Clipboards may or may not be the backbone of the restaurant industry. They hold so much and yet seem so weak to the untrained eye. Whether they’re made of plastic or that weird wood/cardboard composite (seriously, what is that stuff?), clipboards are the dependable workhorse every operator wishes they could clone. T god for bulk buying.
Typically, the most useful way clipboards help with tasks in a restaurant is during inventory counts. They hold the paper. They give you something hard to hastily scratch numbers onto while you’re speeding through it to get to post-work drinks with the rest of the kitchen crew down the street. You just couldn’t take inventory the same without them – until now.
That’s right! You can now take inventory from your mobile phone. The MarginEdge app lets you take inventory counts directly from your phone or tablet, so instead of reaching for trusty Ole’ Clippy, you can instead reach into your back pocket and finally feel free to whip that bad boy out on the floor.
Next time your GM catches you with your phone out you can say, “Hey bestie, I’m just taking inventory here!” Are you supposed to be rolling silverware? Maybe. Is taking inventory even your job? That’s up to you. Either way, you’re welcome.
And we get it. Change can be hard, but when a tool comes along that fits into your life (and your pocket) like it was always meant to be there, you have little choice but to bite the bullet and take life by the pop socket. All is not lost for Ole’ Clippy; however, as we’ve got five things you can do with your old clipboard now that you take inventory on your phone.
Nothing says “culture” like a half-constructed tower of disheveled clipboards giving commentary on the service industry and how hospitality workers are treated just as disposably as Ole’ Clippy by Karens who tip less than 15%. Additional projects include unionizing and starting a sustainable kitchen apron company.
It’s wood, ain’t it? Department of Health might have a few issues but when do those guys ever think something’s clean enough or not a “public health hazard”? Throw that bad boy in a sani rinse and you’re good. to. go.*
*Please do not actually do this, we are not responsible for any subsequent DOH violations.
This one’s for the empaths out there. Ole’ Clippy makes an excellent car food tray to hold up your depression meal from Taco Bell at 2 am after a particularly heinous Saturday night shift. It might not be aesthetically pleasing but we’re proud of you for feeding and taking care of yourself.
Feeling that latent sentimentality already? Host a funeral and bonus wake for Ole’ Clippy! There’s no harm in honoring your dear old culinary companion, and bonus points if it’s made out of plastic so your grandkids can dig it up someday and wonder why grandma buried a clipboard in her backyard. Additional grandkid thoughts include: what even is a clipboard and a follow-up question of, what is paper?
Positive reinforcement is the most effective way to encourage healthy habits, so grab some glue sticks, a bedazzler, and your best Martha Stewart impression, and turn Ole’ Clippy into a “job well-done” trophy. That way you can award yourself the next time you have an amazing shift, get a baller tip, or even when making it a whole day without crying in the walk-in.
You can even do a little car ceremony where you hand yourself Ole’ Clippy - wave to the audience - and thank BoH for all the hustle that made it possible. And, bonus: impulse buying that hot glue gun in college finally came in handy!
When the time comes to retire Ole’ Clippy, we trust you’ll do what’s best for them and make your choice with care. Sentimentality can make transitions difficult but once you see how much easier it is to take inventory on your phone, we’re sure you’ll know why it was a necessary change. Still not sure inventories can ever be “easy”? We’ve got a hack for that too!