Pie Shop and Grill

Omar Gutierrez

California State University, Fresno

Sociology 176

Introduction

The Pie Shop and Grill Restaurant, is the group I decided to research with the intentions to see how the group conducted their daily operation of service. In my three days of observations that were each an hour long I focused on how every position in the restaurant contributed to the overall goal of the group to give customers a good experience. These three days allowed me to step out of a group that I already belong to and analyze the different roles that complete the group from the point of view of an outsider. In my observations I was able to connect different sociological concepts to the actions and observed interactions I encountered while observing the different participants of the group.

In the observation portion there was certain position in the restaurant that stood out to me like front cashier and the waiting staff mostly because they interact with the customers the most. However, I did struggle scheduling interviews with the cashiers so I ended up interviewing a manager, a server, cook, and two bussers/dishwashers for a total of 5 interviews. One of the bussers was actually just trained to be a server which made the interview a lot more interesting. After getting their consent to interview them, I found it easier to conduct the interviews at the restaurant on my days off before and after their respected shifts. The people I chose to interview had all been in the group for over two years except for the cook who was fairly new to the restaurant but still offered some valuable information about his status in the group.

The next step in the research process was conducting a content analysis of the group and its affiliated groups around the area. The process was challenging for a simple fact that my group was not active when it came to social media and the online site was outdated. I was able to find a total of about 20 documents stemming from customer reviews, past employee experiences, news articles and the companies website.   

Literature Review

Thus far this semester there has been several concepts that fall under the umbrella of  symbolic interaction. Considering the importance of the theory I will provide a brief overview based off some the readings. A few concepts that will be covered are  of role taking and will explain the concept of the "self." Then the front stage/ back stage which is introduced with Goffman's dramaturgy sociology. Another concept that will be explained through Erving Goffman's lense is impression management. Also Karl Marx's theory of alienation will be examined as well.  

First an explanation of what symbolic interaction is. Symbolic interaction according to sociologist Herbert Blumer this theory could be broken up into three perspectives. The first perspective being that we act toward things based on the meanings we have of them. The next is that through social interaction we derive these meanings we connect with things. The last perspective of Blumers definition is that through an interpretive process we we manage and transform these meanings to help us make sense or handle the social world (snow,2001). As it explains in David A. Snow journal entry titled Extending and Broadening Blumer's Conceptualization of Symbolic Interactionism, there is different variations to what a clear definition to what symbolic interaction but most symbolic interactionists perspectives agree Blumer's three pronged approach. The theory itself is very broad Snow in his journal entry provides four more concepts that Blumer' three pronged approach does not specify on. David Snow four concepts include the  principle of interactive determination, symbolization, emergence and last the principle of human agency (Snow 2001).

The first concept that will be covered is Erving Goffman's front stage/ back stage. The concept is part of Goffman's theory of dramaturgy sociology, that explains that everyday interaction is related to a performance. The front stage under the dramaturgical framework is when a disciplined individual is performing and creating an image through the use of language, clothing facial expressions, etc. The back stage is when an individual is in the background or preparing for the front stage and can also be where a person can relax (Fiorito, Nicholls 2016). An article that really breaks down this process is Silencing to Give Voice: Backstage Preparations in the Undocumented Youth Movement in Los Angeles, Tara R. Fiorito and Walter J. Nicholls. Fiorito and Nicholls write about their research of the undocumented youth movement, a group of Dreamers in Los Angeles. In the article they show that there are three important things this movement did in the backstage. They first trained the young activist to be disciplined front stage performers, then they converted feelings of activists through emotionally intensive discipline techniques and last managed the differences in the group. This backstage work is designed to produce a performer or in this case an activist that is ready to assume their role in the frontstage (2016). These ideas can apply to various roles people play in everyday life. Next pair of interview questions that would ask in order to get front stage and back stage information. What would you say is the most important thing you do before entering your role in this organization? This question is for the back stage. The next is a front stage, What do you feel is expected of you while performing your role for this organization.

The next concept is Karl Marx' theory of alienation, which explains that capitalist production systems has caused workers to lose the sense of determining life and destiny due to being deprived of their ability to think their own actions. The different types of alienation include the alienation of the worker from their product, which explains that people are producing goods that once assembled they may not afford or have access to. Another type of alienation is being alienated from the act of production. Which means that worker is producing wealth for others at the cost of small wages, body wear and tare, and little to know satisfaction. A third type of alienation is the alienation of the workers from other workers, which explains the that capitalists economy has created a competitive labour market that is designed to push as much work out of a worker. This has made workers competitive within their peers and humanity itself (Marx, wikipedia). Questions I would ask surrounding the topic of alienation would be, Do you feel like when participating in organization events your able to connect with your fellow workers or participants? Next Do you ever feel like the responsibility of being part of this group distracts you from your personal life?

