AT WORK IN N.C.: For this waitress, the customers are like family

For this waitress, the customers are like family

By North County Times | Sunday, October 12, 2008 12:16 AM PDT ∞

Editor's note: As the pace of change in the workplace accelerates, old jobs are disappearing and new ones are emerging. Consider, for example, the VCR repair shop of a decade ago ---- it's gone.

But one job ---- food service ---- has retained its fundamental characteristics during this period of epochal change. Or has it?

In this occasional series, "At Work In North County," we visited Traci Talbot at Charlie's Family Restaurant in Escondido.

I’m 42 and I’ve been waitressing here for 15 years. I’ve been a waitress for 20 years total.�  I work here in the morning hours and I open on the weekends. My sister Terry works here, too.

It’s awesome to work here because of the time off for the kids’ school functions. I’m a single parent. I have three kids: 8, 11 and 15. I went into waitressing when I had my son because I could get cash in my pocket. He was three months old.

I couldn’t ever sit behind a desk; I’m a people person. I don’t ever say, "Oh, God, I’ve got to go to work."

Customers know all my business. Sometimes, that’s not so good. I bring my kids in here to eat. My son used to come in when he was 5 and he’d hang out in the owner’s office. I started working nights; now I’m on days.

I spend my money on my kids. My son plays baseball. There’s always school stuff to buy. I help out at the school, Juniper Elementary. I spend a lot on food and gasoline. My 15-year-old goes through a gallon of milk by himself every other day.

The people here are like family to me. Dad passed away in April. They were all there for me. Same when Mom died 10 years ago. They made sure I had time off and lots of flowers and cards.

I’ve lived in Escondido since I was 19. This whole restaurant is like family here. A lot of customers are repeat customers. They come in all the time and we know their names. My job’s not just about setting your food down; it’s about, “How was your day?”

� 

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