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Serious Eats: Talk

waitstaff memory: how do they do it w/o a pad or pencil?

Posted by moibec, August 17, 2008

We had a waiter this evening at a small local family-owned Italian place (very extensive menu) who delivered correctly 5 meals' worth to our table - plus apps, drinks, desserts and various coffees. He did this just by listening and without once writing a thing down, and even stopping on his way back to the kitchen to gather orders from other tables.

Of course it became our private game to see if he'd remember everything, but he did, and with polish and grace. Having never been in the restaurant business, I would like to know how in heck they manage this. I can't walk into a room in my own house without forgetting what I went in there for. (And I'm not over 50.)

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