The next concept is role taking introduced in "Role Taking Role Making and the Coordination of Action" by Kent Sandstrom, Daniel Martin and Gary Alan Fine. Role taking is the process in which we view our actions based on our perceived perceptions of others. We evaluate our actions from the point of view of people in reciprocal roles as ours. This process allows for someone to anticipate the consequences of their actions, this an important process for decision making. An important part of role taking that was brought up in the chapter was that while processing situations in role taking, we think about what people in that role would do in a similar position. The decisions we decided make is strongly influenced by the person in the reciprocal role we are analyzing. It is brought up that  we can not perform the roles we have exactly the way we want, in role taking actions and decisions coordinate with reactions of others (Sandstorm, Martin, Fine). Questions I would ask an interviewee considering this concept are, Do you feel like if you were in the position of your boss or leader that you would do things the same? Another, Does the opinion of your boss or leader come across before you decide to do something while on the job?

Continuing with the concept of impression management that was introduced by Erving Goffman. The theory of impression management is self impressions that are actively managed at a personal level during social interactions. For Goffman impression management comes in the form of performance. This concept important to understand when think of the front stage and back stage introduced earlier. Goffman explains that in the front stage or region the impressions a lot more formal and restrained. In back region performances are a lot more informal and people are allowed to be more relaxed (Lewin, Reeves 2011) . These concepts were pulled from journal entry named Enacting 'team' and 'teamwork': Using Goffman's theory of impression management to illuminate interprofessional practice on hospital wards,  by Simon Lewin and Scott Reeves. In their article they gave various example of how medical staff interact in the front and back stage roles at their small hospital. In this small health facility interprofessional interactions were fluid from the front stage to the back stage and the healthcare providers maintained impression of teamwork. Considering this concept of impression management in an interview I would ask an interviewee question regarding their appearance. Like, Do you feel that while on the job you have to maintain a certain image for the people your helping? Another, Does your interactions with your leader differ from the interactions you have with other people in the organization?

The last concept introduces is the concept of the "self." The self-concept has many interpretations but the chapter "The Nature and Significance of the Self" in Symbols Selves and Social Reality by Kent Sandstrom, Daniel Martin and Gary Alan Fine provides some specific definitions. The first is in a social psychologists point of view, which stays that the self is a private identity that is reflected from one's personality or values, beliefs, traits and motives (Sandstorm, Martin, Fine). In this chapter they also introduce the self perspective of an interactionist which is a sociologist that believes everyday interaction shapes perceptions and feelings of the world. An interactionist see's the reflective self as being shaped by ongoing interactions with others. The interactions we have with others allow us to see ourselves in them and allow shape a sense of who we truly are (Sandstorm). Some questions I would ask using this concept are, Do you feel like working for this organization has allowed you to be yourself? I would also ask, Do the everyday interactions you have while being part of the organization influence the way you see yourself and those around you?

Concluding working through these concepts and formulating questions along the way is very important for the interview process. Having a greater understanding of these concepts will allow an interviewer to know what type of questions to ask and how to get the answers they are looking for. Concept like impression management and the front stage and back stage introduced ideas of how to really find out what certain people believe is expected of them. Understanding alienation allows for information of inclusion within organizations to be exposed. The concept of role taking is a way to find out if people in an organization consider the opinions of their leaders.

Book Summary

When entering Ethnographic research process the first thing one must consider is the access you have to the group. In the text it explains that some of the factors that could affect one's access to a group is participants ages, gender, and ethnicity which influences whether it is a good idea to begin the observation process. Other factors that could affect the choosing a of group is the amount of time a group meets and the location in which the group meets. Having enough members and the flexibility of the groups meetings plays vital part for a researcher in order to observe the the groups interaction. Ethnographic work does involve interacting with group and talking to participants, but one must work towards not influencing change with in the groups normal dynamic. This could be difficult to do if the researcher is diving into a group they are already a part of, but at the same time beneficial. Beneficial in the sense that when you are part of a group you get a sense who are the gatekeepers of the group. The gatekeepers also known as key informants often times are the people that grant you access to the group.  

Ethnographic researchers should focus on their overall appearance when diving in to research, show up prepared with a writing utensil and notepad to write down any notes. The observer should dress according to the dress code of the group they are observing. If it is a group that dresses formally and in professional setting, than as a researcher you should dress the same. Besides the appearance aspect researchers should also focus acting or being aware of the groups emotions while doing the observations and act accordingly. Mentioned before the goal is to not cause attention or alter the dynamic of the group so understanding attitudes and language of group is vital.

Next is the interview process of qualitative research which could be done in a few different forms; face to face, over the telephone or electronically. When using technology during the interview process such as digital recorders, one must position themselves next to participants in order to ensure the best quality recordings and it is a good idea to test the equipment before conducting an interview.

Before diving a qualitative interview, research should be prepared with a well put together interview guide in order to ensure that one gets or receive information they want from the interview. Having this set list of interview questions that are open-ended questions can help participants feel more comfortable as well as assuring that there is not right or wrong answers to the questions being provided. If participants are having trouble understanding questions or trouble answering, as a researcher you should probe and break down questions in different language until your confident that participant has completely answered your question.

Researchers in qualitative interviews should be active participants in their interviews. Be prepared to respond, probe, naud head, and reassure participant. This helps interviewee to be more open and willing to answer question in all honesty. Interviewee may not feel comfortable and answer very briefly or maybe even a lie, however, lies do contain some truth to them and are valuable according to the text. Some questions may cause a participant to have certain emotional responses and as the researcher you must be prepared to show that same emotional understanding. Even if the intention of the question was not to build up this type answer one must recognize that participants understand questions in different ways. If you are not getting the type of answers you  expect, guide participants through probing or changing the question.

