Restaurateur
Saveliy Libkin

Continuation, the beginning you can find here:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Pаrt 3
• Part 4
• Part  5

Today when I going by inflatable Chinese slides and dump from foam cardboard kiosks where was sub-quality skating-rink, I remember with some nostalgia building of hotel. But maybe in some time this branch of Arcadia at Deribasovskaya will also seem to be a nice and naïve pleasure, and maybe a culture-historical value.

Three weeks before opening of the restaurant it became absolutely exactly known that the nearest lavatory for guests and staff is in the court at Gavannaya Street, round the corner. Taking into account that previously these lavatories were intended for the sellers and loaders of greengrocer’s, any special conveniences weren’t intended. The very first guests could hardly hide their surprise when in reply to their question «Where?» the guard came to them and offered to escort them round the corner. Especially piquant it looked in winter. One should slip on a fur coat and to leave it to the guard at the entrance to greengrocery’s loading rump. Besides the lavatories have been locked, it was the condition of the shop. In a phrase, it was funny and sad when slim girl Sasha was escorted by Yura, it was the name of the first guard. Yura deal shortly, and taking into account the fact that he made some money on the side while he was a policeman, we often had to hear claims from the guests and to react. In the result Yura was fired, when it turned out that he made eyes at some guests on the way to lavatory. Sasha was the first who complained and he told it not to the restaurant staff but to her father. Father gave a call to his friends who had to do with the very police and as a result was a huge scandal. Though, when it turned out that the guard also from police all the claims assumed some «economic» shade. And it became the first truth at new restaurant.

Sasha dropped in often enough right after opening of the restaurant. And that scandal didn’t change her attitude towards the restaurant. Standard Caesar salad and espresso Sasha was brought almost immediately after the greeting. The menu of those times was rather strange from the today’s point of view. But those days also there were no more then 10 main meat courses. It was exactly Sasha who paid attention to misprints and different discords in that was written and what was brought. People said that she has graduated from language and literature department but it is not told on her lexicon much after a bottle of wine.  Almost all Sasha’s friends were newcomer businessmen or just well-heeled boys already those days. However Sasha’s image was at its best, as all her friends at least at the restaurant stayed at a distance even under the influence of alcohol. Sometimes it seemed that if Sasha even had a close friend he was hidden very carefully and they didn’t appear together in housetops.

Immediately after opening one more truth became clear, cooks are absent absolutely. And those people who called themselves a cook were able only to wash the dishes. Exactly tat days, during first days of operating we have met the first chef of the restaurant. It seemed that Maxim thinks rather adult and in principle the things that he cooked at our first meeting could be called a food. His wife worked with him at Steamship Company earlier also. So, some time later she came to the restaurant also. After Maxim who drank everything that flows and looked at everything that moves also not always remembered that the restaurant operate everyday. So the parting after the second absence from work was easy. And Maxim’s wife was sure that as soon as her husband leaves the restaurant he will drink and cheat her less or will stop at all. Right after Maxim Sergey Nikolevich came. He was a marine cook also. Sereja didn’t drink within two weeks after the employment. But during the first inventory it turned out that all bourbon which wasn’t eaten by the guests at the famous those days Steak Bourbon has been drunken by the chef together with cooks. And it was dismissal again. Maybe it was a special kind of time those days but the next cooks also worked without kick-up no more then two-three months. If we managed to put to rights the bar, then the alcohol in the kitchen has been drunken by the cooks before the dinner. One of the experimental chefs in the restaurant became one Valentin also. I worked as his deputy at the café Fontan in due time. In café, 12 years ago Valentin has been known by that during all the inventories he locked himself up with controller in his office and they opened the doors already when the staff left café. The next day I opened café with the help of reserve set of keys and everyone knew that on the eve Valentin had a difficult day, so they worked without chef. Valentin promised that he won’t drink, that if we will come to an agreement everything will be competently and without failures. His promise held till the first salary. The parting was no difficult as on the day of salary his old friend came to Valentin and it wasn’t a surprise for him when the nest day the guards didn’t allow him even to enter the restaurant.  Maybe only the sharpest moments stay in my mind but during the first year of restaurant’s operation a hard drinking was the main problem, especially for the kitchen staff.

