Additional information
by David Webb (Author)
This book began as a story about 50 years in the food service with all the adventures and mishaps that comes along with it. It is written from the back of the house point of view which simply means I normally worked out of sight of the average customer in a kitchen, dish room and yes even a basement or two. I had occasion to work directly with the public at times but I always had a refuge to hide in Behind The Swinging Doors. As I continued to write I realized that although the book is based on food service it very well could be about any service industry Working with the public is always fraught with pot holes and catastrophes just waiting to occur. Food service offers some of the more fertile ground for these events but I'm sure even bank tellers have great stories. I know because I am married to one. Some of her tales are epic. The food service industry has always had the reputation of lower pay and limited skills. I cannot argue with the low wages part but I am here to say a great many of the people I worked with were some of the hardest working quick thinking folks I have ever been around. The characters depicted in this text are a small cross section of the hundreds if not thousands of individuals I worked with but this group was involved in some of the more memorable happenings. Thanks to the advent of social media I was able to contact folks I haven't seen in many years and they were kind enough to help me recollect some of the stories. As a first time author I asked myself who would want to read my book? The answer was fairly simple. People who are considering a career in food service even though most long timers like me stumbled into it. Folks who have gone to a restaurant and heard a strange noise coming from the back or the waitress and bartender laughing about something over in a darkened waitress station. In fact anyone who has had a job in any part of a service industry and dealt with the public, How about folks who just enjoy some light hearted rea
Author Biography
50 years ago I began my food service career with no intention of staying in it. I needed money to buy my first car. After a few different jobs I was asked to begin cooking. I found I enjoyed it and the social trappings that went with it. I was trained by skilled chefs and good managers yet never went to culinary school. I have talked people into hiring me for nearly a half century and have never once been fired from a job although I have had many. I still cook for a living and still enjoy going to work. I'd say my career path was a good one.
