One day, during my Women
’s Studies class, my teacher asked what seemed to be a rather
shocking question. “How many of you are sex workers?”
One day, during my Women’s Studies class, my teacher asked what seemed to be a rather shocking question.
“How many of you are sex workers?”
My classmates all sat up and looked at each other, waiting to see if the person next to them might be a prostitute disguised as an innocent college student.
I, of course, had no reason to raise my hand, knowing I was nothing close to a sex worker. Then she asked, “Well, are any of you servers?”
I thought to myself, “Yea, I know I can raise my hand for this one!” and quickly shot my hand in the air while looking around for some fellow waiters or waitresses in the classroom. No one else raised his or her hand. Then my teacher said, “I hate to inform you of this, Chrissy, but you are a sex worker.”
Oh, great. Overwhelmed with feelings of confusion and indignation, I asked exactly how that made me a sex worker. Apparently, I sell myself to the guests I serve by being polite, gracious and courteous no matter what, and then they give me money. I guess I’m like some sort of food hooker.
My professor also said, “Do you notice that you get better tips on the days when you look really Good?”
I wasn’t sure if that was true. I mean, it seems like on days when I look and feel especially good, I make lots more money, but I just assumed that was because I was doing an excellent job. Not selling sex.
Then, at the end of the semester, I hit the server jackpot and got the serving job of my dreams. So great, I didn’t care if it made me a “food hooker.”
I started out a year ago as a hostess in a restaurant in Morgan Hill, where I felt totally unappreciated and was lucky to leave with enough money to cover the gas to get back home.
Next, I became a server in a restaurant in Eastridge Mall, where two-thirds of the stores are currently closed for remodeling. The place wasn’t exactly hopping. Then someone said to me, “You’d be set if you could get a job at Buca di Beppo in the Pruneyard. That place is always packed.”
By way of a sheer miracle I applied, was interviewed by the owner, who was sadly leaving the restaurant to open another Buca di Beppo in Oakridge Mall, and a few days after my interview I was hired. I got more than I had asked for.
The guests never stopped flowing through the door in this restaurant! I began training there and it was exhausting at first. I couldn’t believe the fast pace you needed to keep up with everything.
About two weeks into training, I was shopping at Oakridge Mall and decided to stop at the new Buca di Beppo for a peek. My old boss was inside and I couldn’t help but express my excitement to him.
“These plates are so shiny!” I’d never been inside a brand new restaurant (before it had even opened) and was really impressed with the place.
(Buca di Beppos are all set up like a maze with several different rooms dedicated to different themes, like the Pope’s Room, the Poster Room, the Sinatra Room and the Cardinal Room. You can even eat in the kitchen.)
The next day I received a call from my old boss, asking if I wanted to transfer to the new store and go through the opening training. I immediately said yes.
The training, which was also phrased “Buca Boot Camp,” was a week-long process of food tasting – we were able to taste the entire menu – group exercises, and information about Buca di Beppo in general. We worked with trainers from all over the country.
We learned about the history of Buca di Beppo and how it all began with the first restaurant, in downtown Minneapolis in the summer of 1993. The founder himself, Phil Roberts, who flew in just to meet us, taught our history lesson. The Buca at Oakridge, which opened eleven years after the first restaurant, is the 96th Buca in the United States.
For those who haven’t been to Buca, we’re a family-style restaurant. All of our menu items come in big portions meant to be shared by everyone at the table. The food is incredible. It’s real immigrant southern Italian, so it’s packed full of flavor with tons of garlic, olive oil, basil and lots of red sauces.
The desserts are absolutely amazing.
The idea at Buca di Beppo is for the guests to have a dining experience unlike any other. You share food with everyone at the table, and each person participates in the ordering process.
The walls are covered with over two thousand pictures and other Italian memorabilia, so we encourage guests to get up and walk around to check everything out. The rooms are all painted bright, vibrant colors, and the ceilings were lowered so that the restaurant can remind you of a family basement. (Buca di Beppo translates to Joe’s Basement.)
This restaurant values the idea of a festive and pleasurable family dining atmosphere. When you walk inside, you instantly feel the difference.
All of our guests seem happy and friendly, not just with me but even with strangers sitting at nearby tables. The kids are all happy, at ease in the friendly setting.
It makes my job so much easier, because when they’re having so much fun, it’s hard for me not to have fun myself. We’ve even received comments on how exceptional our service is, compared to the restaurant next door. (Looks like somebody may go out of business.)
And I might even decide my Women’s Studies teacher was right about her server/sex worker theory. One of the guys who works with me (who incidentally could easily be mistaken for a Calvin Klein underwear model) had his picture taken by guests in our restaurant three times in the first two weeks it was open.
He has earned quite an impressive amount in tips already. Maybe he’s just a great server, or maybe he’s a sex worker.
Either way, I hope everyone comes in and takes a look at the newest addition to Oakridge Mall. Where else can you eat really fabulous Italian food around a giant circular table, with a plastic replica of the Pope’s head right smack in the middle?
(Yes, folks, you can dine with the Pope.) Oh, and ask for Chrissy’s section.
Chrissy Bryant is a sophomore at San Jose State University. She writes A College View about local college life and things that catch her fancy. Contact Chrissy at ed******@*************es.com
