Students across the country are used to early mornings and late nights. Most students have long hours of schoolwork during the day and go out with friends Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights to blow off steam and de-stress after a long week.
Senior Valerie Reich is the first Elon University student at Elon to get a job at Tony’s Pub-N-Subs where she spends Wednesday and Thursday nights bartending.
After working there for six nights, Reich had nothing but great things to say about the job, owner Tony Caruso and the establishment itself.
“It’s a good time,” Reich said, “I have a lot of fun working there. It’s a Burlington establishment and a lot of locals frequent it so it’s nice to come in and see that side of our town.”
Reich said she started off as a regular customer at Tony’s for the last year and a half on Wednesday night karaoke and 50 cent wing nights.
“My friends and I have been going there for a while and after being there every Wednesday I started joking with Tony like, ‘hey Tony, when are you going to give me a job?’” she said.
After asking the question time and time again, she said Caruso, the owner, took a leap of faith and gave her the job.
Proving herself professionally
“One of my favorite things about working there is that they don’t treat me like I’m a student or that I’m younger than them,” she said. “They just treat me like a real person and I love that. We just laugh a lot.”
Tending bar is a job that often isn’t recognized as hard work, instead many consider it a job “for fun.” But as a bartender one has to remember recipes, be sociable and be quick on your feet.
“I don’t think people give bartenders the respect they deserve,” Reich said. “People are there to have a good time but we are there to provide service for them to have a good time. A lot of the time they don’t give bartenders credit.”
Though first skeptical about hiring an Elon student to work behind the bar, Caruso has been impressed with Reich’s professionalism and dedication to her role.
“We weren’t sure about hiring students, but we finally did it,” he said.
Concerns about the use of fake IDs and underage drinking stalled the process. But, Reich has made a good impression on the Tony’s staff.
“We’ve gotten to know her over the last couple of months and she interacts real good,” Caruso said. “I was telling one of my boys she really has an attitude for this and is real good at talking.”
Communication is another key element of successful bartending. Just as customers are depending on their drinks to be made correctly, they are also looking for a social experience. The bartender is responsible for setting the tone of the atmosphere and keeping customers happy.
“When you’re talking to people, it’s about being funny and polite,” Reich said. “Find ways to connect with people. We’re all cut [from] the same cloth in some way.”
Reich feels she is being taught by the best in the business, Caruso’s wife Rita, who is known as the “momma of Tony’s.”
“I have so much respect for Rita. She is the coolest lady ever,” Reich said. “I’m really amazed by her. She is there all day, all night, closes the bar and wakes up every morning and gets her kids ready for school.”
Reich said the pair has been nothing but respectful and understanding since she has gotten the job.
“They teach me a lot which is really nice,” she said. “They have a lot of patience. Sometimes I’ll get a little overwhelmed and they’ll just be really respectful and help me out if I can’t remember a drink recipe or something.”
Rita is not only a bartender at Tony’s, but also works behind the scenes in the kitchen making many of the favored menu items from scratch.
Though not its not many students first choice for a meal, Reich believes it’s actually delicious.
“The food at Tony’s is so underrated,” Reich said. “The chicken wings and mozzarella sticks are so good and it’s all freshly made by Rita.”
One of the resources that has helped Reich with the job is a booklet of mixed drink recipes she is using to learn the ropes.
“It’s top secret,” she said, “but it’s so cool. My favorite drink to make is the ‘Trash Can’, which is possibly because that was the first drink I made.”
Being around so many new people has made Reich realize that she hopes she can use this job as a chance to see the world through other people’s eyes.
With the social aspect that comes with being behind the bar, Reich has enjoyed connecting with more students and Burlington locals, as well as her co-workers.
While working there, Reich has felt nothing but safe and respected.
“I know the people there have my back,” she said. “Not just Tony, but the doormen all have my back and make me feel so safe,” she said.
Pouring her first drink
The first night Reich worked was a busy one. That night there was a celebration of life for a regular of the bar and friend of Caruso’s who had recently died.
“The first night she worked, a friend of ours passed,” Caruso said. “She also brought in quite a few friends, the poor thing was busy but every night she’s worked we’ve seen people that might not have been there if it weren’t for her.”
Beyond the first-day jitters, she bonded with the staff and Caruso family, making her transition onto the staff a little easier. It was a lot of pressure for the first night on the job, but the extraordinary circumstances made it a memorable night for Reich.
“That was rough. I felt like the universe in a way made that my first night for a reason. I thought I was there to provide support for Tony and Rita, which I think was good,” she said.
Reich said all of her friends have been supportive of her working there and come in when she’s working.
“They’ll come in and mess around and give me a hard time and be like, ‘Hey, Val is my drink done yet?’ but they’ve all been supportive,” she said.
For anyone looking to get a job, Reich says she loves Tony’s, even only having worked there for a short time.
“It’s a relaxed job, but it’s hard, ” she said, “We always have a good time, for anyone trying to get a job there, I would say to just ask. Then ask again and maybe ask a few more times.”