Oh boy , I am glad i found this site
Establishment: Domani
Location: Boston
I started working @ Domani as a bartender one month after they opened. I was previously in a managment position and was looking forward to the supposed easiness of being low man on the totem pole. When I first started there was this great hype surrounding the space, they recieved numerous awards from every major publication in town. Chef Renees food certainly carried the place into the spotlight.
A year later the place feels like it is on the verge of closing. I blame this all on management. I have worked at some truely dicked up restaurants but Domani must be the most dysfunctional restaurant I have ever worked at. It really is a shame because renees food is wonderful, but it almost feels like the GM and his boss are doing everything in their power to sink the place. It took nine months for the GM to obtain gift cards to sell to guests, in my eyes that was 9 mos. of lost revenue. I just don’t understand the GM and his longevity @ domani. It was like no matter what you said to him he took the opposite stance just for the sake of arguing with you. As the professional servers started their exodus to more lucritive places, they were replaced by young inexperienced servers. There was even a server who didn’t know what Gnocchi was(we are an italian rest people!) The Sous chef managed the front of the house staff more than the GM ever did.
In the begining they would run off neigbors from trinity place making too much noise at the bar= no bar regulars. it wasn’t the patrons fault that the space was designed poorly. Last call was always all over the road given anywhere between 9:30-12:30. They have a 30 seat patio that should double revenue and the size of the restaurant in the spring/summer but mostly sits empty due to the total lack of awnings or umbrellas (you could fry an egg on one of those tables during the day as huntington ave is all sun during the day.) I was told the umbellas are on permanent back order.
I would have to justify 20.00 dollars in comps @ cashout while I watched the GM give away hundreds of dollars in food a night to his friends. Meanwhile I would be swamped at the bar with english tourists leaving me exact change. The GM refused to put gratuites on any of my checks unless they were being billed to the adjacent hotels rooms. I had many fridays and saturdays were I would leave off a double with less than 100.00 dollars in my pocket. Everything you need to be a productive server is not obtained there without a major fight or battle w/ management.
For example I spent 8 months starting my work week off with coming in and cleaning and stocking for the first 3 hours of my shift because the bartender on for the past two shifts was absolutly sub standard. He wouldn’t lift a finger for two shifts and leave me an absolute mess to clean up after him. I wasn’t the only one bitching. guests, other employees and the chef all had issues w/him. I offered to pick up his shifts if they fired him. I was told they couldn’t because he had seniority!!
The last time I had to work a shift after this guy I stocked the bar with 15 cases of beer and wine and over 30 bottles of alcohol (hello! close to open?). When I approached the GM he told me that he was hungover and didn’t care. Later I was accused of rocking the boat and shortly after I gave my notice I was fired for insubordination. Of course I was told to my face that My replacement need to work asap and could I be kind enough to give up my shifts. Total lack of support on managments part.
So my warning has been issued this place sucks to work at!!!!
p.s. brian congrats on the tax write off I am sure your investors are pleased, Tom thanks for all the support and back stabbing, sorry you can’t open my paychecks anymore. I only wish Brian had read the rest of the req book, and last but not least Mark thanks for absolutly nothing you spineless nutbag- Dave
Comments
What does Dave’s Jewish wife have to do with anything???? I agree that when a job is NOT working out after a period of time it goes without saying that one should move on. However, some owners and managers completely SUCK to work for! It us unbelievable how difficult it is to find solace in the food service workplace. Dave had a legitimate complaint and we appreciate the warning. I do disagree with you, however, that he is not a good bartender. That is YOUR opinion and you are entitled to it. This site is here to out the offenders in our industry, not make anti-semitic references……….So because someone finally had enough of the bullshit and complained for the good of the restaurant and then was terminated for it; while the managers are still getting paid for running the place into the ground seems to be justice enough!
