The Usual - Editors Note

I could set my clock by the comings and goings of regulars, so aware of the part my services played in the routines of their weeks. For the most part I loved it. There was a real privilege in the familiarity of being able to ask how that job interview went, or are you all packed for your holiday here are my recommendations you asked for by the way or I heard about what happened, how are you holding up? It was a role within my local community that I didn’t take lightly.

Except it’s not always a good thing if someone remembers your name and your order. When working front of house I am far more likely to remember the names of customers who are rude, picky and inconsiderate. I can recall the name of the person who reduced a colleague to tears over menu substitutions, or the couple consistently late to their bookings, quicker than I can the ones who order politely and succinctly and with no fuss. 

Being a regular is often romanticised, everyone wants a place where you’re greeted with warmth and familiarity, where the quirks of your preferences are not only remembered but catered to with a smile. A sign of stability and comfort, a signal of being part of a community, that there are people who care.

But it’s a dynamic not everyone gets to be a part of. In putting together The Usual? myself and Helen wanted to examine the regular/local dynamic a little closer. What is it like to be the worker facilitating this relationship? What barriers are in place that prevent people from feeling comfortable within a venue? What happens when boundaries are crossed, or when being remembered becomes a threat?

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project, we hope that in reading this collection of work you gain a greater appreciation of the places you choose to frequent often and the workers who look after you when you do, an understanding of how so many others can do better and how there is no one size fits all when it comes to our third spaces.