On Sunday mornings in South End, clusters of people gather outside Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, sometimes waiting an hour or more to be seated for brunch. Several places nearby serve brunch, too. Ruby Sunshine, Eight + Sand Kitchen, STIR, Early Girl Eatery, and Link & Pin all have similar wait times, and not because every table is full. Often, they’re short-staffed and can’t keep up with the volume of hungry customers.
At Eight + Sand, employees perform multiple duties. Line cooks pack to-go orders for Postmates drivers. Cashiers put cinnamon rolls and cruffins in plastic takeout containers while customers sign the Square Stand. The general manager assists baristas by bringing them drink tickets, putting lids on coffee cups, and sanitizing the portafilter. Front-of-house and back-of-house tasks aren’t always separate, either. A pastry chef might deliver a plate of biscuits or bread while it’s still warm, and food runners clean baking equipment if the kitchen gets backed up.
It’s a late Sunday morning in March, and the GM asks a crowd of about 30 at the register to form a line outside. It snakes around the menu stand, out the door, and down the sidewalk. Eight tables sit unoccupied; the dining room is too crowded with customers waiting to be seated. The GM opens the second register to move things along, but when the baristas get backed up again, he abandons...
Secretary-General says Tehran’s claims are provocative and threaten regional stability Abu Dhabi: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi has strongly condemned ...