Experience
June 2022-Present
Restaurant Expediter/Food Runner
Old Capitol Grill and Smokehouse
Golden, Colorado
Welcome to your new job as a restaurant Food Runner at the Old Capitol Grill and Smokehouse! Here's a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to do your job... Step one: Rotate and transfer plates from the food line to the correct tables, all the while checking the quality of each item. Step two: Ensure each customer has the correct entrees, sides, condiments, silverware, and that they are satisfied with their order. Step three: Communicate! Work together with your teammates to get the next set of plates moving, constantly maintaining quality service. Don't forget! Customers MUST come first.
Throughout the past few years, as I've been developing my set of professional soft skills, I've come to understand all there is to the food service industry. Serving paying customers is NOT one of those jobs where you can pop in some AirPods and call it a day. Every day I show up, I'm constantly assisting guests, analyzing time-based situations, and making strategic decisions based on what I deem adequate. Not only am I constantly utilizing my problem-solving skills, but working with a unique set of individuals, I've found that my ability to professionally communicate with others has drastically improved. Additionally, by learning the menu and happy hour specials down to every minute detail, I find myself in a position where I can recommend one of our dishes to just about anyone. These soft skills, in addition to the knowledge I've gained working in a professional environment, are the things that I value most from my time at Old Capitol Grill and Smokehouse. I find myself building a core part of who I am as a person that will pay off later in life.
June 24th, 2023
Bottled Refreshment Vendor
Greeley Exchange Club
Greeley, Colorado
The Greeley Stampede - an annual 4th of July carnival & rodeo, set up in the growing suburban city of Greeley, Colorado. A place where families and friends come for all kinds of games and fun, this event is a hub for hundreds of locals during the summer heat. As I navigated my high school years, seeking ways to earn additional National Honor Society service hours, I stumbled upon this rich opportunity to further refine and build my professional soft skillset. Nancy Critfield, one of my grandmother's friends from as long as she can remember, was part of a local volunteering group called the Greeley Exchange Club. Every year, for the Stampede, they ran Pepsi stands and Mountain Dew booths to help ensure that no one goes thirsty while out and about. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to give back to the community while, simultaneously, gathering some more experience, interacting with paying customers. When Nancy asked if I was up for the task, my response, "Of course!", couldn't come quickly enough.
My main job, while volunteering at the Mountain Dew Booth, was running the cash register. Why? Long story short, it was due to a simple tablet involved. See, the funny thing is, at least in my generation, I find that we're more able to adapt to new technological changes. At least for now, while we're on the younger side. So if there were a new payment method where I could just take my phone everywhere, instead of a wallet, I would be on board in a heartbeat! In other words, when people at the Stampede kept asking to pay for drinks using Apple Pay, I had no issue learning and understanding how to get it done. However, many of the folks in the Greeley Exchange Club, including Nancy herself, are much older. When there's a cash register, solely reliant on a tablet that's supposed to take payments without a physical card or cash, things can get complicated in a hurry. This, however, was where I stepped in. While sure, I asked customers what they wanted and found their corresponding beverage, the ability to explain to the other Exchange members how to run the cash register was where I felt I contributed the most. Similar to how I was always called the Family Technician back in the day, here I was doing it again. Helping others understand technologies that many in my generation take for granted. Overall, I enjoyed volunteering at the Stampede, not because I was able to check off more NHS hours, but because I got the satisfaction of being a key part of the Mountain Dew Booth's success. Not only was I improving my ability to professionally work with others and sell to customers, but I was also able to assist in the technological side of things, a topic where I'm best suited to help.