As the new Southeast bureau editor for Nation’s Restaurant News, I know have big shoes to fill. Everything I have read about the late Jack Hayes indicates that he exhibited immense depth as a human being and was highly regarded by all who knew him. He excelled at his job, yet he still made time to help others and enjoy artistic pursuits and an otherwise enriched life. Inspired by his legacy, I hope I can do him justice.
One of my favorite phrases was penned by Alfred Tennyson in “Ulysses”: “I am a part of all that I have met.” Indeed, I feel that much that I have met in my life has led me to this job.
Following years of working as a freelance business and technology journalist, I felt I had already dissected every technology story and dot-com executive in the Tampa Bay area. I was ready for something more colorful and fresh. When I found a job listing for NRN’s Southeast bureau position, I realized that fate had intervened.
Throughout my time as an undergraduate at the University of Florida in Gainesville, I worked at a little restaurant called Burrito Brothers Taco Co. Founded in 1976, it is still owned by my former employers and friends Janet and Randy Akerson. The Akersons are food lovers who grow their own veggies and boast skills well outside the realm of Tex-Mex. Early on I learned from them a great respect for foodservice professionals.
Burrito Brothers is a Gainesville icon. So profound was its influence on my life that a year ago I embarked on writing a book about the restaurant. Today I am in the sporadic throes of interviews with customers and former patrons all over the country.
Some time following college, I moved to Manhattan and landed an entry-level job on Wall Street as the assistant to a food and beverage analyst. Aside from spreadsheets and research reports, one of my jobs was to read NRN so I could keep my busy boss up on foodservice business news. Although my Wall Street career eventually moved from analysis to marketing and communications, I never lost my interest in restaurants.
My childhood dream was to be a journalist, probably inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s character Jo March in “Little Women.” While it broke my heart to leave the Big Apple, my marriage and move to Florida helped me to fulfill that dream. Along the road I had two children and also acquired a degree in social work and worked as a hospice counselor, which gave me a special appreciation that each day is a gift. I hope to combine my very diverse personal and professional experiences and make myself a valuable resource for all of the constituencies of NRN.
I know that I can never replace Jack Hayes, nor will I try. Instead, I will forge my own path. Please send any advice and information my way, as I want to do a fantastic job, and I know I have a huge learning curve.