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A Seemingly Endless Recess in The Yard

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy long periods of recess during grade school but what I have experienced in The Yard is on a different scale.

On the very first day of January this year, my friend Ana and I decided that it was a good idea to do cycling as the deed might act as a herald for a highly-desired productive year. After the stationary and lethargic year we’ve had, going outside and interacting with one another through our masks is a progress that I very much needed. We rolled around the nooks of the crescents and alleys of her neighborhood in Elenita Heights Subdivision and half an hour later decided to take a respite as our sweats began to mingle with those of the skies. It was a bad decision to bike just before sunset and in such gloomy weather, however just as before one of us gathers the courage to say that out loud, we turned and was met by a fully lit backyard. It was alluring—a literal light at the end of the tunnel—and we, having no choice, gave in after deducing that it was indeed a restaurant. We were bound to be lured; it met two of Maslow’s physiological needs, food, and shelter. So, honestly, what can we do?

The place goes beyond what one would expect to find in a subdivision. It had a welcoming vibe, very cottage-core-y with all the fairy lights hanging like grapevines, tables and chairs (of assortments like wooden and the usual steel chair) scattered around the yard, and they even had a customized marble draughts table where you can play while you wait for your food. At face value, it was a feast and I honestly hoped the meal would be as well. The food on the menu were mostly the ideal meals you’d find in almost every restaurant-slash-café in the city, e.g. pasta, hamburger, fries, and chicken wings. But again, given that it was within a subdivision, it was more than anyone can bargain. To top it all off, the price was within the student budget. Without hesitation, my friend and I reserved the draughts table and proceeded to order a snack meal which consists of one beef burger, fries, and an iced tea. Everything was easy, no problems met, and so afterward we sat at our table and played a game or two. Then came the third, and fourth… and fifth. At this point, I was undeniably famished, considering I have used all my energy from the bike ride and from repressing my hunger for the past, approximately, two hours of waiting.

There weren’t much people around apart from a family dining in one corner, a couple in the other, and a group of friends in their balcony—regardless it is a busy day for a neighborhood restaurant-slash-café. I recognize that they needed to cook four orders, however two hours of waiting seemed unreasonable especially because we only ordered a snack meal. I took it upon myself to look for valid grounds on the situation at hand; something I wasn’t able to do due to my immersion with the draughts game. I then realized the place only had one staff visible from the counter—the man we ordered from, who also waits for the table. He also disappears to the kitchen from time to time, most probably to help the cook. It is unequivocal that the place is understaffed, yet there is so much to manage. I cannot even imagine what full-blown chaos the place would have been if it were packed.

Seeing this at a micro-level, just as how the classical theorist Frederick Winslow Taylor would, it is necessary to create a smooth-sailing workplace through the division of tasks. Taylor’s Time and Motion Bricklaying Study is parallel to this scenario. One man cannot finish a brick wall in a set period by himself just as that one staff cannot accommodate every task on his own. If the restaurant had enough workers, division of works would have been easy.  And if properly optimized, these distributed motions can ultimately lead to efficiency. By reducing the period of waiting, they can minimize and control bad reviews towards their business while generating more profit. Taylor’s Principles of Scientific Management, which strongly upholds the importance of systematic work to improve efficiency, will prove useful for this predicament.

The downside of this type of management, however, is that it would cost more to hire additional workers. It isn’t necessarily ideal for a growing business such as The Yard, chiefly because it is primarily used for businesses where labor can be measured quantitatively. Apart from that, it also puts financial gains as its utmost priority to the extent where its ethics become indistinct—putting pressure on the workers and neglecting other facets that can motivate them other than monetary incentives.

To conclude, running a business requires strong analytical and managerial prowess which The Yard lacks. In their defense, it is rather acceptable given that they’re a neighborhood business. Overall, I liked the ambiance and their food but, it would have been way better if I didn’t have to wait two hours to relish it. 

You can find The Yard at Lily St., Blk 16 Lot 16, Garden Villas, Elenita Heights Subdivision, Catalunan Grande, Mintal, Philippines. 

Contact them through 0915-463-0172 or visit their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/theyarddavao.