First, apologies for the poor quality of the photo. It was taken at the end of a long day when my staff and I took the trash to the refuse centre deep in the bowels of the building. As you can imagine, we weren’t exactly in the mood for a glamour shot.
Jokes aside, this is the reality of what my staff (and those of other countless F&B joints) go through each and every day. After an unforgiving day standing behind a hot stove or in front of a 200° oven, they have to scrub the floor, wash the pots and pans, wipe down the equipment, clear the trash, and, of course, prepare for the following day.
It’s a back-breaking job. I know it because I do it with them. I do it because I want to know what it’s like to walk a mile in their shoes.
And it is no wonder that few Singaporeans want the job.
But just imagine if no one did it. Where would we go to have that nice lunch or evening out with friends and family?
And it’s the time when we’re most relaxed and in the mood for fun – weekends and year-ends – that service workers have to work the hardest and forego their leisure time. Behind that merry-making are people who slog to serve and clean up after us.
So, the next time you visit Orange & Teal – and I hope you do especially this time of the year when the two outlets are all decked in our Christmas best – say hello to the servers. I know I walk with an extra spring in my step whenever I see you smile and hear you pay a kind compliment. I’m sure they do, too.
Whether it’s Chef Anabel or Operations Manager Irene (whom many of you have met and who was also my election agent during the last GE), my staff come in every single day and give nothing but their all.
Of course, we don’t always hit the mark. We’ve messed up many times with your orders or not have your dish exactly the way you want it.
For that I apologise, the fault is mine and mine alone. Despite our best efforts, we come up short. All I can promise you is that we give our 100% and will continue to do that.
But if you’ve enjoyed your time at O&T, and I know many of you have, please consider leaving a tip for my staff – those who serve you in front and the others in the kitchen you don’t see.
I don’t levy the 10% service charge. I prefer it to come from your heart. Believe me, they work their hearts out and earn every cent of their wages.
Which brings me to a more philosophic question: What’s a person worth? Why do some people make $100,000 (or more) a month just because they have the megaphone to tell you that they are a bargain for that price while others have to quietly sacrifice and slog to take home $3,000? How do we determine the value of each human being, anyway?
This is the political me speaking again. But I’ll leave the topic for another occasion.
For now, I just want to wish you and your loved ones a happy Holiday Season. It’s that time of the year when we cherish that most important thing in our lives – family and friends.
So, come to Orange & Teal to spend some of that time with them, won’t you? I hope to see you there.
