More chefs through the kitchen. A man flown in from Italy, on trial for a week, it was 3 days before I discovered that he worked there, he spent his time hanging out about the espresso machine and telling staff in broken English how life was too short.
And the latest, she's lasted 2 weeks, a Gypsy woman. She came to the interview with the owner and brought her 2 children (14 and 16) and husband with her. She's from Albania, lived in Italy before claiming refugee status in Canada.
So the owner tries her out. She shows up for her shifts late, her husband and kids wait for her outside the restaurant while she works. The husband, he's not working, can't find a job and so he's made it his job to get her work.
I tell the owner - "They're Gypsies", and he asks me if I really think so, Gypsies are from Romania, not Albania, and I just laugh it off, "Gypsies" and now he's thinking. ...
She's always late, misses shifts, doesn't call in, when finally she shows up a few days later she gives excuses like "I had shopping to do". The owner, he's not too happy but he's in desperate need of the kitchen help. And when she works, without fail her daughter and husband wait for her outside the back door of the restaurant. Not just to pick her up, but they're there to drop her off, then spend their time waiting in the parking lot, milling about, popping their heads in the back door to see how long she'll be, waiting for her to finish.
Her daughter, the eldest, 16 years old, she's taken over the hostessing position.
She's remarkably mature for her age and a good worker, she works a day job as well, comes to the restaurant after it and hostesses, she pours water for customers, busses tables, to look at her, talk to her, she's older than her years. The father, husband of Gypsy, he's got the whole family working apart from himself.
The mother, Gypsy, she won't last, the daughter, well, it'll be sad to see her go, good workers, bright hostesses are hard to find.