The third aspect of qualitative research is gathering data of group via images, magazines, news articles, documents about the group and other online sources. Online sources included blogs that talk about the group, social media accounts like Facebook and YouTube. The gathering of this data allows a researcher to further analyze the group after the interview process. With this data you will be able to find information you most likely were not able to obtain during participant interviews and observations. The goal is to get as much data sources you can but that are still useful for the research. Choosing different data that is not significant to the research could be difficult to understand and even harder to explain to an audience. Obtaining sources that are recent and not outdated is ideal for this process because it gives the researcher relevant information about the group.

The quality of documents is important in this content analysis process. It is ideal to obtain or look for documents that have a historical context about the group. Historical documents allow for the researcher to identify clearly the purpose of the group and learn interesting facts about the group with a timeline of events. Documents such as images and advertisements could be useful, however, are more difficult to understand and may not provide significant important information.  With this being said, in the text it does explain that this process could be overwhelming if you do not have quality sources. Working through large amounts of data could be difficult especially if your sources do not provide clear and important information about the group. It is important to organize data before diving into the analysis process, one should be conceptualizing and theorizing data as you collect it. This makes the process of organizing and determining the data as useful a lot easier.

Methods

Ethnography Paper

In the few days that I observed the Pie Shop my goal was to maintain a martian role throughout the three days that I spent there. The way I approached my observations was simple I broke down the restaurant into sections one day I observed the back of the house which includes the kitchen, break area, office and server allies. The next day I chose to observe what makes up the front of the house the hostess/cashier area and the dining room floor. The last day of observations I started observing that front but ended up in the back due to so much going on in the kitchen on the busy work day. The first day of observations was an hour long on March 31, 2019 on a sunday evening from 3pm to 4pm before my shift that day at 4:15. On April 4, 2019 a Thursday I conducted my second day of notes from 3:29 pm to 4:29 pm after I clocked out. Lastly I completed my observations on April 6, 2019 from 9am to 10am, this brings me to the total of three hours of observations.

To help me analyze my experience at the Pie Shop and Grill I put my initial field notes in to the computer program Nvivo. With Nvivo I was able to conduct a word frequency test that resulted with words "cook" and "server" as examples of the top results of the test. This word frequency allowed me to easily navigate through my notes in order to find areas of importance in my notes. I then began to code my notes using Nvivo of course with concepts like front stage and back stage, roles, and rituals were the sociological concepts that I used to code these actions. I also used the label thick description to highlight different areas of importance I felt I found while observing the group.

Interview Paper

My interview questions I felt were strong and helped me get the answers I needed for the most part. Some of the concepts I designed my questions around were the front and back stage, roles, rituals, looking glass-self, and the concept of team. The reason I felt like these concepts were important, is simply because I did see them play out a lot during my observation hours. To record my interviews I used the voice memos app on my iphone and then transcribed that audio with the app Otter. Out of my hour of interviews I was only able to use about 50 minutes of the interviews because of some gossip that was let out by some of my respondents. This in a way could have been my fault with the way I worded my last question, that asked participants to tell me if the group well as a team. After reviewing my transcriptions, I then put in the document in to NVivo where I was able to create nodes based off concepts. In NVivo I also ran a word frequency query of terms of more than 5 characters and with generalizations. Using these to filters I was able to eliminate terms that were broad and unimportant. The result are below and some the most commonly used terms in my interviews were communicating, person, different and question. To me the reason some these words that came out a lot in my interviews, were because of the questions I asked surrounding team, roles, front and back stage, and looking glass-self.

Content Analysis

The way I went about choosing concepts for this section of the research was a lot different than the previous section of ethnography and interviews. It was a little hard to find clear concepts in the data sources I did find were helpful and apply to the purpose of the research. I had initially a total of 22 different sources and ended up only analyze 15 different sources. These reason for choosing only 15 sources was because I was finding lots of data of other Pie Shops from around the area and hardly any that spoke about my group in particular. Within this data set the analyzing the program Nvivo I was able to find quotes that were examples of the concepts of teamwork, meaningful action, identity, Goffman's back stage and roles. These concepts best describe what I saw in my analysis.

As I mentioned I did use the program Nvivo to analyze my documents and data. Prior to uploading however, I did use the old method of copy and pasting on to a blank document to gather all the data in one place before uploading to NVivo. While working on Nvivo I was able to find quotes to connect to different interaction concepts from the semester but I did also run a word frequency query of all my nodes and data. The filters I used for my query included words of more than 5 letters and I combined all similar words together. The top 5 results were the word arbitration with 1.38%, employee with a 1.23%, restaurant with a 1.14%, agreement with a 1.08% and company with a .80%. These words all make sense most of the articles in my data set did speak about the foreclosure of the company and closing of stores across the country and other sources were about employee experiences working for the company. The results for the word query around found below.

Analysis

Ethnography

They come get the drinks talk to other servers and the cook's about their personal lives and take their time before they go back and address their tables. The cooks in between orders almost always act the back stage they work at their pace and talk about cars which they were today that why I use this example.