Having lived in the Back Bay for over seven years now, I have seen countless bars come and go. When Domani opened it’s doors we ( we being Back Bay residents) were hoping to finally get a place where we could hang our hats and enjoy some quality libations. It started off that way but quickly turned into the hotel bar of the ignorant traveler. Dispite all of it’s downfalls, and having been a regular there for over a year now we have seen PLENTY of downfalls, Dave was always a friendly face we could count on every Sat. night. And for whoever posted (Bufoon)that Dave’s bartending skills were less than par, YOU MY FRIEND COULDN’T BE MORE WRONG. This forum is meant to encourage employees to “vent” about the workplace, not drag someone and his wife (can’t understand how that poor woman got dragged into this) through the mud. Dave, if you read this , please know you will be greatly missed by all of us. I’m sure we will track you down soon!
I never get on this site but was told about an e-mail that Dave Moore wrote regarding some friends of mine. I have been in the industry for a while and have worked with many of the people that Dave is referring to. I also know Dave Moore. Dave has no credibility in the industry. He has been let go or quit all the jobs he has had in the past. He has also bad mouthed and back stabbed everyone he has ever come in contact with. He was given the job at Domani due to the fact that his wife’s best friends work there and she called in a favor. He is a compulsive liar who can’t keep his mouth shut. He is always the one to have the last word whether it’s right or wrong. He embelishes stories to attract attention to himself. I don’t think name calling or dragging his wife into solves any issues. I have met his wife and she is very sweet and has no control over what her husband does. He is unprofessional to write that e-mail. Some people will argue (like myself) that Domani’s management is very professional. Be careful if you are considering hiring him as he says and does things like this to the customers while he is behind the bar. I think he has a slight mental disorder that maybe a psychiatrist could fix better than the guy drinking a beer on the other side of the bar. Maybe it would be best if Dave opened his own place and ran it the way he would like. Obviously, Dave’s way must be the correct way! Oh yeah sorry - you can’t hold a job and money would be necessary to this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is my last post on this subject. I can only say in my defense that I did try to confront Management to thier faces on my terms. I figured that this avenue was more on thier terms. They both lied to me and told that I hadn’t been fired. I’ve only been fired once before and that was the oxford street grill. I stayed @ Domani for as long as I did out of loyalty to Mark and Renee because I really believed they could turn the place around.
My wife has nothing to do with any of this. She didn’t call in any favors. I was asked if I wanted to come work there because Lee had just left and they need Bartenders. And maybe your right I do have a mental disorder it’s called Honesty. Thats why my name is the only one all over this forum.
I am most certainly not “Hiding” on a website. I am the only person here that has actually posted under my own name. I do regret outing Mark in this situation because of his friendship with my wife, And to him I apologize.
You people can slander me all you want but the bottom line is everything I wrote in my first post is factual. I admit I made it personal in my P.S. but other than that everything I wrote is shit that actually happened @ Domani over the past year. Mark is not the GM Tom is. I used this forum for what is what set up for.
Besides personal attacks against me, no one here has rebutted anything I posted. I recognize most of the people who have posted replies and, all I can say is grow a pair and post your real name if you want to talk shit about someone venting about a shameless restaurant- Dave Moore
First of all in the industry all restaurants have issues. Whether or not they are solved between servers and management doesn’t always happen. First of Dave Moore has the biggest mouth of all, not a great bartender, fat basttard! but he also instigates and likes to stir up alot of things, whether be at work or between people he knows, he lives in somebody’s pool house for god’s sake. If dave was not happy he should have moved on alot time ago, therefore alot is to blame on his behalf. not to mention Mark put up with so much of his crap. I have worked with or for people who i’ve felt were not fit for the job and left for a better fit elsewhere. I believe this will happen anywhere you go. So Dave do yourself a favor, lay off the twinkies and beer, take your nice little jewish wife to a pleasant dinner, get a personality make-over and move on. You were never going to change things there pal or anywhere for that matter, certain owners are content with the ways things are as long as the loot flows in their pocket OK.
For you to sit there and clomplain about how things where is retarded, bottom line is you got fired my friend while the managers are still there getting paid. So good luck in your new job wherever it may be, remember people who complain and complain were never at fault, right?…..riiiiight. Shocked i know that if i worked doubles for a long time and left with just $100 or less or hated the managers that much, i would’ve moved on. Is it perhaps your skills did not allow you to do so after several interviews and attemps to get behind the bar elsewhere?…..hmmmmm Confused back bay will miss you…PSYCHE!!