Americans were forced to stay home. Businesses were shut down. No flowing income. Couldn’t see the older generations of your family for months. Couldn’t have a beer with your friends. Vacation plans went belly up. You get the picture.

Now you can see your friends. Well at least in KC you can see your friends. You don’t have much money but hey, at least you can see your friends you know? But you don’t want to catch up in the place you’ve been cooped up in for months. So where do you go? Yep, you go to the restaurant.

This is where I come in. Your friendly bbq server.

You know the first sign of an extended stay in my section in the middle of dinner rush? The hug. It’s always the hug. The more hugs, the longer the stay.

Don’t get me wrong! I understand that many folks haven’t seen their friends in months. I barely bother them. Yet on the other hand, the potential income flow from that table dries up quickly. And all I can really do is wait.

In another instance, I had a family be surprised at the total bill. The income flow is a bit slower, right? I keep a close eye on foot traffic in that corner table. The ticket claimed there was a cash tip. The receipt was folded in a way to hold cash. There was no cash there. I saw a family member linger there a bit longer than the others. Did she take the cash? Cash flow is slower.

So not only is the cash flow much slower now. The time at the dining table is considerably longer. This creates a challenging situation for the server.