
est of any day in our history, were $12S.
Problems to Solve.
''Of course, our facilities have had to be
increased in proportion, and our market
bills are larger by many times. The prob
lens We have to solve now, however, are
not the ones we were wrestling with eight
years ago. Now 1t is the question Of having
our service kept to the same high standard
as when we could give more time and per-
sonal attention to each customer.
Why. now, the question of securing
knives becomes a problem which we have
to solve with machinery. How shall We
keep our kitchen in that spfck and span
order so desirable and yet cook the many
orders which go to it during the eating
hours of the day. In our case, in solving
these problems, we have had to create new
departments; provide separate rooms for the
doing of certain classes of the kitchen
work For instance, We have a room where
fish is prepared for the fire, another where
the vegetables are prepared The pastry
cook has place to herself, with a store
house handy, while the fires are arranged
IN rows near together in another room.
I'VE find our customers Just as much in
terested in the details of the business as
We are. They visit our kitchen, inspect
our food. make comments and suggestions,
all Of which we are delighted with.
The Bane Of the Restaurant Keeper.
"Oh, yes, We have the cranks to deal
with Now just let me ask you who do
you suppose is the greatest nuisance to
the Washington restaurant keeper.
1T Is the disappointed office seeker He
has made his debut in Washington with a
large roll and larger hopes Of what Is to
come to him. He first goes to the first
class hotel. He lives in style and calls on
his political friends. His political friends
90 not seem to get the proper
action. His roll gets smaller, He
finally looks matters squarely in the
face. He has become accustomed to the
turn down. and he feels that II he can
only manage to stay here little while
longer he may yet land Well. the result
Is that he goes next to a cheaper hotel,
then he takes up with a boarding house.
tnen he takes a room and eats around
ana then Is when we get him. He comes to
US with all the education he has received
In his first-class hotel He suggests that
ne should have finger bowl; he wants
two sets OF knives and forks with which TO
eat his different meat dishes. and he scru-
tiniZes everything with but the one END In
vieW-of finding fault. We know him the
minute he comes in. this shabby genteeI ,
and we Immediately get I'D on our own
dignity and he Is not made as welcome
as the business man who wants to aat
good food. get quick service and business.
like treatment.
The Early Morning Work.
There is another branch of the hus,nass
Oh bne restaurant keeper that is most in
teresting. 1t is the part which ts done he
fore the majority of the people Of tho cI+,,
are awaken the early hours of the
morning-the marketing. Every dav this
mas 10 De done. This feature In Itself re-
quires the study and skill Of professional
In the market You come up against all the
queer things in human nature. as well as
all the queer things Of the farm and seq
You can imagine what this task Is IL Won
VIII but stop and think how you wou,d
like spending between forty and sixtv dol
lars IN the market every morning. buvine
Ih the ehoice things; the necessary things and
OF your family of six hundred,
ihere Is a bright side to 1t ALL You are
cheered by the good cheer of those with
Wnom you come IN contact. and as your
listen to the solo being played by the n,errx
ring OF the cash register, and notice tbat
you are letting your belt out another notch
eacn summer, You make no kick"