Continuation, the beginning you can find here:

• Pаrt 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

And the city continued to change. The clubs like Skazka, Love Café and others which were intended for 3-6 months of active business have been opened. New momentary interesting projects-mixes like restaurant-lounge-bar-casino-club-sauna-banquets-sushi have been opened. The word «fusion» became a strategy, a flag and best-seller at the same time.  Even communists masked as reformers asked about «this» during business lunch at executive committee cafés and bars. Business has flirted actively first with the most depressed population with the help of sushi and discount, then with first hereditary or newly celebrities with the help of word combination luxury limited edition on the dark green background and in gold-filled frame always.

Arcadia became a branch of Thailand gradually and in its cheapest version. Middle class traveled actively because many residents of Odessa didn’t correlate themselves either with first or with the second ones and respectively preferred to spend their money in that place where people did their best for them. Exactly on this background the short menu from 14-17 steaks and ten salads-snacks in the restaurant at Deribasovskaya street has perceived oddly enough and successful. That is why Steakhouse has celebrated its first successful five years in simulated-endangered half middle class society. Meanwhile the first waitress of the restaurant already have bought cars and stopped to pay attention on foreigners.

Mariana, the star of that time with a huge breast and managerial voice still tried to find a candidate for a position of husband-friend-sponsor. Casting has taken place constantly, but the first tasting in the overby hotel Spartak indicated that Mariana has more luck with short-term suitors.  One of them, Ruslan by name, constantly came to the restaurant with one-meter-long dark red roses and as if by chance has left them for Mariana after a dinner. Even if it was another shift, the flowers were handed over to her the next day and her heart melted a little under such a flower pressure.  In a month approximately Ruslan disappeared from the list of everyday guests and that fact has been seen as regularity. And in one more month Mariana declared that she will marry, quit and move to the capital. In a half a year Mariana came back to Odessa and came to the restaurant again, but the staff was recruited and she was offered a job in another project. Ruslan became the regular guest again but he didn’t spend money for flowers anymore. Sometimes, when he was drunk a little, he asked about Mariana but he was rather afraid of calling her.

Meanwhile Sofia Akopovna has opened small café for children at one of the most depressed regions of the city. She stopped to drop in at the restaurant and listen to the criticism regarding usage of different foreign additives. Raya has taken a walk at Deribasovskaya sometimes and at that always in the elongated dresses, so that shin will be covered almost to the top of the shoes.  When Raya walked over an accidental prey she put on special waxen-pale mask and her greeting became restrained kingly. Dress code wasn’t changed. One day Raya has been noticed in the restaurant with rather interesting southerner, maybe Italian, and that time on her face was noticed uncommon for Raya extensively self-satisfied smile, as if it was saying – life is a success. Then Raya also disappeared from Deribasovskaya for a few years and at the same time from the lips of all-seeing staff.

That time hotel Spartak situated on the opposite street from the restaurant still gave a treat to foreigners and sometimes to local residents by the rooms without hot water and grey not bleached sheets at a price 12-15$. I doubt someone tried to bleach them, and the salary at the state hotel didn’t consider such carefulness. The name was justified by every detail and nuance of the hotel. The cost of room didn’t include a girl. And taking into account the fact that passports were registered, not many ladies dared to show their documents. A guard could drop his eyes and don’t notice a lady for about the same amount but only late at night. The rooms could be checked; at least it was said by grown plump ladies at the reception who has specialized in post soviet hospitality. Other hotels at Deribasovskaya, Passage and Tsentralnya, were oddly alike by ladies, services and conditions. The entrance to Spartak was just opposite the restaurant and staff enjoyed very much watching who exactly and with whom entered the hotel.  It was more interesting in winter, as there were more local residents. Sometimes but very seldom, could be observed a few couples from the guests. But it could happen only if quantity of alcohol turned off inner cultural-social qualification.

If you have an interesting images for our Romina, please send. Today Romina copies an opened book with the text taken from here.

Сontinuation,  the beginning you can find here:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Andre has come to Odessa a few times more and has dropped in at the restaurant constantly. His escorts have been changed but only within seasonal prevalence. Besides Andre often came with his new friends and then a decent wines and other gastronomic excesses have appeared on the table instead of frugal dinner…and ladies have been invited to or with dessert.

