KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, When you call for delivery or take-out.

Rainy days, love them or hate them, they can make or break a restaurant. If your restaurant doesn’t have delivery, expect zero business on a rainy day. Yesterday it was raining a bit hard in good ol’ New York City, so our restaurant’s phone never stopped ringing. Fine by me, more business means I get to keep my job and I’m positive that the delivery boys where happy as well, but please I beg you, when you call to order, BE READY.

It’s okay if you have any questions about the menu, or any of the ingredients – really it is. Just be ready to order immediately after those questions (if there are any) are answered. Have your credit card ready if you’re paying with one. I’m sure you hate when you call a restaurant and they put you on hold forever. We don’t do this because we don’t want to talk to you or we don’t want your business. We do it because there’s a customer shouting to his wife three rooms away what does she wants to order, and that’s when she starts looking through the menu. Or it’s because someone left his wallet in his other pants and has to go get them. Let’s make the delivery process as smoothly as possible, not for us, but for the other customer who’s on hold.

Be. Be. Ready!

The truth about Fries (For delivery, take-out or dining-in).

Oh fries, what a delicious and pretty food. Yours truly here eats as many as he wants when he’s at work. Because of this I have gained at least 15 pounds. Bummer…! But let’s get to the point of this post, and let’s get there fast. When you order fries for delivery or take out you will never, EVER, find them as fresh and crispy as you would like.

If you crave fries in all good honesty go to the neareast McDonalds or Burger King and have their pre-cooked, frozen fries. Or go to your closest grocery store/deli and buy a frozen package and fry them at home yourself. I guarantee you this is the only way you can satisfy your craving.

Get the large one dummy!

When ordering delivery or take-out at a busy restaurant, where they have the fries you love, odds are against you getting those crispy fries you want. There are five factors going against you.

1- How busy is the restaurant?
2- How many orders are ahead of yours (both dine-in, take-out or delivery)?
3- How long does your order sits on the counter before it being dispatched for delivery?
4- Is your order the closest for the delivery guy, the furthest?
5- Even if distance is not an issue, is it a small order or a large order? (Large orders tend to get delivered first because chances are the delivery guy will get a better tip).

Usually in restaurants orders are finished in a “first-come/first-served” basis. Which is all good, but if there are 10 orders, and the last one is for a medium rare burger with fries, chances are that guy will get the crispy fries that were meant for your “well, well, well done” burger and your fries will just sit in the delivery box until your burger finishes cooking. Depending on how nice the fry cook is or how busy the kitchen is, they may try and submerge the fries again in the oil, to get them warmer and crispier, but this can only truly work if your order goes out right after it to your place of residence.

When you are dining-in, be smart, don’t get a side of fries, have a large order come to you. Have two if you want to go all crazy and stuff! I’ve seen fries waiting at least 20 minutes before they go out. But a large side goes out right away. Once I was working the fry station during a very busy brunch shift and I had friends who came over to have brunch there. The second I saw them, I texted them and said: don’t get a side of anything fried. Get large orders. They were so happy, especially after they noticed the soggy side of fries on nearby tables.

P.S.: When ordering fries for take-out or delivery, don’t try to be “smart” and asked from them “extra crispy.” The only thing you’ll get are burnt soggy fries.