My CV...The Wayside Inn, Jensen Beach, Florida

My first W-2 job, after babysitting came when I was 13. The Wayside Inn of Jensen Beach was a local institution. Famous for its chicken pot pie, served bubbling hot, topped with an impressive puff pastry often followed by its equally famous Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Walking into the restaurant you’d see a grand hostess station and two dining rooms. One to the right which was smoking and to the left non-smoking, each dining room seating around 50 people. As a busgirl a little station of bus tubs was my zone, as I hurried from table to table to clean up and reset for guests. Then I would carry the heavy bus tubs back into the kitchen to the dishpit for cleaning. I can’t remember a slow day at this establishment with lines out the door after church on Sundays.

My hours were from 12-4pm Saturday and Sunday. Never did it occur to me that counting school I’d be working 7 days a week. I don’t remember my parents ever mentioning that either. I wanted stuff, new clothes to wear, movies to see, music to hear, and cash to spend at the mall. My wage was $2.25 per hour plus tips. I’d average about $25 a shift, paid out in cash at the end. I remember the dining rooms were very noisy, the environment busy and the servers didn’t care that I was just a kid. They expected hard work and efficiency. My Dad and Uncle were chefs in a fine dining restaurant in New Canaan Connecticut and I’d grown up spending afterschool in the kitchen as my Dad wound down lunch service and Uncle prepped for dinner. I adored restaurant life, the bustle, the chatter, the drama with the waitstaff made it feel like there was always something exciting going on. Kitchens, service and good food are all a part of my life today and I’m grateful for the experience I’ve had in these fast paced environments.

Transferable Skills:

Task Prioritization- Looking at the hostesses list and determining which tables would be best cleaned next. The smoking side or the non-smoking side?

Observation- Studying the groups in line to determine which seats would need to be available next. Even though the hostess was technically on this I became adept at knowing.

Communication- Conversing with fellow staff about how many place settings would be needed. Listening, actively, and attentively to what was happening.

Attention to Detail- My manager would have me repeat vacuum sweeping the floor if I missed a spot. I didn’t like doing it twice so I became exceptionally careful to collect every crumb.

Photo: The Jensen Beach Arches, still standing today. The Wayside Inn was just past here on the right coming from Rio. Today it’s a church and doesn’t look at all like the original building.