Administrator Masha in spite of her origin has acclimatized herself fast and she even started to call children the kinders. However the changing of lexicon didn’t influence much on the rest things and the result was the pregnancy from another employer who had the family and the children already. A half of the pregnancy everything has beautified Masha and didn’t have an impact on work. Masha decided to give birth to her baby at her native land, in Tiraspol. After childbirth Masha together with one of our waiters who was fired because he added some amount to the guests’s checks and because of his hysterical affection for white socks, began to consult Moldovian restaurateurs successful enough. Meanwhile the city has been changed gradually. Someone grew fond of orange color and started to expect to semolina of a new format, someone replaced icons by flag of Shakhtar Donetsk at his home and learned the quotations of ideologist of team and region. In any case all these thing were very remotely connected with restaurants. The guests ate and were glad as earlier if it was delicious and something else. They asked about discounts as earlier and asked again with a puzzled look if they got to know that discounts are out of fashion. Sure the main event was an agreement about addition of one more premises to the restaurant, in a year this premises turned into one of the restaurant’s room under the name Wine room. Only the discussion has taken a few months. Then were local architects and a whole lot of brief sketches. Then were arguments and searching for contractors again. Then were arguments with director of that times and carrying of subject and menu. But those times the boss was rather adult Mr. Reinkert Yakov Emilievich, who has grown from the waiter of one of Soviet restaurants. His experience consisted entirely from the stereotypes of the seventies multiplied by his skill to echo right to the leaders of opinions and he impressed by his solidity. At the beginning of cooperation all these things plus a little bit tired experience has been interpreted as business position. In short it wasn’t easy… But thanks to our acquaintance with Emilievich the employers and then I in a few weeks after beginning of work have got to know that even at 72 years old sex is possible and at that repeated and almost unceasing. I specify that this is proceeds from his stories. Later his girlfriend, waitress-NLP expert who had one month experience of work started to consult everyone including us about matters of world macroeconomics and management after reading of a few brochures about NLP* and also about modern hospitality. A little bit later she became his lawful spouse, love together with NLP work miracles. Since then they consult together solely trustful residents of Kiev and Crimea, without entering Tiraspol on the Masha’s territory, and at that they do it within short period of time always. Judging by a few restaurants which were closed, they and other consultants have enough work. The subject of advices in business and not only there often attracts frauds and makes from them guru, that addle everyone. And it only gives hope to those who looks for chances or recipes in the fog. That year consultants have been multiplied, divided and budded especially successful. Afterward when I meet next consultant I recollect not one time Masha and other our employers who decided that they have enough knowledge and experience and it is time to share it and for money.

After YE, in the company automatically appeared upper bound of age for new employers and also addition in the letters of introduction for some persons who constantly looking for a chances: he/she prefer to consult and give references about strategic and other issues.

The first and the second part were posted earlier.

• Part 1
• Part 2

Now it is difficult to imagine how exactly famous greengrocer’s gradually turned into the restaurant, earlier into one then into another. But the beginning of everything was department of Pan-Pizza where that times Sasha and Olya have baked and sold hundreds pizza by slices per day. Then, a little bit later, the department has been increased and it has occupied about 50 meters of the room.

Then Sofia Akopovna offered to open a confectioner’s in the neighbourhood and in one month the first tables and chairs appeared in the premises of greengrocer’s. The first old ladies who have been interested on what, in fact, grounds beetroot and carrot are sold now in 10 meters from usual place have appeared also. Sofia Akopovna was an excellent confectioner and everyone have got used fast enough to the fact that instead of huge baskets with cabbage, cucumbers and potatoes have appeared showcases with a few tens of various cream puffs, petit fours, tartlets which were packed in Italian paper and Italian boxes. Then Sofia Akopovna decided that it is impossible to find better name then Sofia for this department and she ordered bulky enough sign with her own name.

And then Raya has appeared. Everything that has taken place in the department can be divided into two epochs: before and after Raya. So, first of all Raya has notified all employers and later all guests then soon she depart to America with a certain former Mish and now Michael and that her  part is only to help to organize and establish an excellent service fast. But Raya have heard about service rather from Michael who have leaved already 4 years in Brooklyn and who came to stay for a while with use in Odessa. Raya and Sofia Akopovna have drunk espresso with chocolate truffles often and discussed how difficult to teach Ukrainians service about which one of them has knows something from Steamship Company and another from Michael’s stories.

