All the managers were helping out bussing tables, taking orders etc. when I got a phone call from a woman frantically trying to find her husband. I asked her what he looked like and she said "he is middle aged with gray hair and a receding hairline". Ummm that was pretty much EVERY man in the restaurant at that time. I told her this and she said "in light of everything that happened, could you please ask each person if they are my husband....you do know what is going on don't you?". I replied that I didn't know what was going on, and she informed me that a bomb had gone off at the world trade center. I found her husband's table, he had just left, she was relieved he was not at his office in the World Trade Center. I hung up with her and called my Dad, said "Dad, I don't know what is going on at the World Trad Center, but I am no where near it, call Mom, I am really busy, gotta go". This was in the days when my Dad's toll free number at work was really cool. :)
The remainder of the morning was spent trying to service all the people in our restaurant, we were getting bits and pieces of information from people watching TV. I started to hear that a plane had crashed into the WTC and couldn't help but picture it being a Cessna plane...I had been on a tour and they had explained that a plane had once crashed into the Empire States building, and it was fine. Little did I know. So as the 2nd tower got hit, then the Pentagon, I was frustrated that I didn't know what was going on. Finally, I said "Screw it" and left the restaurant full of people and went to the health club where I could see a TV. I was horrified.
Later in the afternoon, we went into our "emergency mode" as a hotel, we closed the doors to non-hotel guests, the police stopped by and told us to take our flag down as they didn't want any terrorists to think we were a government building. Myself and several other managers went to a local grocery store and stocked up on the basics...eggs, water, bread etc. They had closed down the island of Manhattan and (unless you are Michael Jackson) supplies could not go in or out, nor could our guests, and we had a hotel running at 80-90% occupancy. We put a TV in the bar and many guests gathered there to watch the news.
There are a few things I remember specifically about 9/11 and the following few weeks. I remember going down to 34th street and not being able to go any further...and barely being able to breath the smoke was so thick. 34th street is a LONG way from ground zero, it was crazy. The smell over the next few weeks is something I will never forget, it was just horrible, it was smoke, but had a very unique smell to it. Eventually we were able to go down to 14th street and from there we could still see the remains of the WTC, it was literally about 4-6 stories high. I have some pictures...they are actual pictures...not digital ones...not sure how to load those up here. The other thing I remember are a few really nasty guests that stayed with us. In order to serve all of the people staying in the hotel (again, we had a fancy restaurant that did not do a lot of volume), we put together a buffet since all the restaurants had closed down, anyone wanting to eat in the hotel could go through the buffet. Now remember, this is the Park Hyatt, this was no cheesy buffet. There were several guests that were OUTRAGED that they had to go through a buffet and couldn't order off the menu. Come on people, we had no way of getting supplies and no knowledge of for how long. The next guest was the morning of 9/12, I had a lady that put one of my servers in tears because she berated her over the quality of the coffee we serve....don't know if any of you have heard of illy coffee....brewed in ITALY...it is good stuff. She pointed out how she travels all over the country and this is the worst coffee she has ever had. Alrighty then.
I will always remember this day, I think we all will. My thoughts are with those who lost friends and loved ones on that day. God Bless America.
