4 A
❘
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ SEPTEMBER 24, 2016
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
E XTRAORDINARY P EOPLE
Our local Food Service Workers
C ATHERINE J. R OURKE
For the Siuslaw News
_____________
(Editor’s note: In recognition of
National Foodservice Workers Day
tomorrow, Siuslaw News’s Catherine
Rourke is spotlighting some of those in
our community who make eating out
more than just having a meal...)
T
he heat is on. It’s 6 p.m. on a
Saturday night with long
lines forming at Bay Street
restaurant doors. Servers and bussers
scurry about as the whirl of cocktail
blenders clashes with the clatter of
plates. Hosts frantically add more
names to an already burgeoning
waitlist of anxious hungry patrons
while bartenders rush to fill bever-
age orders.
Beyond the swinging doors lies
another dimension in the back of the
house, a realm of heat, chaos, grease
and sweat. The cacophony of shout-
ing cooks, chopping knives and siz-
zling saucepans fills the air as
kitchen workers labor in a frenetic
pace.
It’s multitasking to the max exe-
cuted with timed precision, yet food-
service workers take it in stride with
amazing aplomb in a ballet between
the floor, the kitchen, the front door
— or even an outside patio.
Then the kids spill milk all over
the table. A foreign tourist wants to
know why he got beef when he
ordered the chicken fried steak. Six
plates sit double-parked in the hot
window as the chef yells for some-
one to “move ‘em out.” A diner
complains that his soup is cold and
another says the salsa is too hot. The
kitchen loses a ticket and food is
delivered to the wrong table. The
eggs are too runny or the steak is
overcooked. The dish pit runs out of
clean spoons and the daily special
suddenly appears on the “86” board.
Everyone demands a window
table and nobody wants to sit near
RICH COLTON PHOTO
the door.
Then the 10-top asks for separate
checks.
“Organized chaos.”
That’s how Katy Bailey, a cook,
server and bartender at Siuslaw
Riverside restaurant, describes it.
With 21 years in foodservice, she
has seen it all. Still, she couldn’t
imagine trading the stress and splat-
tered apron for a desk job.
“It’s a fun business and I really
thrive on it,” she said. “No two days
are ever alike.”
Her colleague Devin Marie
Robertson, a longtime server from
Las Vegas, agrees. “Time flies and I
feel really good at the end of a shift
after making people happy,” she
said. Their boss, Riverside restauran-
teur Melonie Rollin, offers another
take.
“It’s all about having a service-
oriented heart. It’s also about com-
munity spirit. We love throwing a
party for this town every day.”
But foodservice is no picnic. With
long hours without a meal of their
own, servers must remain stalwart
while fulfilling every whim,
demand and expectation of
a fickle public. Tip income
often resembles Russian
Roulette.
Drunks, deadbeats and
“stiffs” can ruin a shift
The Siuslaw News welcomes letters to
while coffee breaks, sick
the editor concerning issues affecting
days and holidays remain a
the Florence area and Lane County.
fantasy. Burning feet and
Emailed letters are preferred.
burning indignation often
accompany the job descrip-
Handwritten or typed letters must be
tion along with burnt toast.
signed. All letters should be limited to
From breakfast cafes,
about 300 words and must include the
casinos and coffee houses to
writer’s full name, address and phone
fast-food restaurants and
number for verification.
fine dining establishments,
Letters are subject to editing for
we asked foodservice work-
ers the same question: Why
length, grammar and clarity. Publication
do it?
of any letter is not guaranteed and
Invariably, the answers
depends on space available and the vol-
remained the same: a gen-
ume of letters received.
uine love for serving
Libelous and anonymous letters or
humanity. In that, the work
poetry will not be published.
transcends a job to become
All submissions become the property
a calling.
“It’s all about connecting
of Siuslaw News and will not be
with
people,” said Firehouse
returned.
Restaurant owner Marla
Write to:
McKenzie. “It’s a good feel-
Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com
ing to see empty plates
L ETTERS TO THE
E DITOR P OLICY
USPS# 497-660
when they leave, but it’s more
important to see the smile on their
faces.”
Initially drawn to slinging hash
for the cash, many foodservice
workers stay for the flexibility and
variety. Mercedes Gortz, an 18-year
industry veteran, always knew she
wanted to work in foodservice. “I
love what I do and it’s a passion,”
she said. “It gave me more time with
my four kids.”
Surprisingly, it’s no different for
fast-food workers.
“I started in this business when I
was young,” said Bryan Ryves, shift
manager at McDonald’s. Eight years
of foodservice have turned him into
a master multitasker as he pivots
between the drive-up window, the
prep kitchen and the front counter.
Breakfast workers are a special
breed. Like Bryan, Blythe Robinson
rises long before dawn to serve cof-
fee and eggs at Fresh Harvest Café.
“People are happiest when they're
eating,” she said. “I put that food
down and watch grumpy faces sud-
denly turn into happy ones. Servers
just aren’t allowed to have a bad
day.”
Blythe ought to know. The 31-
year-old has been pouring the love
along with the coffee since age 18
and prefers breakfast to other shifts.
“People just want to eat fast, get
their caffeine fix and go,” she said.
