On Returning To Work

Aric Pihrag - Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

I only recently returned to work as we had a terminally ill family member who we were terrified to give the virus to. Unfortunately they passed away due to their illness in October. I don't believe there is an English word to describe the feeling of a new sense of freedom in light of a loved one passing. It's like schadenfreude with love. I know it sounds morbid but it is really only a feeling that one can empathize with having been through it. As a result of our loss we were slowly able to try and reintegrate into the new normal that this terrible virus has set upon us. 

I try to remind myself daily that there has been, and continues to be, an immense amount of sacrifice undertaken to try and get society back to whatever normal we had before. This includes the LIVES of fellow humans trying to fight, selflessly, for humanity. We can't forget them.

Whenever I dread dealing with the anti-maskers and science skeptics (because those are the only situations I really dread anymore) I try and remind myself that at least I have my LIFE and HEALTH. I relish the opportunity to once again enjoy the cocktail venues that we've created in their true intimate style. 

Here in BC we are just starting the vaccination process so there is hope that by early summer more restrictions will be lifted. We've also started a bartenders collective in the Okanagan that aims to promote the cocktail movement in the region and, in doing so, slingshot some of our members in their hopes of becoming international competitors. We started this a couple months ago and we've already got a member to Canadian finals for World Class! (s/o to Matt Hassen!)

With all of the aforementioned in mind I feel very optimistic about the coming months. Just sitting down and writing this has lifted my spirits a bit. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give you a little bit of insight into our small part of the world.

Raj Rijhwani - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In Toronto, after about 25 weeks of a second lockdown, it feels surreal to be thinking and planning to go back to work. There is a palpable excitement to be doing the things (even the ones I dreaded like rollups, or cleaning duties) in the name of work. The feeling of having something happening in life again cannot be described. I honestly feel I cannot wait any longer to work with my friends again, doing what I love, making some money to buy things, drink at a friend's bar after work, feel happy without the guilt of being a bum all day. 

How it looks: It looks cautiously positive right now. The vaccinations seem to be in line with where they should have been 2 months ago but here we are. The most vulnerable population is being vaccinated and hence, protected. The level of worry is dropping very very slowly as we are heading towards a cure from year(s) of prevention. My boss is slowly starting to put things in order and has a plan ready to get people in upon the announcement to clean and sanitize the restaurant so we can be ready to open as soon as we are allowed. 

What has changed: The optimism, in me personally, has definitely changed for the better. It seemed pretty hopeless a month ago where we had no hopes of ever seeing a decline in cases but the talks, the planning, the waiting for the inevitable reopen is hitting me right now. I feel more about how out of shape and practice I'm now and it makes me eager to get back on the horse and start working on being that level of preciseness again as we once were. 

What stayed the same: The work culture, the coworkers/friends, the constant learning from each other adaptability on safety protocols has definitely stayed the same. The "want to work" approach has stayed the same where there are no boundaries or job descriptions and everyone just works to help each other as none of us are as good as we were when we did this everyday for years. 

Looking forward to: Absolutely everything. The cleaning, the reorganizing the bar, the setup, the mundane jobs, the conversations we will have while doing those mundane jobs, the people, the interactions, the stories, being a part of someone's special experience... everything that made the restaurant what it is, I feel I'm looking forward to that. 

Dreading: Not dreading too much besides the random person trying to be too cool to wear a mask and be rude about it, as we see on videos posted on social media. More than addressing and refusing to serve that person, it is the contact that will happen with that person is what is a little dreadful. It is our safety and probably more time off work that is on the line. 

How do I feel: I feel very cautiously optimistic. I feel a sense of relief on contributing towards being an adult again. The way we are raised in this society is that our work defines us. This pandemic and these lockdowns have taken that definition away from us and I am really looking forward to gaining that back. I look forward to stressing a bit about work, talking it out with friends, having fun while I'm at it. I feel that getting moving again will add to my physical health as the sedentary lifestyle has probably taken years out of me. I'm low key very excited but I don't want to jinx anything so I'm rubbing my fingers and sitting tight haha

Daniel Boulianne - Montréal, Québec, Canada

I personally feel excited to get to work once bars and restaurants can re-open. People are in need of a social life and happiness and we will be on the front line with the hospitality industry to welcome them with open arms. It will be like the post-war era, so we better brace ourselves with our smiles and joy.

Obviously, a lot will be different, probably new measures will have to be taken until this pandemic is over but how more intense can it get than being closed down? After being closed for so long, like DJ Khaled said, it's all the way up. Sadly, many workers that we know might have switched careers, which we can all understand, and even worse, many bars and restaurants that we love might be closed forever. Hopefully from the ashes, our industry will fly stronger. I'm personally looking forward to sharing a drink with friends and establishments that I love and missed during these times.  At the end of the day, this is far from being the end of our industry, the hospitality industry will prevail.

