So You Want To Own A Restaurant - Blog Entry 2

New (financially motivated 18 years old American) Prep Cook (with 3 kids who was late to her first two shifts and doesn't actually know anything about prep): "Hey. Can you give me at least 7 hours per day? I have 3 kids and I need as much money as possible to get an apartment."

David: Not as prep, but we need help with dishes too. I can give you additional hours at the same pay if you want to do some dishes after your prep shift ends each night."

New (Not so motivated after all but still 18 years old and still American) Prep Cook (with 3 kids who was late to her first two shifts and doesn't actually know anything about prep and who takes 20 minute bathroom breaks a couple times in 5 hours): "Oh. I have 3 kids. I can't work that late."

We also have a refugee from Republic of Congo working for us. She has 10 kids. She is a trained teacher who speaks Swahili, French and more and more English due to the English classes she takes several days per week. She works double shifts Sunday through Tuesday for us and normal shifts for another company the rest of the week. She gets health insurance from the other company and so she gives them more time.

She has seen atrocities most of us cannot imagine and yet, while she was working yesterday she quietly sang a beautiful and happy song. She never complains and she has learned to become a competent prep cook. Her family just bought a car, which they share. She was a refugee in Uganda prior to coming here. It took her 7 years to get a visa. She and her kids spent that time picking up plastic to sell for money for food. I asked her if she was happy to be in the US and she said, "No. I wanted to go to Canada or France, but this is all I could get. I'll make it work here until I can go live somewhere else."