This to me is a perfect of the back stage being in full affect. This small amount of time that server takes to herself while serving up drinks allows her to step out of the front stage and a small break from her tables. The take advantage of the breaks they get to distract themselves from their work all while still being productive.

The backstage stuff was very similar to the first set of observations, all employees tend to enter the back stage as soon as they get into the server ally out of sight of customers. They talk about school, or life out of work. In the front stage the workers cater to the customer to make sure they enjoy their experience and follow their scripts.

The server ally along with the pie area directly connected to it was the center for back stage conversations. In my observations I was surprise in the backstage interactions that a lot of the people working for the group have similar priorities outside of the restaurant. Some parents and a great majority of the people are college students. They use their time in the server ally to talk about these things.

One of them the baker said he was going to the gym. The prep cook responded by saying. "Damn, I need to start going to the gym man." The prep cook told the baker he was just going to go visit some family. I continued my observations then I worked my way into the kitchen and stood in an area where I was out of the way of the cooks because it was still very busy.

This next interaction is just another example of actual back stage talk. When I was observing these 2 participants I vividly remember them being hard at work and all of sudden they stopped what they were doing. This happens a lot in the back of the house people are able to enter the back stage conversation a lot more quicker sense they work together for long periods of the day.

Front Stage Interactions

The cashier is someone who is always in the front stage seating guests, on the phone taking to go orders and cashing people out, so when she gets in servers alley it is her time to relax and conversation with her coworkers as well.

The cashier in my observations I noticed is someone that really does carry a lot of the front stage performance weight. Always addresses customers with a smile and is the first to welcome them and begins the experience for them.

She has two younger ladies coming in asking if the Pie shop was hiring. The cashier replies with, "yes we are, there is open interviews every Thursday from 3 to 5 which happens to be today. The cashier then handed the two young ladies applications. The one of the two girls said, "thank you, what type of work are you guys hiring for?" The cashier replies, "I recommend you apply for the hostess's position." They both said thank you and walked out of the restaurant.

Here again I bring up the cashier because she really does the most performing in group besides the server and manager.

At this point I also continue to pay attention to the cashier/hostesses and analyze how she welcomes customers who walk through the door. One interaction I encountered was another older couple that walked in, the cashier said, "welcome to the Pie Shop and Grill will you folks be dining in or ordering food to go today." The husband responded by saying, "we will be eating here today," the cashier grabs some menus and seats the older couple in the first booth in the restaurant. I notice the server is told by hostess she was seated, so the server goes out take her table's drink orders. They both get waters and said they were ready to order, I think the older couple are regulars because they order right away did not look at the menus in front them. In less than 8 minutes the server came out with their food a pot pie and salad for each of them. I was really surprised at how fast they got their food.

This long example displays how fast service could be when people conduct themselves properly in the front stage. Knowing your scripts and making the customers feel welcomed allows for the overall operation to run smoothly.

Rituals

I noticed that when the cooks finished a servers order there was also always a common exchange. The exchange was that server would always thank the cook for making their tables food

I feel like this an example of a ritual because this happens every single order and every server and even cashier does it they thank the cook. The cook response with your welcome almost all the time but not always if they are busy.

One interaction I encountered was another older couple that walked in, the cashier said, "welcome to the Pie Shop and Grill will you folks be dining in or ordering food to go today."

This qualifies as a ritual because every hostess, cashier, or manager who greeted the customer walking through the door said some type of variation of this phrase.

The cooks yell out "window" when an order is ready and call out the waitress or waiters name to get their attention. When they pick up their food they always say, "thank you" to the cooks. The cooks do not always respond but say your welcome every once in a while.

This next ritual was one that was specific to only a couple of the cooks but especially the kitchen manager. Every time he finished an order he would yell "window" followed by the servers name. I think this so the food could get out as fast as possible.

Roles

At the this point in my observations it is about 3:30 and the managers are starting to walk around the restaurant and check on the employees and customers. Manager A who is the General Manager is getting ready to go home so she comes to speak to the Kitchen Manager about what it seemed like new promotions the restaurant is pushing. They were talking about the all-day breakfast and that she wanted him to find some to put up the banner out front to promote this. Manager B at this point is making her rounds coming up to different employees asking them how there feeling and how they are doing.

These set of checks on employees and interactions within the managing staff are clear responsibilities of a person on the managing role. The reason why is because it shows that they are in control of the overall operation and are able to be open to their employees needs.

The reason I say role taking was involved because the employees were all working alone with no supervision due to the open interviews being conducted at the time in the restaurant. The cashier I believe displayed this the most, she took on the role by handling the customers walking in all while answering the questions about the interviews or employment things that I believe a manager would be responsible for.

This a situation of a a type of role concept comes into play. The cashier on a thursday evening was taking on the role of the face of the front of the house. The 20 minutes I was observing her she was answering questions about open interviews, seating customers and taking orders at the front desk all alone. She kept her composure and displayed that she was comfortable taking on these different roles.

