The Expeditor: Part 1

"Runners are the chef's imperial guard: half breeds who dress like waiters, are paid out of FOH payroll, but whose loyalties lie (ideally) with the chef and kitchen." - Anthony Bourdain (Kitchen Confidential).

I'll be honest, completely honest, since the moment I began working in the restaurant business in 2008, I always wanted to be an expeditor. What's an expeditor? Well, an expo is the middleman of the Front of the House (FOH) and Back of the House (BOH). The vocal voice. The mediator. The line of communication between the servers and the kitchen. You deal with a lot of shit. You work the logistics of making sure the food is properly ordered and have it ready for the food runners who will take the food to its exact location. Seems like a lot? I'm OK with it. I like dealing with shit, it keeps me busy and makes the day go by faster. 

I'm one that preaches and recognizes individual success, well being an expo has been a work in the making for years. I originally applied at Orange Lake to be an expo without knowing what that meant. Hey, I needed a job and especially for a kid fresh out of high school, I needed to make money to pay for college. 

So I got hired as a host, which was a simple job. Sit people. Yes, it sounds that simple, but it wasn't. 

I was, without me knowing, scheduled to food run during my early stages at the Grilling Company at Orange Lake. I was pissed, mainly because I was used to the more do-nothing job of sitting people. Food-runners were how Anthony Bourdain said it, "Half breeds who dress like waiters, are paid out of FOH payroll, but whose loyalties lie (ideally) with the chef and kitchen." However, I didn't know that yet. We had an official expo, whose name was Trevor and he was a badass but also cool and had a unique surfer-redneck swagger.

He would expo on the weekends since he had another job during the week, so I got to see to myself how being an expo worked. It looked easy, but it wasn't. He told me what to food to run, sweep the garbage off the line, take out the trash, help with soup set-ups, heat up the bread in the oven, and assist expo with the minor things like salads and appetizers. He had me working, but I learned that that's what we're all here for; to work. 

I was fascinated with how the expo kind of ran the restaurant. He kinda bossed the servers around, and he also kind of bossed the kitchen around. Sole power, plus he wore a chef coat. That's it! I'll admit, I was in it for the chef's coat, BUT I knew I had to work for it, and who knew it will take five years. 

Trevor would quit being an expo and try serving to make more money. Yes, expo's didn't get paid ideally a lot of money, servers and even food runners sometimes made more money on tips then what an expo would get in their weekly paycheck. But it was just a goal I wanted to reach so I can feel satisfied, but that just contradicts everything because I'm never satisfied. I'm used to hustling and grinding and just working my ass off. 

My first break at being an expeditor came a year into working at the Grilling Company, Chef Ivan called me up one summer -- when I was off from school -- if I can assist the food runner since they expected a large number of covers for the evening. He did, however, mention that he wanted me mainly in the window assisting with something and that job entailed to expediting the tickets.

I was excited, proud, and a bit confused. Here's a chef who's is throwing me into the fire, the pit of wolves, without any proper training. I asked myself, could this be a stunt from the kitchen, so they can make fun of me? Or do they really see somewhat of potential in me? Till this day, I will never know.

So I expedited for that evening, and I dropped the ball big time. My board got filled up with tickets and I realized that the restaurant was on a 45-minute wait while there was more than 50 open menus. One runner. One expo. WE WERE SCREWED!

The tickets just kept on coming and coming to the point where I let the ticket printer keep going till it hit the floor. I fell into the weeds and to be clearly honest, I felt like I had no other way out. Esther, who was a veteran cook, began shouting and yelling "FOOD RUNNERS!" and I stood there like an idiot not doing nothing and letting the window pile up with plates. But it's natural to fall into the weeds. That shift would also mark the last time that I would step foot by the window.

So I food ran, while the chef's expedited the tickets. Chef Ivan left the company and along came a new chef that I had to prove my worth to. Chef Peter. Now, Chef Peter was like no other chef I ever worked with. He was disciplined who knew his food. He was passionate and extremely strict. He ruled the kitchen with Una Mano Dura.

He eventually gave me the window of opportunity to expedite again, but this time it was harder, but I had experience with me. Having failed once, I knew what I had to improve on. Yes, we're at the point where Kathy (The legendary expo, who I will never fill her shoes) was the full-time expo, but as she left the Grilling Company, someone will rise to the occasion.

By this time I learned the proper way to expedite by saying the following terms:

When wanting french fries in the fry basket, you say: 

• Drop fries please (Emphasis the PLEASE, cooks have feelings too) 

When you notice the fries are done, which common sense approx. 2-3 minutes, you say: 

• Sell me fries please, or sell me fries at will (that's if the cooks are doing something else)

When the cooks or chef(s) need something, you say: 

• HEARD! Ex: I need three cups of water please! ... Heard!

When you want to know the status on the ticket or food item: 

• Can I get an ETA (Estimated Time Arrival) on the Ribeye, PLEASE?

If somehow you're lost on the board (the rail that holds the tickets): 

• Chef, I'm a bit lost, what is your lead ticket, please?

And finally, whenever you need something: 

• Sell me the Filet please. 

Those are the rules I was taught and picked up. 

As Kathy left, I was sure I was next in line for the expo position, but nope. Whoever did the hiring, hired two expeditors. Well, actually one but the other one I'll get to it. 

One of the expeditors was cool, a Brooklyn kid, but no experience doing this job at all. He wouldn't last long and no long story here, but short, he ended up quitting. The other one, however, pissed me off and undermined my goals.

You see the FOH management hired a short girl, no people skills, immature. She was an aspiring cook who wanted to be a chef. She was 19 but wasn't hired BOH since she had no culinary degree, so she took a FOH position that was closest to the kitchen, which at that time was food running. I was doing deliveries at this point but always assisted with food-running because hosting was just too boring for me. The restaurant at this point was divided. FOH went that way and BOH went that way.  

What came next triggered me to the fullest. I come into work and realize she's wearing a chef's coat and expediting. WHAT THE!? WHAT THE DFSKFJSKLFJSKLFNDSKJDSKLGJSDF SALDJS FLKDSJFLKDSF DSLKFJDSLFJDS LJDLKGJDLGJD LKGJDF LKGJDLKGJS DKSA;D KA

Sorry, but I was angry. I've put in the time and a lot of work to be where she is now, and she gets that honor only two weeks into working at the Grilling Company. But her stay at the top didn't last long. She was a horrible expeditor, didn't know how to speak to the kitchen in a positive manner. Always had food in her window, sold the wrong tickets. Hell, her own food runner didn't even listen to her and that's bad.

You see, and expeditor and food runner are a team. The expeditor is the captain of the ship while the runner is the one steering the ship. Once your food runner disowns you, that's mutiny right there.

It came to a point where she sucked so bad that I couldn't stand to watch. It was a Friday and she was falling into the weeds after a late 9 pm rush hit the Grilling Company. Tickets stacking and plates piling the window, so I took initiative. I pushed her off the line and with a serious face, I told her and the food runner to take these trays to these tables. Bam, Bam, Bam and Bam, I started clearing the board. She was pissed, and later sarcastically told me I did a good job. Little did she know, her time as expo was coming to an end. 

Chef John liked the way I worked the window, and little did I know, Chef John, Chef Peter, and my area manager were in the works of making me the new official full-time expeditor. 

I'm currently in this journey, but like a good cook/friend told me; "You deserve this kid, I've seen you come here as an 18-year-old kid wanting this position really bad, you've been wanting this for a long time and your time is here."