At the Sign of Trouble

Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR: STARTING LINE

The grand opening day was only a week away and Henry decided to have an unadvertised soft opening in two days to test how they would do and see what else they could improve in Galiana’s. The orders are being put through both through the counters and a mobile phone-like device that sends the order directly to the kitchen avoiding delays and ensuring the accuracy of orders made in a day.

Henry wanted to see if how many customers they could cater and see if they will have any trouble with the device. He also wanted to see if his crew is ready for the grand opening and once they are operational.

His entire family will be coming on the day of the opening and he wanted them to see that he can handle running his own business. Although he managed to renovate the entire bistro back to its former glory, he knew that it didn’t end there.

He had to show them that he can handle running his own business, even if everyone in the family expected him to fail, probably with the exception of his grandfather who helped him from the very beginning. It would not be easy from now on, Henry knew that now, he has people working for him and they all depend on his business to support their families, to earn their living, and he can’t let these people down.

 He announced the forth coming soft opening over dinner at the employee’s lounge a week before the planned event. Everyone seemed to be eager to start working except the patissier. She was not at the table with them that night, he noticed.

On the day of the blessed event, everyone was on their toes. Although most of the staff had prior experience, some of them didn’t know what to expect, especially with their new boss. Henry always ordered everyone around with a curt tone and a dismissive nod, which was not encouraging people at all. He would roam around the coffee house by morning to check if everything was in order, but today he was barking orders at people left and right, making sure things were being run according to how he wanted it.

It didn’t come to everyone as a surprise that Henry was so controlling since he never really showed anyone that he was a people-person, but what confused everyone, including Kyla who was at the kitchen finishing the pastries and putting them in their respective places, was Henry seemed a little meaner than he let on.

“Geez, that man has got to calm down. He’s giving me a heart attack just by looking in our direction.” Belinda commented when Kyla was close enough to hear her. They were cleaning the counter before the shop opens in two hours. “I always got this vibe that he was snobby but I didn’t expect him to be this mean.”

“I’ve been trying to avoid getting in his way. I’d do the same if I were you two.” Greg interjected. He was with them up front and he couldn’t help but overhear Belinda’s comment.

“Has anyone seen Frank?” Kyla asked. It might help to diffuse the tension if Henry’s grandfather was around.   

“I saw him outback about thirty minutes ago, why?” Belinda inquired.

“I’ll just go and check on him, I can’t stand the tension in this room. “ Kyla replied. She took the tray she used to hold the cupcakes and turned when she accidentally bumped into someone.

This can’t be good. Before Kyla even looked up to see who she bumped into, she knew it couldn’t be anybody else other than her boss. She’s that lucky.

“Is this how you intend to get things done?” he inquired with a raised eyebrow, his tone hinting that he saw them talking instead of working.

Kyla stood straight and met his gaze evenly. She muttered a soft “Sorry.” Then moved out of his way and headed back to the kitchen. Belinda and Greg also headed to their own work stations.

Thirty minutes before they opened the coffee house for their first batch of customers, Henry gathered everyone around near the entrance for some reminders.

“Everyone listen up! Today is our soft opening, a preparation for the bistro’s grand launch this Saturday where we’ll be expecting more people. Please take care of our customers, remember that first impressions last. Also, take note of anything that we might need to improve on after this soft opening so we can avoid potential problems or delays in the future. We’ll have a meeting after closing time. That’s all.” When Henry’s speech was over, he flipped the sign that says Open and everyone made a beeline for their assigned places, waiting for people to start pouring in.

Two hours later, the place was buzzing with life. Customers from different age groups started coming in to check out the newly opened bistro. Others looked curious, checking the interior design of the building, while others couldn’t wait to sit on one of the booths and hang out with their friends.

Everyone chattered happily over the alternative music played over the speakers, while people in the kitchen couldn’t seem to move fast enough to serve everyone’s orders. The espresso machine whirred softly as the baristas continuously made coffee drinks for everyone. People’s names would be called after an ordered coffee drink has been finished and if they had additional orders, it was served to them on their tables by the three waiters that were on duty that day.

Meanwhile, the two pastry chefs in the kitchen refilled the empty trays of pastries, croissants and cupcakes that were on the menu that day. Both were taking turns in refilling and finishing up with baking pastries per batch to meet their quota for that day.

 Henry, on the other hand, was busy keeping an eye on things. He monitored how his staff served the customers, and when manpower was short, he started working himself. For several hours more, the crowd continued coming in. Everyone tried to keep their cool despite the occasional delays on the cash register, customer complaints and the loud clattering noises from the kitchen, which, Henry suspected, was because someone dropped something that’ll cost him money.

At around eleven that evening, the entire Galiana’s crew was exhausted beyond words. After closing up and cleaning the bistro, most of the staff practically dragged themselves to the employee’s lodge. But Henry followed them into the house and asked everyone to gather around the dining area for their scheduled meeting.

Stifling a groan, the staff obliged. Pulling out a chair, they sat and tried not to give in to exhaustion.

“Sorry guys, but we need to finish up with this meeting before the grand opening.” Henry started. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it short. “ He assured them.

“Ok, so first I would like to congratulate you guys on the success of our soft opening.” He started. “I think it is safe to say that we are officially ready for the grand opening day on Saturday.” He paused as few of the staff cheered.

“Today I noticed how you guys seemed to have found your rhythm, the kind that everyone seemed to work well together, which is good. I suggest you keep it up, and we can ensure that we serve the diners efficiently. I also noticed that we are a bit short-staffed. I’m working on finding us a store manager and additional servers but for now we have to work with what we have. That said I might have to ask some of you to provide another set of hands. Some of you may also have to take on additional responsibilities, of which I’ll inform you in the future.”

The meeting went on for almost two hours, the entire time Kyla figured a way to sleep with her eyes open.