THE SOUP PALETTE
The Soup Palette is a small, local business here in Durango, Colorado. Jenni Gross, the owner, opened this restaurant almost two years ago after a severe hand injury. Jenni has always had a passion for cooking, and when the full-time artist was no longer able to have this as her occupation, she took the leap to open the business. The Soup Palette now works hard to provide fresh food made with local vegetables, quality meats, and daily fresh baked goods. Jenni Gross caters to the pharmacy, business complexes, and the hospital with fair prices to keep everyone healthy and happy. She has derived a family of employees, and proves everyday to be a passionate, hard worker.
Visit the Soup Palette website on Facebook; the menu is updated daily!
Visit the Soup Palette website on Facebook; the menu is updated daily!
Look over my resume by clicking the button:
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WEEK THREE: REFLECTION
This week was bittersweet! I have had such an amazing time with my internship, and I made such good friends along the way, so it was so hard to know this was my last week! This week, I was a secretary, deliverer, a trainer, a cook, and a waitress. It was busy! I was also working hard with my mentor to piece together my promotional party together, and leave my mark on the Soup Palette :) I helped to train a more inexperienced employee, I made up spreadsheets and documents to record our income, keep track of our deliveries, and overall improve the deli's organization. Along with my regular duties that I had become accustomed to over the three weeks, I had a heavier workload and more responsibilities such as preparing and serving food, (which was a little daunting, to be honest,) and it was just amazing to see how much I had learned about business, professionalism, and patience over my time.
A challenge that faced me this week, was saying good bye to the friends that I made there! It was a job that I was so happy going to, that I couldn't imagine, (or didn't want to,) coming back to school. (Haha!)
This internship was such an educational experience, and I am so happy this is the internship that I chose!
A challenge that faced me this week, was saying good bye to the friends that I made there! It was a job that I was so happy going to, that I couldn't imagine, (or didn't want to,) coming back to school. (Haha!)
This internship was such an educational experience, and I am so happy this is the internship that I chose!
WEEK TWO: REFLECTION
This week was awesome! Since I have become very comfortable running the register, and manning the front, my mentor started teaching me how to prep for the food. I have never been a good cook, so it was stressful because I didn't want to cause the restaurant any setbacks! Since we are working in a small kitchen, I had to learn how to be efficient with the amount of dishes I'm using, and how much of a work space I'm taking up. I did make a few mistakes in the kitchen this week, though. For example, I had to make sugar cookies for the day, and I forgot to cream the sugar, eggs, and milk before adding the dry ingredients. Instead, I put all of the ingredients in one bowl. The cookies turned out fine in the end, but I definitely was a little embarrassed for making such a silly mistake.
This week, I was also in charge of keeping track of the orders we get from the pharmacy and spontaneous luncheons, and the deliveries. Because I was the person our customers were talking to, I learned how memorizing someone's name, or asking, "would you like your regular?" will make people more eager to give you business, and it helped me to have a better time with my job! I started having people come in and asking the other employees, "Where's Isabel?" or, "Tell her she did a great job with so and so!" And that's what really make working there fun, because I could see myself improving so much!
Along with all the good stuff that has come along with my internship, a challenge that I encountered this week were a few, very rude customers. For example, on Thursday, I had just finished sweeping AND mopping the floors, and a few of the other employees were in the back cleaning. Well, a woman knocked on our closed door, and I reopened it for her, because we still were able to serve a few things. So, she ordered a few frozen soups, after diligently asking about the price. She then got her soups, and I was making her sandwich when she asked to see the manager. The woman kept telling the manager that I "lied" about the price because of the tax automatically added to the $10. I walked to the other side of the counter to give her the bag, and she "sneakily" through a cup of her coffee all over the floor, snatched the bag out of my hand, and walked out the door. I think that dealing with customers like this, has really helped me develop patience, and a level of professionalism that I didn't have before I started working at the Soup Palette. It also made me realize that when you have a job that is so communicative, you can't take everything personally. As my mentor says, "Take every criticism or rude comment with a grain of salt." And that mindset WAS super important to keep a level head throughout some of the days.
This week, I was also in charge of keeping track of the orders we get from the pharmacy and spontaneous luncheons, and the deliveries. Because I was the person our customers were talking to, I learned how memorizing someone's name, or asking, "would you like your regular?" will make people more eager to give you business, and it helped me to have a better time with my job! I started having people come in and asking the other employees, "Where's Isabel?" or, "Tell her she did a great job with so and so!" And that's what really make working there fun, because I could see myself improving so much!
Along with all the good stuff that has come along with my internship, a challenge that I encountered this week were a few, very rude customers. For example, on Thursday, I had just finished sweeping AND mopping the floors, and a few of the other employees were in the back cleaning. Well, a woman knocked on our closed door, and I reopened it for her, because we still were able to serve a few things. So, she ordered a few frozen soups, after diligently asking about the price. She then got her soups, and I was making her sandwich when she asked to see the manager. The woman kept telling the manager that I "lied" about the price because of the tax automatically added to the $10. I walked to the other side of the counter to give her the bag, and she "sneakily" through a cup of her coffee all over the floor, snatched the bag out of my hand, and walked out the door. I think that dealing with customers like this, has really helped me develop patience, and a level of professionalism that I didn't have before I started working at the Soup Palette. It also made me realize that when you have a job that is so communicative, you can't take everything personally. As my mentor says, "Take every criticism or rude comment with a grain of salt." And that mindset WAS super important to keep a level head throughout some of the days.