The kitchen is split up and each of the cooks are responsible for a section in the kitchen. Cook A who is the Kitchen Manager is in the middle is in charge of making eggs, omelets, pastas, skillets. Cook B is on the grill making burgers, pancakes, and dropping all the meats. Cook C in the fryer and salad area; he drops all the fried food, handles appetizers and all the salads of course. The communication in the kitchen verbal and nonverbal, I say this because it seems like these cooks have worked so long together that they were almost reading each other's steps without really saying anything to one another. The Cook B who is on the grill is usually the one calling out orders and dealing with the waitresses.

This is an example of how a kitchen is broken down during a busy day. The cooks alone take on the responsibility to split that kitchen up and give each other different roles. When each cook did his roles the process of getting food out was really smooth.

Thick Description

Consisted of 3 cooks, 4 servers, a busser lady, a cashier and 2 managers. On the cooks line there was 2 cooks who were actually cooking working on about 4 tickets when I initially got to the restaurant and the 3 cook was working on dishes, it seems like they had a very busy morning and over heard that a dishwasher had called in. The 4 servers were all working on different task, server A was portioning butter into little cups, servers B and C were pouring drinks for their tables and server D was coming back from her break. The cashier was restocking the pies and the busser lady was restocking the restaurants salad bar. The managers were both in their office in the back of the restaurant.

3:29pm the environment today at the Pie Shop and Grill was very still and quiet when I initially walked in to the restaurant. There was very few customers about 2 tables of 2, a older couple buying a French apple pie and a couple sitting in the front waiting area for the open interviews being conducted. As for the employees on the clock there was only 3 employees a cook, server, a cashier/hostesses and a manager on the clock at this time. The cook who was the kitchen manager was working on the few orders he had, the server was grabbing refills for her table and the cashier was attending the front counter and answering questions about the open interviews being conducted. At this point it is about 3:45 and the restaurant is still very slow, there is only about 4 tables in the dining area. The cook is outside taking out the trash and the cashier is out front cleaning her pie area that is located behind the front desk.

I decided to come and observe my group at a much earlier time because I felt like there would be a lot more going on in the mornings. So I walked into the restaurant I did a walk of the entire restaurant. The Shop was really busy today, due to it being a Saturday morning I think. I did my usual headcount of employees there was three cooks on the line, a baker making chocolate cream pies, a prep cook cutting what looked like turkey breast, a busser setting up the salad bar for the lunch time and a dishwasher cleaning out the back garage.

Interview Analysis

Roles:

In the restaurant there is so many different roles from server to cook and manager to name a few. I felt like asked different questions in order to figure how to get participants to explain their roles and how they approach their daily duties. So I asked questions like do you ever think about how your manager wants you to do your job or what is something you do everyday when you come in to work. When interviewing one of the cooks I asked him these two separate questions about what some his duties as cook are and he responded with,  

"Making sure the food goes out right. Making sure it's going out the right temperatures,

keeping the place clean, organized and stocked." He also said this about when it gets busy,

"basically trying to stay steps ahead of yourself ahead of the ticket. Try to remember what

temperature  is pretty important. Don't want things sitting around getting cold."

This to me was honestly an okay response to my question, however during my observations I did see the cooks do a lot more than just tend to the line and tickets. They to me handle a big responsibility when it comes to delivering quality food to the customers. The next participant that I interviewed that gave me a quality response to what is role was one of the closing servers.

"I'm a server, as well as typically the closing server, and usually the closing server kind of

supervises the other servers just to make sure like, they get their work done and like, kind of stay

on top of everything. But mainly, you know, I just try to help whoever I can whenever, just because

we are a team. And I see like, you know, that's important."

I have been a part of this group for about 2 years now and this was all news to me I had no idea that there was such position of a supervising server. I was surprised with the responsibility that is given to this person and the dedication the participant had to running a smooth shift. The next person that gave me an interesting insight to his position was the dishwasher who is also a busser. He told me he uses the cooks as his eyes to how busy it gets in the restaurant,

"I'll pay attention to cooks. Oh, they let me know the activity that's out on the floor. Because I see

the tickets and I see them busy. And that that that's my that's my triggers, you know, that let me

know that. Okay, is smooth, busy and I can tell when it slows down.I can tell if this is that high

pace for a good minute. 20 minutes, you're just working. So I used to cooks as my eyes out here."

The dishwasher position is often a position I looked passed but it does play an important role in the restaurant and for the cooks, keeping plates and pans clean ready to use.

Backstage Interactions

The next concept I used for my nodes is the backstage interactions, in a restaurant I found especially when it is busy the backstage interactions could be really quick and often times employees interact while still working. The first person I asked about her backstage interactions was the manager I interviewed and this what she said.

"I'm a laid back kind of manager. So I mean, I laugh and I joke with my employees. But

it's never to the point where we don't know what's going on. Like I said, I'm very lean, I'm

very lenient with what we do. As long as there's nothing is catching on fire, nobody's

stealing or whatever, and we are still tending to the customers, I'm very lenient with what

they do. I think I'm the most lenient manager, you have, I have their back no matter

what"

This response shows me that she is able to be herself while still being able to keep control of the restaurant. I asked a similar question about how he transitions from the front to the back to one of the younger employees who just became a server and this what he said,

"like when you come back here, and then like your trying remember what they got? And then

somebody starts talking to you. And then you start thinking like, oh, what did they want, like? And

then like, I check, like if I wrote it down if I didn't write it down. I have to like make sure I remember

might go back and I asked him like, was that right? By the way? Like, did you want to like it on the

side? Or like, Is that the right pie? or How did you want your eggs?"

