MODERN IFIGENIA

I just ran into this old article which reminded me of something I read a few weeks ago. That more recent article (which I can't find because I am aging disgracefully) talked jokingly about how Americans eat too much fast food. The article was not substantive, but American commenters were very upset because Europeans don't understand convenience. The argument was that Americans eat fast food frequently because it is convenient to their lifestyle. Which made me realize just how much the American worker has embraced their employers' needs as their own...while their employers simultaneously fight against the needs of their workers, even for things as simple as a living wage. Let's be clear: Americans eat fast food because their employers give them very limited time to eat. This creates two problems: 1. Americans eat unhealthy food that is readily available and filled with empty calories and 2. Americans spend more money on that less nutritious food to increase their ...

I love traveling around the world and around my town. Since I was young I learned to enjoy things around me regardless of whether I was alone or accompanied. There was nothing remarkable about that until I became an adult and suddenly, there was an expectation that I should always be accompanied. This expectation or assumption has led to many awkward moments with various service providers, but particularly with the restaurant industry. So here are some tips I would like to give to restaurateurs if you would like to maintain the patronage of people who are patronizing you on their own: DON'T: Ask "just one?" DO: Say "thank you for choosing us today" DON'T: Take the food away when the customer goes to the bathroom DO: Ask the customer whether they are done with their plate DON'T: Have one tiny table in the back of the restaurant DO: Have small tables spread throughout the restaurant DON'T: Let the customer to their own devices when it comes ...