Hit 1000 regulars at my diner and it felt weirdly good

I work the grill at a breakfast spot in Buffalo and last Tuesday I served my 1000th regular. Some guy named Pete who always orders scrambled eggs well done with rye toast. Just a random milestone but it made me realize how many faces I actually remember now. Anyone else count up something dumb like that at their gig?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jordan1mo ago

Random milestone" is generous. You're glorifying something that's basically just showing up. I get it, you like Pete or whatever, but counting regulars like some kind of scoreboard is kinda sad. It means you've been stuck in that same spot flipping eggs for how long? That's not a flex, that's a rut. These people aren't your friends, they're customers who pay for food. You're acting like you discovered a secret bond with scrambled egg guy. It's a transaction, not a relationship. Maybe I'm the only one who sees it that way, but that's the truth.

emmawood29d ago

Well @the_jordan, you sound like you've never had a real conversation with someone who serves you coffee. My late husband worked a register at a hardware store for thirty years, and he knew exactly which customer needed help picking out paint and which one just wanted to complain about the weather. That's not a rut, that's just knowing the rhythm of your day. I don't count regulars myself, but I did keep a tally of how many times my neighbor borrowed my hedge trimmer before I finally just told him to keep it. Sometimes the little things we track are just proof that we're paying attention, even if nobody else notices.