This to me just shows that this young man is just struggling to get use to the position. Then to some participants I asked what they do to get ready for a work day this one of the responses I recieved,

"most of the day I sleep in some days, I don't certain days, I don't because I'm living in transition

right now. Okay. And in that home, you know, we're required to, you know, do classes and where

they got, they got a Bible study that they do at the house, it's a faith based home. So they do a

Bible study, five days a week, as a were recommended to go to at least two or three of them a

week. And so I on Wednesdays, and Thursdays are my days that I go with that, which is an eight

o'clock to nine o'clock."

This gentlemen let me in deep into his backstage preparation for work. Having a troubled past has lead him to the position he is today. I was super thankful for his participation.

Front stage

The first front stage node I got came from the manager I interviewed and she let me know about some the things she does to to perform for a customer and provide them customer service.

"To provide the customer service you know, I'll table touch and last customer how their meal was?

Get to know them a little. See what they enjoyed about it, tell them to come back? You know, if

what we have promotions that go on like so say our menus, there's a menu we have that offers free

pie for entrees."

This pretty much in my opinion means that when your in the front stage, they are always trying to give the customers a great experience. When I asked one of the servers how he acts in front of customers he had this story to tell me about when a coworker noticed him in front stage action.

"Although [Hostess] , one of our co workers she was But yeah, she actually heard my customer

voice. And it's like, I do use a different tone. I try to you know, use like a higher pitch tone when I

talked to customers and keep it light and positive, like I said earlier, but also Yes, she was just

surprised when she heard like, oh, like, I've never sounds so nice and proper, you know, and,

polite."

The employees notice that they are performing for customers and realize that is part of their jobs. When I asked the busser a similar question about when he is out interacting with customers he had this to say,

"I keep a smile on my face. And I'm always, I'm always I always got a joyful smile. And I get a

compliment from a lot of the customer they say, Yeah, I love your smile. You always smiling. And

that's just who I am. You know? You have to have a happy countess when your out there because

people looking at you don't even know how people are looking at you."

This man knows that when he is around customers he has to act a certain way. He carries himself to higher standard compared to when he is a dishwasher because he knows customers are watching him.

Looking Glass-Self

In order to get responses for this concept I asked the participants to tell me how they thought their coworkers percieved them. I wanted them to tell me how they thought they were seen in the group the first respondent was the night manager I interviewed this what she had to say,

"I would say that some can perceive me as mean, some can perceive me as, you know, strict and

lenient. Some can say, Oh, she's a great manager, she's a great person. But my, I want people to

perceive me as I'm not trying to be hard on them, I want the job to get done."

I could confirm through my observations I noticed that this manager was lenient and did get along with all her employees. I feel like she was a little hard on herself because she is really not that mean and strict, she just wants the shift to run smoothly. The next respondent to this question was closing server who I found holds himself to high standard in the group but his response really surprised me.

"So I can see how people can perceive me as, like, I was trying to think of a word. Yeah, like,

serious, my sense of humor is really dry. So I can see, I think people probably perceive me as like,

serious and maybe awkward at sometimes,  at some points, because they don't know if I'm joking."

Through observations I did not see this at all, yes he tries to keep everyone on track and can be serious. But he does get along with everyone extremely well and has a very laid back persona that may through some people off. The next person I asked about how he thought the group perceived him was the busser again.

"They got a bunch of love for me.  Yeah they love old me. And because I treat them with respect,

and I treat me as human beings."

This gentlemen was really confident in his response and it makes sense he has been in the group longer than anybody else and he does not get into nobody's business. He keeps to himself most of the time and has encountered many different personalities in his time at the Pie Shop.

Team

This last concept of team was answered in detail by a lot of the respondents and each respondent felt different about how the group worked together. Each of the respondents acknowledge that personalities differ in large groups which could alter dynamics of the team, this what the night manager had to say about her group,

"I just think that individuals are going to be who they are at certain times, you know, and I mean,

some days people just have a bad day, maybe you don't know what's going on with that person. So

just kind of let it roll off and just, you know, pick up the slack there if you feel like you got to, you

know, but hopefully, but yeah, I mean, for the most part, I feel everybody's always working as a

team."

This participant acknowledges that her employees have a life outside of the workplace and that could maybe affect the dynamic of the group. Which she thinks it does not. The busser I interviewed had this to say about the group,

"everybody works together. And with a few exceptions, there's going to always be some exceptions

to the rules. Whenever you work in these type of environments, because the turnover rate is so

high, people are leaving, quitting or whatever and, and it just because of that, then got different

people coming in. And so that means different personalities is coming in."

When I heard this response during my interview bells rang in my head because it is so true what he said. The restaurant industry has such high turnover rates that for some people it is hard to adjust to an environment that has a set core of employees and they are the new ones to the group. It takes time to get know people and to learn a position and some people can not handle it. One of my respondents felt like certain people in the group do not get along but they still manage to work together and provide a good experience to the customers. This is what the youngest participant had to say about the teams interaction.