Josephine Nguono - Nairobi, Kenya

Returning to work feels awkward. Things are different with the face masks and shields on. Things are not as interesting as they used to be but we are holding on as best as we can. Everything has changed. I am looking forward to operating when the time gets back to more normal. It will take us forever to recover.

Andrea Scacco - Padova, Italy

 Unfortunately in Italy it is not yet possible to work at full capacity.  Under the burden of taxation, only a few bars are open with takeaway service with a few drinks ready to be consumed. The expectation and desire to return to normal is high, but sometimes it creates doubts and uncertainties. Today they allow you to work and as soon as you start again a new law makes you close. Even customers are at the mercy of events, some with the fear of going out, others with too much desire to go out, those who go out but with the fear of hugging friends again. In this period it is difficult to stay on track. But let's be optimistic, it will soon be over. Normality will come and the bars will be full again. The solution to this period is to study, design, renew what we had to improve and be ready to offer the best possible service. I do this job because I love to create, I love to make people feel good, see their smiles and have fun. This is the idea of the concept that allows me to move forward and not stop. I don't deny that there have been dark times. For almost a year, the salary has been almost non-existent. But with a smile on our lips let's go on, the good days will return and above all we will return to toast together.

Christopher Militello - Las Vegas, Nevada

My name is Christopher Militello and I’m the lead bartender at Monzú Italian Oven and Bar in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year sure has been a crazy one. Full of so many emotions, it really seems like it’s been a lifetime since quarantine started. But as of late, as we just passed our year “anniversary” of the shut down, things have really started to become “normal.”

First, I think I need to mention how things have been here in Las Vegas. We were able to open our restaurant back in mid May last year, at 50% capacity, no more than 6 per table, tables were 6 ft apart, and I wasn’t allowed to have anyone in the bar area. At first I was excited because we were open! I now had something to do, and I was able to see some new faces again even if they were behind a mask. 

But that quickly became frustrating. Nobody was allowed to be at my bar. That social interaction that I loved so much with this career I’ve chosen was gone. Yeah I could make a drink for one of our guests sitting at the table. But I felt like a lot of my creativity went out the window. I love when someone sits at the bar, and I get to talk them through the menu and help them find the perfect drink. Besides the social aspect, we were pretty slow. It was brutal at first.

Then after about a month we were able to add a few seats at the bar, but it still wasn’t the same. We were still slow, and a lot of our regulars just wouldn’t come out. I felt like I had reached my tipping point. Like why am I trying to do this? I’m getting up everyday, prepping the bar, getting excited for work, just to stand there and watch the tv as we don’t have any customers. I was seriously considering my options of just leaving.

I should also mention that my wife and I were planning on getting married in October in Taiwan, and moving to the DC area to settle down and raise a family. Those plans fell apart, as we were no allowed to go to Taiwan anymore, and my job that I had set up once we moved was not available due to the pandemic. So I just felt lost, and I eventually left Monzú to figure out what I wanted in life.

My wife and I took that time to explore the outdoors a little. We went on countless road trips and adventures, just trying to enjoy every day to the fullest. We were able to have a small wedding at Monzú, and it was then when I realized “Why am I trying to leave all this? I’ve literally built this whole bar, and now I’m getting married here. This is where I belong!” I immediately decided that I was gonna suck it up and get back to work.

The following week I received a call from the owner, saying that they needed me to come help a few nights a week if I was available. It was almost as if the universe just made everything work out. I accepted and went back to work the next day.

Going back to work at Monzu was exciting, but again it was slow. It was November now, we were able to have a few bar seats and it was now 25% capacity. But I had this new found energy to just make the best of the situation. You know there are people hurting all over the world, not able to work, and I should be grateful that I have something to do and a way to make some money.

Fast forward to 2021, and now the vaccine is starting to get distributed. Almost simultaneously as people got the vaccine, we started to get busier. Which was very exciting! Now I’m starting to see our regulars that I haven’t seen in almost a year! It’s been great to catch up with some of these people and share stories of the past year. All of a sudden, we’re having some of the best weeks we've ever had, still at 25% capacity and socially distant! As of this past Monday March 15 we are allowed to operate at 50% capacity! Which is crazy because a year ago seemed so little. But now to have 50% in the restaurant is a blessing. 

I now have people who sit at the bar and look for me to make them a special cocktail. People are looking me up on Instagram and trying to coordinate their visit with my shifts. The last few weeks I have been busy with guests just wanting to come in and have me show them a great time again, just like before Covid. A lot of our guests have been telling me that they have been thinking about my drinks, and our food for over a year and once they were able to come out we were their first stop. It really makes me feel special. It makes me feel like I’m a part of healing our community. I know we have a long way to go, but I’m glad that I can do my part and help people that just need someone to talk to while they enjoy a delicious beverage.

This past year has not been ideal, but it has helped me refocus my attention on what really matters, and I truly feel like I’ve become a better person because of it. I really hope that I can continue to be a positive impact on our community as we continue to heal from the pandemic.