In topless bars we had servers, dancers, and key personnel. If a waitress or a dancer didn't show it wasn't that much of a problem because we always over scheduled. If some key personnel didn't show then a manager was doing double duty until a replacement was found. I'm a firm believer in cross training so this wasn't always a problem but sometimes you just have to play the hand you're dealt.
If a cook doesn't show then what? Is the dishrat cross trained to cover? If a server is burned out can they be trained to work the bar? How about cross trained to a management position? Or cooks trained to be servers, some of the best servers I've seen started as cooks. When they tell a customer what's in the item they aren't guessing and trying to remember. Customers also like how they take possession and say "We cook it like this" instead of "I think they do this".
The cross training has saved my butt on more than one occasion, a waiter replacing the dj at LaBare, a waitress replacing the bartender that disappeared at another bar, then some other times I wished I'd done some cross training. The big fight at one club where our big dj (6' something and over 500 pounds) was saving our butt so I ran the dj booth. You would not believe how many people were excited when he came back, especially me.
What's the Boy Scout Motto? Be prepared. Or in the restaurant business: Be trained.
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