Restaurant Spotlight: Deir Café

 By Elizabeth Rocha

Motlow Buzz Restaurant Critic

 

   Deir Café is a Palestinian-owned coffee shop in Nashville that is known for its authentic drinks and food, as if you were stepping right into Palestine. The popular gathering place brings Mediterranean culture to Music City, offering flavors ranging from Pistachio Latte and the signature Deir Latte to my personal favorite, the Strawberry Matcha Latte. 

However, Deir Café goes beyond offering drinks and edibles – sharing its special purpose as a business.

“Deir Café is more than just a coffee shop,” Dr. Yusuf, owner of Deir Café, states on the café’s website. “It’s a symbol of resilience and hope. Blending the soul of Palestine with the creativity of Nashville, every cup tells a story of home, healing and heritage.”

The creative eatery is personally one of my favorites to visit. As someone who craves authenticity, this coffee shop offers that and more. There are now two current locations, one in the heart of Nashville at 711 Hagan St., and one in the outskirts of at 105 Haywood Lane.

 

            To learn more, visit www.deircafe.com. 

Smyrna Chick-fil-A to Undergo Renovation

By Landon McCallister 

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer 

SMYRNA, Tenn.-- The Chick-fil-A at 470 Sam Ridley Parkway W. in Smyrna will be shut down for six weeks in either February or March 2018 for an extensive renovation, according to Director of Operations Chuck Bean.

Chick-fil-A will essentially double in size to help give guests the best possible experience. It will also expand its parking lot. One new thing that will be coming is another drive-thru to help guests to be served as fast as possible. Another new feature that is coming is a new mobile area station that allows customers to order online so food will be ready when they arrive. 

"The guest experience always comes first," said Bean. "We are a quick service, not a fast food service." 

Photo by Landon McCallister

Some ways that will help improve the speed of service are changes that are taking place in the back of the store that guests do not see. Currently one unit is dedicated to the preparation food for everyone. After the renovation is complete, the kitchen size will double. This means workers will be committed to either the drive-thru or taking orders inside the store. 

To make things simpler, there will essentially be two people cooking the chicken, two people making sandwiches, two people boxing the chicken nuggets and strips, and two people making fries. 

With the expansion of the store, Bean hopes that the Smyrna Chick-fil-A will be more welcoming for customers with more room, a shorter drive-thru line, and faster service. 

Some menu changes have already occurred with the addition of macaroni and cheese, which has been a popular item for kids, and family-style meals, which feed four people. The family-style meals include two main food items and two side items. 

Chick-fil-A customers should know soon if special events or discounts will be offered to help celebrate the store's reopening. 

Chick-fil-A in Smyrna is a $6 million business. After the renovation takes place, Bean hopes the store can eventually become an $8 million business. By the end of 2019, he hopes that the store can become an $11 million business. 

Accomplishing this would be an unprecedented significant jump in just two years. Not only is it almost doubling the money the store earns, but doubling the number of people who get served.  

 Motlow students are also excited to hear about the expansion of the store.  

"I love Chick-fil-A, but I usually only go early in the morning or late at night when they are not busy," said Courtney Howard. "I will definitely be going more often." 

Overall, Chick Fil A is renovating to benefit the customers, and that’s how it has been since Truett Cathy started the business.  

"We're not just in the chicken business, we're in the people business," said Cathy. 

For more information or to see the Chick-fil-A menu, visit www.chick-fil-a.com.

Characteristics of a server worth tipping: Written by a server

 

By: Chelsea Keeton
 

 It is well past 2 a.m. and I sit in my car just staring at my apartment complex in the dead silence. My dry eyes contemplate the four flights of stairs that stand between me and a deadline for school. The smell of old beer, ranch dressing, and fried macaroni and cheese have settled in my clothes, skin and hair.  I can only hope that it doesn’t take up permanent residence in the car’s upholstery. With the last little bit of energy, I reach in my back pocket and count how much money I made for the night. As I haul myself up the stairs, my attention is taken away from my struggles by the young couple who decided to tip me 40 percent of their check amount, the man who sits in the same bar stool every single day, and the family that always requests my section each time they come. Why me, I wonder?

After being a restaurant server for six years, I face the characteristics of being a good server on a daily basis. My managers and co-workers at my current restaurant, The Boulevard Bar and Grille, have their opinions of what makes a good server. The owner of my restaurant says that a good server is one who does not cry, complain and works fast. But what are the customers’ opinions? No one is going to walk up wearing a sign. It is up to me to read them, and to respond accordingly. It’s a dicey game, and one that could make the difference in my ability to fill my gas tank on the way home.

In an article in Psychology Today, Jack Schafer writes that “personal introduction accompanied by a smile makes servers appear friendlier and more personable.” This in itself explains that customers appreciate service that is friendly and personable. 

            In Tyler Tervooren’s article (list the name here) a girl tells a story of how she used to strongly believe that appearance did not matter. One day she was on a bus and was confused as to which stop to get off. As she started to pay closer attention to who offered advice of which to choose, she noticed one was wearing sweatpants and smelled and the other was wearing a clean and ironed suit. She took the advice of the man in the suit because his appearance suggested that she could trust him with her decision.

                When I was 18 years old, I started working at a fine dining restaurant. I had two adult couples sit down at my booth. I asked them for their drink orders then put them on a tray. When I got to the table, I tumbled over my feet a little and lost balance of the tray and spilt the drinks all over the man in his button down shirt and khakis. I felt terrible! I was embarrassed, and he was nothing less of angry. I had no idea how to handle the problem but to apologize every second I could.

                Learning from the spilling catastrophe, I had another instance where a customers’ experience could have gone bad. There were five men sitting at my table celebrating their friends’ birthday. They were explaining to me how they have had just gotten off work and are ready to celebrate! The man who was celebrating his birthday had a rough week, and they wanted to make it better for him! They ordered two of their favorite pizzas. After taking their order, they wanted to make sure that I had two pizzas ordered for them instead of one. I confirmed that I had two pizzas being baked from them with the upmost certainty. When their food came out, I noticed there was only one pizza. The kitchen forgot to make the other pizza before moving on to other orders. I genuinely went up to the table and explained what happened. I said I was sorry and offered to give their 2nd pizza for free. Because I was honest and sincere with them, they told me they were fine without the 2^nd pizza and not to worry about it. I stayed on top of all of their needs from then until the end of their visit. When I gave one of the men the check for the entire table, he handed me a 100 dollars and his credit card. When I came back with change for his 100$ and his credit card, he told me that the 100$ was for me. I could not believe he tipped me that much with the visit he had.  From my experience with the man and the drinks that fell in his lap, I learned to be honest with them and not annoy them for telling them I’m sorry every second I have, and just smile and do what I can to make the rest of their experience better. Later during their visit, the man who paid for the bill came up to me and told me what an awesome job I had done and how I handled the situation very well. It made me feel a thousand times better. He handed me my tip and when I looked at how much it was, it was one hundred dollars.

            I have come to learn the “secret sauce” is empathy. Can you identify with your customers? If so, even if the chef forgets an order or burns the dish, the way you handle the problem will define the customer’s experience. If you combine empathy with GRIT (the ability to problem-solve amidst adversity), you are a GREAT server.