The Idea of Turning Down the Lights at a Restaurant Sounds Terrifying.
The idea of turning down the lights at a restaurant sounds terrifying. Couldn’t imagine the pressure: everyone immediately reacts, sometimes you hear slight audible gasps. So many people have the same thought in mind: “This feels too dark.” “They should make it a touch brighter.” In all my years of dining in restaurants, they’ve never come back to tweak the dimness setting. Quite remarkable actually. These servers, or owners, or whoever possesses the courage to jump on the light dimmer is batting 1000 in their mind.
I’d be too weak for this job. Too much of a coward. Would never be able to trust my dimming abilities. I’d go too dark, then too light, then “pretty good”, no… I should go darker because when it gets dark outside the lights will be too harsh. I’d completely fall victim to my audience’s reactions. (I’m sorry Rick Rubin.) Scanning the room after my first slight dim. “They seem disappointed.” Oh no. “I can go brighter?” I audibly blurt. “No it’s fine,” says the poor lady next to me who responds out of the pure kindness of her heart. She can sense the poor puppy dog energy currently pulsating out of me. “Is this guy usually the dimmer? He’s horrible!” she says as I walk back behind the bar. She doesn’t say that but I heard her say something as I left and it felt like she said that.
Unsung heroes. I always think they go too dim, but after 45 seconds, I completely stop thinking about it. They never miss. Thank you dimmers.
- Bobby D
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