Let’s Get Real: Setbacks
We got a new panini press for the café! The story behind it, however, is not completely one of excitement, rather problem solving and adaptability.
Sometime last week, Sarah and I had a normal day of operations right until our panini press went haywire about an hour from closing. We had to come up with an alternative way to make a decent panini for the last two orders of the day. We could still use the bottom part of the machine, but had to hover the "press" part above the sandwich to avoid immediate burning. We called in the help of the big oven to fully warm the paninis.
Blessing #1: The panini press situation happened close to closing, so we avoided having to perform the modified panini making process more than twice.
After the shift was over, Isaac and I tried opening up the underside of the panini press to perform emergency "fix-it surgery." We could not identify any at-home repairs, so this meant it was time for a new panini press. Luckily, The Restaurant Store had the model I wanted, so I quickly placed my order and drove immediately over there just 40 minutes before they closed for the day.
Blessing #2: I took this opportunity to get a slightly larger panini press, allowing us to toast more sandwiches at a time!
Having to think on our feet like this is a daily occurrence at the bakery café. When we run out of ingredients, I either hustle to order more or my team switches baking plans for the day. When there are gaps in staffing availability, I choose how to cover the shifts: either asking current staff to take a shift they normally don't, or hiring new staff to increase coverage.
How do I handle things when they don't go my way? Well, I want everything to be right, so when I'm striving for perfection and fall short, I get frustrated. (Enneagram 1 right here!) I'm learning to find perspective, control what I can control, and focus on getting the most important things right.
Obviously, this situation was disappointing because in a perfect world, every piece of equipment would work all the time. I'm trying to learn to be realistic, however, because the reality is that not everything we buy for the kitchen will last forever. You just have to roll with the punches and can't spend too much time or emotional energy dwelling on the things that go wrong. The challenges and obstacles that come are truly opportunities for growth.