EL PECHUGON

Things have been changing at the Restarante y Cantina. The owner is ready to retire, and she's been looking for a suitable buyer for the better part of a year. She recently found a man who is interested in purchasing the establishment, but he wants to get a good feel for the place before he makes any serious commitments. So for the next six months he will be our manager. His name is Cristian, but my coworkers and I refer to him as "El Pechugon", due to the fact that he struts around as if he is the best thing since mango con chili lollipops.

For the last two weeks, El Pechugon has been making many changes. Some for the better, others for the ridiculous, it seems. He likes to walk up to customers' tables and start enthusiastically asking if the people seated there are having fun. Other times he stands at the front desk while customers are leaving and wildly thanks them for coming, trying to shake their hands or pat them on the back. During a moment when he caught me standing idly near one of the computer terminals, counting the minutes until I could blow that popsicle stand, he suggested that I "engage the customers more". Upon asking what that entailed, I was told that I should talk to the patrons about Mexico; the food, the music, ask if they've ever traveled there, etc. Considering I'm not from Mexico, am not Mexican, and, most importantly, don't care to hear any of their stories about their unoriginal trips to Cancun/Puerto Vallarta/Cabo/Ixtapa, his request didn't go over well. Last time I checked, I worked at a Restarante, not a circus. I am not here to entertain, I'm here to serve you food, y no mas.

So El Pechugon has ruffled more than a few feathers. He's made changes to the menu, raised prices, and has even started asking customers in the Cantina not to raise their voices too much or loudly use foul language, because it is a "family restaurant." Not many customers have complained about El Pechugon, but a few of our regulars have slowly began to take their business elsewhere, and to this our new manager seems oblivious. At this rate, the Restarante y Cantina will not just lose customers, but also it's authenticity and charm. It will slowly become another cookie cutter Mexican restaurant, with bland Americanized food, exorbitant prices and stupid Cinco de Mayo parties. Although I will soon be parting ways with the Restarante, I'm sad to be witness to it's homogenization.