26 Degrees in the Shade . . .

Concert and Motorcycle Rally for Charity

Report on Saturday’s Motorcycle Rally. Graham’s Pizzeria Stage Concert and Motorcycle Rally for Charity.

Señale sobre la concentracio de motos de sábado. La pizzería de Graham efectúa la reunión del concierto y de los motos para la caridad.

[slickr-flickr tag="carlos garcia 1" type="slideshow"]

Graham and Inès organized a potentially huge motorcycle event last Saturday at their restaurant “Graham’s Pizzeria” in Centro Diana Costa del Sol,. The event was planned in association with Toni who is president of the 53 Motorcycle Club of Estepona.

Graham e Inès ordenaron un concentacion de motos el sábado pasado. En pizzería de su el restaurante “Graham” en Centro Diana, Costa del Sol. El acontecimiento fue planeado en asociación con Toni que es presidente 53 del club club de motos de Estepona.

Toni invited bikers from other clubs all over Andalusia to come and support the charity event, the purpose of which was to raise money to buy an electric wheel chair for 40 year old father Carlos Garcia, who was left paraplegic following a motorcycle accident and subsequent major surgery.

Toni invitó a motoristas de otros clubs por todas partes Andalucia

para venir utilizar el acontecimiento de la caridad, el propósito cuyo era levantar el dinero para comprar una silla de rueda eléctrica para el padre Carlos García de 40 años, que fue dejado al paraplegic que seguía un accidente de la moto y una cirugía importante subsecuente.

Graham the proprietor of Graham’s Pizzeria saw Carlos struggling with an old rickety wheel chair on a very badly surfaced road whilst out walking his dogs. Graham who himself is incapacitated following back surgery said. “When I saw Carlos struggling to negotiate the dangers of a really bad section of undulating road, I decided that something must be done to get him a better mobility vehicle and I asked my wife Inés if she would host a big party at our restaurant in aid of Carlos.”

Inés of course agreed to host the charity event and prepared to receive hundreds of bikers.

On Saturday we were hit by the biggest thunder storm in years and Graham and Inés thought that nobody would turn up, but at 12pm Toni and the musicians arrived with some bikers who had braved the torrential rain. It was decided to hold a small party, but in the end 50 people turned up and ate and drunk all day having a great time to the live music of Andy, Dave and Simon. Toni said “We will reschedule the even, but today we are going to start the collection rolling.” And by the end of the day the restaurant had done well and a fair sum was collected towards the new wheel chair. Graham and Ines donated a share of the restaurants profit on the day.

Transmatic of Estepona Poligono, who repair automatic gearboxes

have kindly offered to repair the gearbox on Carlos’s Peugeot 206 with no charge for labour.

Rob de Transmatic de Estepona Poligono, que repara las cajas de engranajes automáticas

han ofrecido amablemente reparar la caja de engranajes en Peugeot 206 de Carlos sin la carga para el trabajo.

Inès and Graham would like to thank the following people for their help and support:
Inès y Graham quisieran agradecer a la gente siguiente por su ayuda y utilizarla:

Andy, Simon and Dave for the live music.

Toni and the motorcyclists of Estepona 53 club and the other bikers who came along.

Toni y los motoristas de Estepona 53 aporrean y los otros motoristas que hicieron un esfuerzo grande para atender.

Transmatic Automatic Gearboxes Estepona for their generosity.
Cajas de engranajes automáticas Estepona de Transmatic para su generosidad.

Se invita a todos que atiendan al acontecimiento cambiado la hora, ahora para ocurrir como lleno en la reunión de la motocicleta el sábado 6 de febrero en la pizzería de Graham. Centro Comercial Diana. Kilómetro 168 N-340 Málaga-Cádiz.

All are invited to attend the rescheduled event, now to take place as a full on motorcycle rally on Saturday 6^th February at Graham’s Pizzeria. Centro Comercial Diana. Km 168 N-340 malaga-Cadiz.

Me disculpo por mi castillano muy malo, que transdusco en mi PC.

Saludos a todos los amigos de los motos. Ines y Graham. Vivamos la Vida Libre!!!!!!!!!!

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How to be a Good Waitress, bar in Spain

What is the highest skill that a waitress needs?

Well there are several:

• The social skill to relate to customers from the very get-go!
• The ability to say a few words when she passes a table that are having to wait for their food (If she chats even a little with them, they feel attended to and forget that they are actually sitting there waiting)
• She must remember to write down every  single drink and every food item that she has taken an order for. This must be written on the bill for the appropriate table. (Remember what doesn’t get written down, doesn’t get paid for)
• The most important skill is to control the flow of orders to both the bar and to the kitchen. When you are really busy in your bar/ restaurant  in Spain, a good waitress will discourage people from ordering cocktails and encourage them to order a simple bottle of wine or a jug of Sangria (only if it has been pre-prepared)

Buy encouraging people to order items that you can deliver quickly, you not only get more sales, but you keep the customer happy.

Controlling the flow of incoming food orders

By chatting just a little to customers, you can get them to sit and be happy just having a drink and not worrying about having their order taken quickly.

Most customers try to order food and drink at the same time and this causes several problems.

• The waitress has to concern herself with processing both food and drink orders at the same time and even looking after a few tables she soon starts to feel under stress, has no time to chat and starts to make mistakes
• When she separates food and drinks and takes the drinks order first, it’s a lot easier for her and the kitchen buys time to clear existing orders, before she goes back to the table to take the food order 15-30 min latter.
• Using this system customers start to enjoy having a drink and often will order a second round. More profit for you bar/restaurant in Spain..

In mid August when you have 300% of normal trade, you waitress may have to stop taking food orders for a period of say 30 min to give the kitchen a chance to clear existing orders. In such a case she must tell the clients honestly that there will be a wait and NOT take their order until the kitchen has freed-up.

Finally

At busy times she should not take orders for long lead items, such as frozen Lasagna. Even if you have it, she must be instructed to say that it’s off the menu

Remember

that a customer times his/her food order from the moment your waitress writes it down, so writing the order down as late as she can get away with, will lead to less unhappy customers.

If she serves them a drink or two before taking their food order, they will already be a little merry and in a better humour.