"I feel like certain people Yeah, do it. But like some of them, like they just knew, but I feel like

everybody works together sort of, unless they don't like each other. They won't work with each

other. But like, I feel like I don't I don't know anybody out here that doesn't accept that don't get

along.Yeah, everything is done, you know, basically like if the food gets out and stuff like that,

right."

It is natural for a team to have people that do not get along, as mentioned before certain personalities just do not work well together. However, when it comes down to it people are part of the same team and everyone's actions reflect on the whole group if service goes wrong.

Content Analysis

Teamwork:

For my first set of nodes I decided to use the concept of teamwork because of the data that could find most about my group it did come from review sites like Indeed a job finder sight. On this site employees talked about how it felt to work for the company and coworkers. In this first example I did pull from indeed it was from the store I did my research at.

"I think working at the pie shop was a really great experience. I can't say for other

locations but this one was great. We all had great team work including the managers. It's

hard to find management that is as hands in this field. Most of the time it's sink or swim

anyways I think it was a great place I was sad to have to go. Pros Great team work."

I felt like this was an example of the concept of teamwork because the previous explains briefly that people at this particular store worked well together. The respondent on this review explains that management and employees work well together, which explains the interaction of the group in the eyes of this particular employee. The next example is also pulled from this same job site.

"Coming into work wasn't really even work and I genuinely enjoyed it. There were days

where it was rough like any job, but i can honestly say it was a really good job. They listen

to you, work with you, and try to take care of you as long as you're taking care of them.

You meet people from lots of different sides of the tracks there. People of rich and happy

pasts, and others with poor sad struggle who are at the Pie shop in hope for a change."

In this example I found that the employee who by the was a past employee form the particular I observed explains the relationship of the members of the Pie Shop. In this comment you see that some members of the Pie Shop really are comfortable working at this location and find easy to come to work because of the connections the group has together. My last example of the concept team is also pulled from this same Indeed source.

"A lot of regulars loved the place and came in every day. I learned a lot in how do deal

with customers and accommodate as best I could to their needs. I learned how to listen and speak with customers and properly inform them about our food and drink menu. Management was organized and very forward thinking. They were able to be flexible with changing schedules and proactive in providing constructive criticism when needed. I got along well with my coworkers. We worked well as a team in providing the best service we could and helped to support one another during big rushes."

In this last example of team the past employee explains that with this they were able to build skills that are vital in the service industry. Also explains that management made it easy to talk to them and that they were flexible with the scheduling employees. The past employee brings up the fact that this location the group works well to provide the best experience to customers and worked well in busy periods.

Roles

The next concept I will provide examples for is the concept of roles. I decided to pull quotes of roles from the data simply because I did find some significant amount of examples of roles. The first example is from a previous manager of the Pie Shop, that was from a different location other than the one I did my research on.

"A typical workday as a manager started with assigning servers positions, then going to

make a round of inventory. Once that was concluded I inputted sales into our spreadsheets and finished up other related office work before helping serve tables."

In this brief example we see a previous manager of a Pie Shop location explaining what their job is everyday when they come into work. I felt this example was helpful because even though this person did it directly work at the location I observed, managers at the Pie Shops do have the similar responsibilities. The next 2 quotes come from a document I found online for a cook position at the location where I did my interviews and observations.

"Prepares menu items according to company policies, procedures, programs, and

performance standards. Performs all duties to maximize guest satisfaction and a quality work environment as directed Kitchen Manager or Manager on Duty."

"Uses, maintains, and cleans all kitchen line equipment, plus preparation and storage

areas.Stocks and rotates products on cooking line. Has sufficient knowledge of cooking stations, menu items and prep procedures to ensure correct portioning, quality, cooking time and performance standards. Cooks and prepares menu items according to guest request within company standards and following food safety and sanitation procedures. Monitors and oversees food temperatures during hot and cold handling to reduce the incidence of risk factors known to cause food borne illness. Anticipates, identifies and corrects system breakdowns to achieve maximum guest satisfaction. Communicates with the Manager on Duty and coworkers regarding product/services deficiencies, equipment, safety problems, etc."

In these two quotes above we see the job description of a cook at the Pie shop. In the Pie Shop and

In any restaurant in general cooks and back of the house food prep personal have vital responsibilities that help contribute to the success of the restaurant. The roles vary for cooks and they must carry themselves with a sense urgency and poise.

Meaningful Action

These next quotes are examples what I believe describe the concept of meaningful action. Meaningful action is the process in which a person takes into account the actions and reactions of others. In my following examples I will show example of meaningful actions from the perspective of employees and customers. The first example is from a previous employee.

"This was a fun place to work when there was a nice flow of customers in the restaurant.

On occasion there would be nights when business was slow which impacts the amount of tip money you take home. Management and coworkers were nice. I eventually moved on from this place because I found a full-time office job that offered benefits and holidays off."

I labeled this as an example of meaningful action mostly because the employee recognizes that the Pie Shop is good place to work at. However, when business is slow hours are and tips are not as good, I see this as a reaction to a typical work day. The next example comes from yet another previous employee.

