This weekend, we went home to Rochester to visit my family for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we had dinner at one of our favorite Rochester restaurants, Mario's . Mario's has hands-down the best brunch buffet in Rochester, with a huge selection of delicious, approachable dishes; a warm, inviting atmosphere; and excellent service. They repeat this tradition on an even grander scale for holidays, with dinner buffets that may include a variety of fresh roasted meats, seafood entrees, shrimp and crab cocktail, and any number of side dishes and desserts. (Check out their Sunday brunch and holiday dinner menus.)
The Christmas Eve buffet was, as usual, excellent. What blew me away, though, was when our server (Deb) first came to our table and exclaimed, "I can't believe you're here! We talk about you guys all the time!"
After almost two years, our server remembered us. Not only did she remember us, but she was excited to see us, and apparently others on the staff recall us and mention us now and then as well. Amazing.
How can this possibly happen? I spent several of my younger years in food service, and know from experience that it is incredibly difficult to keep staff for more than a year or two. Deb said she had been there ten years. Ten years. That night, I saw at least three other members of the floor staff that I recognized, and another that we asked about is still there as well.
Obviously, Mario's is doing something right, beyond the recipes and decor. Almost all the employees there seem happy to be there (even on Christmas Eve!), and they stay far longer than the typical restaurant employee. By investing in their employees, and being a place where they enjoy working, Mario's creates a customer experience that cannot be rivaled by cost-cutting or company policies and procedures.
Phenomenal job, Mario's. We hope it won't be another two years before we visit you again.
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