Meanwhile, Sasha turned into Aleksandr gradually and started to lead everything confidently enough and in that way that Raya has been sure that her decisions lead to such significant changes. Sure the greater part of a day Raya has spent at the department telling about what exactly scoundrel turned out to be Misha when he departed to his Brooklyn and didn’t introduced Raya to his parents. Nature abhors a vacuum and after Misha was Marik, then Robik also former resident of Odessa but this time from Germany. Why exatly Raya has got into emigrants’ nets? It seemed that one could tell that Raya is a beauty only in the darkness. I an telling about complete country darkness. But her constant failures to mention something and broad hints have abbled even experienced local machos. At one moment she tells about first opening at Viena opera house where she hasn’t been ever, at another moment she tells about fashionable among the emigrants restaurant at Brighton about which Misha told her. In short Raya was an expert at making impression.  At that, in principle, Raya has been agreed to get even modest local man but officially she looked only for well-to-do foreigner.

True, in a month or a little bit earlier, when an opportunity presented itself, it has turned out that these «foreigners» counted rather on her fortune then on her passion just like Raya also. About her every new man Raya told confidently to all her friends in the way that everyone was sure it is time for Raya to find a substitute urgently. With time the main subject of the shop in next Monday began the discussion of next Raya’s husband. By then the department has increased by more 30-40 meters thanks to efforts of Aleksandr. Vegetables have stepped back slowly. Raya has stopped to hope. Sasha has bought a motorbike and led Olya to registry officeс. A wedding dress and a veil were present. Then Olya grew plump a little either because of pregnancy or because of pasty with chocolate icing and has quit. Sasha began to pay court to new shop girl from Tiraspol who was also not a beauty but still…

You can read the beginning last Saturday:

Part 1

In 2003 city authorities have «allowed» to the townsmen to spend money on renewal of paving slab and respectively to use new surfacing for summer café. Plastic furniture has been sold at the seven km market like pastries with peas. One had to hire persons with higher education as waiters. At that time Elena Ivanovna has managed entrusted to her restaurant after her previous work at district committee with newspaper in her hands. A cup of coffee and a newspaper in general were as scepter and globe for her. She didn’t part with them even in the lavatory. Alena, who was a waitress at that time, after she has graduated language and literature department and language and literature department called her delicate enough old bitch. Elena Ivanovna has hold out two weeks. Then Alena made friends with one of the summer guests and in one month she gone to Denmrk with him to have a trial marriage trip. She is still there. Of course she has changed that man who helped her to come and see foreign country to another boyfriends but she still recollects her home only by Internet. Many girls have followed her successful example. To be more precise everyone has tried to do it and in summer the service became front-oriented. Even if the body didn’t allow much to flirt then a few bottles of wine, at that time it was imported from Georgia have done their part. To cut it short, just Alena has left the country but the staff liked the foreigners for a long time. 65 years old Frenchman Andre who became Andrusha at the instigation of his local brides have come to the restaurant every day  and have treated them every day and told them about how nice it is there at his home land. How he mixes beer with blackcurrant liqueur and how he eats year-round strawberry after champagne there. How near his native Alsace is to other different foreign names. But it was end in talk and in autumn Andre gone home alone. His brides with waitress have recollected for a long time his stories about casino in Baden-Baden and his cheap tip. From that time one of the brides liked corner table and she spent not one Saturday night sitting there with a cup of tea and foreign newspapers. But only local drunken man or guest workers from Moldova who introduced themselves as businessmen from Kishinev have show their interest. Once one of such businessmen have tried to pay for his bill with the help of discount card of the restaurant having assured the administrator Masha that the director of the restaurant gave him this card. In spite of that Masha also came from Transdniestria she has distinguished one card from another easily enough and if the guest didn’t has a discount then she often used her own card with hope for big tip. Masha was puzzled out only because of a guest’s avarice. Vladimir Naumovich bragged at another shift that Masha calculates his bills with discount… At that he bragged to his lady-love who did not fail to tell about it to the then director when they arranged small stand-up party.

Masha wasn’t fired but she was warned. With time discounts gained epidemic nature. The staff has been growing fat, the profitability has been falling. On the other hand at that time CO* didn’t look fixedly on the restaurants and they were busy with fundamental transactions-issues-projects. It was easy enough to operate even taking into account waiters’ forgetfulness. And that lady who has shared information soon became the spouse of administrator from another restaurant and stopped to visit the restaurant. Gradually Deribasovskaya Street has been selling to “friends”. Strangers have leased the premises and earned a little bit money. Everyone, including us who have taken a great interest in the words hospitality, empathy and culture were satisfied.

*control authorities

I will post the continuation next Saturday

• Part 3