"I worked at the Pie Shop for a short time. I enjoyed what I did, but wasn't looking to stay

in the food industry for the rest of my life. I learned professionalism and multi-tasking. My coworkers worked just as hard as I did and we all worked as a team. The hardest part of my job was making sure all customers were satisfied. In a restaurant, people demand a lot out of you and expect things done in a timely fashion. Productivity was very important. The most enjoyable part of my job was seeing my 'regulars' and knowing what they wanted before they asked. It was make them smile and satisfy them so much. I love to please people."

I chose this as an example of meaningful action because here the employees explains the effort it takes to please and give the customers the best service possible. The recognizes the work is demanding but explains that group managed to work well together to overall provide a good experience.

"I added a star for the hostesses that greeted us... actually for the conversation we had after

the meal. They were so bubbly and funny and helpful about what to do while we were in town for a visit. I hear Marie Calendars are restructuring their corporation and so I fear that we will only be able to find them in the freezer section of our grocery stores soon so whenever I see one, I try to talk in whoever I am with to go.. I love the salad bar and potato cheese soup! Diet or not!"

I chose this last example pulled from Tripadvisor website that shows that actions of the employees really do have an impact on the customer. The customer explains above that the her server provided her with great service, so she went out of here way to provide this feedback.

Identity

In these next examples I will talk about the concept of identity. Identity is basically what the company is trying to promote as their image and the purpose of the group these first to quotes were both pulled from straight from the Pie Shop website.

"Early 1940's: It all started with dessert. The legacy of Pie shop  began in the early 1940s

in Orange County, California, when Marie, an accomplished baker, first launched her legendary pie business, delivering freshly baked pies to area restaurants. 1948 - 1950's: By 1948 with the help of her husband Cal and son Don, they turned this home-based bakery into a bona fide business complete with a wholesale bakery. Within a few years, Marie was making over 200 pies daily and had acquired a truck and a mixer."

"Today: Pie shop 's® operates over 50 restaurants in the United States and Mexico. And while many things have changed, one thing will always remain the same—the quality and care that goes into making each and every one of our legendary pies. And for that, we can all be thankful."

These first two examples under identity explain the start of the company and provides a timeline of the growth of the company. I was surprised to see that group has ties outside of the United States that is news to me. The next example is about the anual pie sells this company has sense pie is the biggest selling point for the company.

"IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE THEM FOR THE

HOLIDAY. PIE SHOP HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 50 YEARS, WE HAVE QUITE A VARIETY, OVER 50 DIFFERENT KINDS OF PIES, SO YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU HAVE LIKE."

This is a transcription from a video I found that explains that the Pie Shop is a staple in the pie industry and the demand for the pie especially during the holidays is extremely high. Pie is what the company is known for and will continue to be known for while it keeps it doors open.

Backstage

The next couple examples I labeled as backstage because they talk about background information about the corporations struggle to keep Pie Shop doors open across the United States. The Pie Shop did recently file for bankruptcy and I did find lots of articles that talked about this problem here a couple examples that explain the impact it has on employees in two different locations in California

"Forty-three full and part-time employees will be affected by the closure. Some may find

positions at Pie shop locations in Camarillo and Northridge."While we realize these restaurants may not be as convenient we hope that some of our Ventura employees will join these teams,"

""Closing a restaurant is always a difficult decision. We are very grateful to the guests who

patronized the W. Shaw location over the years, and thankful to the employees for their service." The restaurant is encouraging now out-of-work employees to apply at other Pie shop in town. It's not clear why the West Shaw restaurant closed since it's on a high-profile building at a busy corner."

Here we see the company expressing their feelings regarding the employees losing their jobs. The people in charge of the company explain that these employees do have the option to find employment in restaurants nearest to the location. The last example of backstage information on the company is a statement from the president of the corporation.

" We greatly appreciate and recognize the support of our employees, customers, vendors and strategic partners whose support is vital to our success." As part of its restructuring plan, the Company also announced the closing of 58 Perkins and Pie shop restaurants. Mr. T explained that, "this initial round of store closings was arrived at following store level analyses of historical financial performance, local market conditions, and cost structure. The process to identify underperforming locations remains ongoing and will continue throughout the chapter 11 case."

Here the president explains that company is losing money and the only way to keep the company alive is by closing some of the stores.

Conclusion

Overall my experience observing the Pie Shop and Grill Restaurant was very eye opening and positive. I was able to observe and analyze how the different members of the group carried themselves in the front and back stages of their job. The type of interactions that go on in those stages and how the group manages their day at the Pie Shop. Analyzing the Pie Shop through the different sociological concepts of roles and rituals allowed me gain a greater insight in certain lingo used by employees or how each position contributes to the greater goal of the group of giving the customer a great experience. Looking into the group from an outsider's perspective has allowed me to appreciate what every position in the restaurant does in order to deliver this common goal of providing great customer service and quality food. When asking my participants to answer front and back stage question I found that in away they do see themselves as performers acting for customers, changing the way they speak and offering them promotional deals. I found that people in the group realize that people have problems outside of work and could carry those problems throughout the day. People in this group were very understanding of those situations which I think is what makes them such a great team. Lastly I learned about the financial struggles the company in general was facing and the loads of stores that are being forced to be closed. The store where I did my research is still open because it is one of the few left in the area, pie season keeps these locations alive.

Works Cited Page

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