This restaurant runs with no trash cans. ‘It’s the right thing to do’
In a recent visit to a restaurant I took my cell phone into the bathroom. I had entered the building without my coat. I had been the object of one or two glances, but no one had seen me. I had found the place and its bathrooms to be in a state of chaos.
I don’t remember the reason for this visit other than that I had been warned that I wouldn’t be welcome there if I arrived with a cell phone in the bathroom.
A lot of the time I arrive at places without any expectation of anything being there. I’m always in the process of discovering what is actually a restaurant first and then the actual business down the street. But I’d taken a chance on a place on my last visit to a restaurant and when I walked into the bathroom no cell phone was waiting for me.
The truth was, I was just coming to enjoy the atmosphere, the ambience of the restaurant. And I am very much aware that I take a risk when going into any place without first making sure it is a safe one.
A few days later I went to a restaurant that had opened up a few blocks up the street. I decided to walk there to see what the fuss was about. I found the restaurant to be in a state of disrepair. It required my attention. I felt the same way about the place as I had the other one.
When I arrived the staff were welcoming and accommodating. And the food was very good. The service was polite and efficient. The food was delicious.
But after I had put down my order, a woman in a dark coat walked past my table.
I looked to the right and saw a trash can at the end of the short, adjacent walkway.
I figured the restaurant was getting by with one trash can and I wasn’t about to start throwing my cell phone there. I didn’t know what to say. Finally, I said, “I’m sure your trash can is full.”
She smiled, nodded and said, “Thank you.”
It turns out the place had run out of