WEEK ONE: REFLECTION
I asked my mentor this week if I can return in the summer to actually work for her, because I am already having a great time!
This week, we visited Adobe Farms to harvest local veggies that we use to make our food, especially the salad mix. I learned how to harvest heads of lettuce properly, and how to wash them. (To dry them, we used a spin cycle on a washing machine!)
I'm still getting used to things, here. Since I'm learning how to work the register and interact with the customers, I'm also in charge of manning the front of the store. There have been a few customers who have come to the front and asked me, "Do I have an iced tea on its way?" or, "Did you forget my soup?" And it's like, ahh! Another thing I've noticed is that during our rush hour, I get really, really flustered. And that's when I start making my mistakes. So, my mentor and the other experienced employees have been telling me to just make sure the customer has what they need before you move on. Now I might just say, "I will be with you in a minute," and that's been helping me out a lot. I still hope that my pace and order memorization improves, because this is still so hard!
The skills I've learned from this week is how to balance the pressure of working in a restaurant, while taking care of yourself AND the customer. If I beat myself up over forgetting an iced tea, it will ruin the rest of the day and I'll never get back on my game.
This week, we visited Adobe Farms to harvest local veggies that we use to make our food, especially the salad mix. I learned how to harvest heads of lettuce properly, and how to wash them. (To dry them, we used a spin cycle on a washing machine!)
I'm still getting used to things, here. Since I'm learning how to work the register and interact with the customers, I'm also in charge of manning the front of the store. There have been a few customers who have come to the front and asked me, "Do I have an iced tea on its way?" or, "Did you forget my soup?" And it's like, ahh! Another thing I've noticed is that during our rush hour, I get really, really flustered. And that's when I start making my mistakes. So, my mentor and the other experienced employees have been telling me to just make sure the customer has what they need before you move on. Now I might just say, "I will be with you in a minute," and that's been helping me out a lot. I still hope that my pace and order memorization improves, because this is still so hard!
The skills I've learned from this week is how to balance the pressure of working in a restaurant, while taking care of yourself AND the customer. If I beat myself up over forgetting an iced tea, it will ruin the rest of the day and I'll never get back on my game.
DAY ONE: MARCH 7
I had the best day, today! I walked in to the building at 8:45, and was instantly showed around by my mentor Jenni, and an experienced employee, Wyatt. At the beginning of the day, I was doing the tedious tasks, like going through the lettuce, and folding linens. I also was helping keep the work space clean, and would wipe down tables after customers left. I also did a couple of deliveries with Wyatt, but I will probably get lost a few times when I deliver. Yikes!
But halfway through the day, more and more customers were coming in! For the first couple times, I was watching Wyatt use the cash register because I was still nervous! But once the orders started coming in, the two girls were cooking in the back, and I was stuck in the front, which I didn't know was going to happen!! And I did great! And I had a blast! Since I've never had work experience before, it was a great day to just ease any inhibitions I had about working at a restaurant. It's a very hectic business, but once you get in the zone, it's actually really fun! And everyone I am working with is awesome. Jenni, the owner, is the sweetest person who puts me on the spot, but also makes sure that I know what I'm doing. She has great energy and creates a very relaxed environment. Wyatt, it hilarious and we were laughing throughout the entire day. I immediately felt accepted, and I was able to ask any questions I needed to. It was an AWESOME DAY and just made me more excited to go back tomorrow :)
Through everything I did today, though, the hardest part would be putting on gloves before I prepped. I COULD NOT GET THEM ON RIGHT!!! It took me like three tries each time I put gloves on. I don't know why...
If you're ever looking for a new spot to eat at, DRIVE TO THE SOUP PALETTE ASAP! Trust me. It's clean, organized, and all the food is good quality and is made with such care. I definitely recommend!
But halfway through the day, more and more customers were coming in! For the first couple times, I was watching Wyatt use the cash register because I was still nervous! But once the orders started coming in, the two girls were cooking in the back, and I was stuck in the front, which I didn't know was going to happen!! And I did great! And I had a blast! Since I've never had work experience before, it was a great day to just ease any inhibitions I had about working at a restaurant. It's a very hectic business, but once you get in the zone, it's actually really fun! And everyone I am working with is awesome. Jenni, the owner, is the sweetest person who puts me on the spot, but also makes sure that I know what I'm doing. She has great energy and creates a very relaxed environment. Wyatt, it hilarious and we were laughing throughout the entire day. I immediately felt accepted, and I was able to ask any questions I needed to. It was an AWESOME DAY and just made me more excited to go back tomorrow :)
Through everything I did today, though, the hardest part would be putting on gloves before I prepped. I COULD NOT GET THEM ON RIGHT!!! It took me like three tries each time I put gloves on. I don't know why...
If you're ever looking for a new spot to eat at, DRIVE TO THE SOUP PALETTE ASAP! Trust me. It's clean, organized, and all the food is good quality and is made with such care. I definitely recommend!