Consistency

Consistency- a harmonious uniformity or agreement among things and parts!!  If you were to ask me one thing that makes a restaurant, or any business, successful, I'd say #1 would be consistency!  Let's stick with restaurants because that's actually today's bitch! Last night I met Lee in Groton at a restaurant that I won't name...ok Farrells...I was greeted to a locked door advising me to enter through the bar.  Had I wanted to drink or even be in the bar, I wouldn't have tried the restaurant door in the first place!  Upon entering the dark bar and making my way to the swinging door of the restaurant, I was greeted by.......oh.......nobody... In the dining area there was no hostess, no servers, no customers, no salad bar , no nothing... The lights and the tv's were on!  Finally a little bar maid said ,"Yes the restaurant was open!"  I'm pretty sure she was doing triple duty as bartender, waitress and hostess...failing miserably at all three while I'm presuming trying to figure out how to walk and keep her backside covered with her 6 inch skirt ( a prerequisite of employment I've been told.)  I did get a diet soda and seated myself while waiting for Lee.  He joined me as we waited another 10 minutes. Being the patient woman that I am, I gave anybody 2 more minutes to acknowledge our presence.. Didn't happen... we reversed our entry and left for another venue......no bartender in sight then either.  Now, to give the devil his due, we have eaten here several times and most have been enjoyable.  Bailee loves the private booths with their own TV's.  If you can offer a nice salad bar, reasonable prices, good food and a clean establishment, as Arnold would say, "I'll be back!"  AND if you can do it once, twice or more.....why can't you always do it?  I have eaten at The Green Arch is Cortland many times......I have never had a bad meal, poor service or left disappointed...never....that's a long time.  They know what makes a restaurant successful....Consistency....I think that's pretty simple although I have never operated a food establishment and never will....if I wanted to cook and clean up and make people happy every day of the week at mealtime, I'd cook at home.  I don't see that in the tea leaves. Now, being a food critic, I think that would be an awesome job.  I love to eat, I love to write and I love to bitch...I think I've found what I want to be when I grow up!