Even younger servers can find the
silver lining in their breakfast shifts
where caffeine makes the world go
’round.
Elyse Hickson, age 21, began
working at the Little Brown Hen at
16. “The regulars bring a smile and
brighten my day every time and
make my job so worth it,” she said.
Elizabeth Wheeler, 15, a busser at
the Little Brown Hen, added, “My
favorite part of being a morning
server is when a grumpy customer
finally gets their first cup of coffee
of the day and I get to watch that
frown turn upside down.”
Sandra Mehuron, chef at Fresh
Harvest Café, says she loves the cre-
ativity as well as the challenges.
She’s seen her share of them after 44
years in the industry. So has Fresh
Harvest restauranteur Gilmar Ortiz,
who has performed every job in
foodservice from chief bottle wash-
er, literally, as well as busser, server,
bartender and host.
“In serving, you’re in a constant
position to give,” he said. “It takes a
special type of people who humble
themselves to serve others and that
is true leadership.”
1285 Restobar restauranteur Kurt
Hargens summed it up this way: “I
want guests to feel like they’re com-
ing to my home for lunch or dinner.
They should have a warm and wel-
coming experience. It’s about mak-
ing them feel important. If we can
do that, then we’re doing our job.”
Across the street at the Waterfront
Depot, Marianne Brisbane, a 20-year
veteran restauranteur, shared another
perspective. “We love to make peo-
ple happy. It sounds simple, but you
must have a servant’s heart in order
to do it,” she said.
Depot employee Bill Broderick
has tended bar for over 35 years.
“This job allows one’s personality to
shine, while working with a team,”
he said. “I love that this profession
allows me to not be a 9-to-5 drone.”
Craig Stewart, a longtime Bay
Street server currently at the
Waterfront Depot, started out as a
busser at the ICM and then went into
construction for 14 years. “It was
backbreaking work,” he said. “In
foodservice, I get to build relation-
ships with people. If people have a
great dining experience, that puts a
smile on my face.”
Chris Wohl at Blue Bill’s Sports
Bar in Three Rivers Casino Resort
echoes that sentiment. “When you’re
able to do something special for a
customer and then see that look of
appreciation, it's so rewarding. It's
all about being personable even
when you're busy. I make it a point
to greet and converse with customers
even when the pace is crazy.”
Perhaps that explains why Chris
was voted “Best Bartender” in the
2015 “Best of Florence.” Still, the
father of one toddler and another kid
on the way admits that foodservice
can pose some challenges. “Finding
the balance between work and fami-
ly life is the tough part,” he said.
“We miss a lot of family events.”
Nights, weekends and holidays all
remain de rigueur for the industry as
people gravitate to bars and restau-
rants whether they feel up or down.
“Sometimes we even have to be
psychologists,” Chris said. “I'm
often amazed at what folks tell me.”
Martin Luther King Jr. must have
had foodservice workers in mind
when he wrote: “Everybody can be
great because everybody can serve.”
Yet there are no statues erected for
their heroics or postage stamps in
their honor.
That’s why Sept. 25 is National
Foodservice Workers Day, dedicated
to the 15 million cheerful troopers
employed in the nation’s largest pri-
vate sector workforce. Most will be
toiling on their national holiday —
at the broiler, in the dish pit, behind
the bar, at the door and on the floor
— sacrificing their Sunday so the
rest of us can enjoy ours.
Foodservice workers are often the
first people tourists meet upon their
arrival, creating a first and lasting
impression. That makes them ambas-
sadors for our community as well as
stewards for our celebrations. Every
summer they miss the parties and
picnics, the weddings and gradua-
tions, the fireworks and the cook-
outs.
As consummate professionals,
foodservice workers deserve far
more credit for their mental, emo-
tional and physical prowess.
Portland-based veteran server Paul
Paz is on a mission to elevate the
status of foodservice workers to a
professional level. His organization
provides invaluable “tips” at
WaitersWorld.com.
The Siuslaw Riverside will offer a
“Service Industry Night” on
September 25, with special prices
for foodservice workers. “Everyone
should experience this industry
sometime in their life,” restauranteur
Rollins said. “It teaches you every-
thing you will ever need to know.”
Catherine J. Rourke is an award-
winning journalist, author and book
editor who teaches creative writing
at the Florence Regional Arts
Alliance. Email
CJReditor@gmail.com.
Copyright 2016 © Siuslaw News
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Postmaster, send address changes to: Siuslaw News, P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439; phone 541-997-3441; fax
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
Susan Gutierrez
Cathy Dietz
Ron Annis
Jeremy Gentry
PHOTOS BY CATHRINE ROURKE
From left: Three Rivers Casino Resort bartender Chris Wohl, voted Florence’s "Best Bartender" in 2015; Siuslaw Riverside restauranteur Melonie
Rollin with server Devin Robertson and cook-server-bartender Katy Bailey; Mercedes Gortz, an 18-year veteran in the foodservive industry.
Pres. Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
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Salem, OR 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line 503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
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541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email:
Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
State Rep. Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email:
rep.caddymckeown@state.or.us
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416/ 800-944-9603
541-269-2609/ 541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan (Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
West Lane County Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email:
Jay.Bozievich@co.lane.or.us