You meet some of the best people in the restaurant business. Folks like our guest Olivia Salomon, a server at Le Veau d’Or in New York City, who find joy and satisfaction taking care of other people and helping create memorable experiences for them. 

Whether it’s a warm welcome at the door or a server with a wonderful tableside manner, someone who is called to the work and does it with care can really make a difference in how we feel at the end of the day. 

The word restaurant derives from the French word for restoration. A place where you can restore your body with sustenance. And perhaps now more than ever, restaurants are places where we can revive our spirits and sense of well being. At their best, good restaurants feed our need to connect with other humans. All the more so if our server or maitre d’ is someone who’s passionate about spreading joy and love and positivity in the world.

Listen in to our chat with Olivia to hear about: 

~ How she figured out Pete Wells was coming in and then what happened

~ The importance of mentorship and how we can support the Next Gen

~ Why she loves the Danny Meyer 51% philosophy 

~ How to hold the work of serving so it’s empowering rather than demeaning

~ The difference between being a server and a maître d’

~ The unexpected joy to be found taking care of older clientele

~ Why kindness is the life hack Olivia wants everyone to know about

~ How to deal with challenging personalities at the door