Julia Altshuler wrote:
> Bob (this one) wrote:
>
>> I've never understood that "Black Friday" thing. When I was actively
>> selling my food products in farmers' markets, it was always about 10
>> times better than my next best day. Black Friday should be reserved
>> for disastrous occasions, not the ones that pay the bills. <G>
>
>
> In this case, a "black" day has both one meaning and its opposite. So
> Black Monday and Black Tuesday were economic disaster days in 1929 at
> the beginning of the Depression, but the day after Thanksgiving is a
> black day because sales are normally so good the retailers are back in
> the black on their balance sheets.
>
> I guess the day after Thanksgiving is bound to be awful for people in
> the restaurant-food business since people have leftovers in the house
> but good for people in the retail-food business since people buy
> gifts.
> --Lia

I don't know about your business; you are probably correct about the
leftovers! I recall one Thanksgiving DAY when it was mandatory everyone
show up for work at the restaurant. (I also recall one bartender who
protested loudly he had plans and would not be there, regardless of the
schedule. He was honestly surprised when he was fired the next day for
failing to report.)

Management expected huge crowds of people who didn't want to cook. Planned
a special menu with turkey, dressing, gravy, etc. I was the hostess that
day and I and the servers just stood around, bored to tears. You can only
clean tables so many times. The only folks who had any business were the
bartenders (ha! The guy should have come to work!) and the cocktail
waitresses. I think a couple of people came in to buy caramel pies on their
way to someones dinner. And I seem to recall being vaguely thrilled when I
seated a party of six. That must have been the longest 8 hours of my life.

On the other hand, when I worked retail for a large retailer selling
clothing I ran my a** off the day after Thanksgiving. A person would have
to be nuts to go to a Mall on that day.

BTW, Lia, I did buy a bottle of wine yesterday as a gift. You are right;
the shop was not busy. Go figure.

Jill