Breakfast Teams Help Guests Begin Each Day
Their workdays start as early as 5 a.m. during the week, later on weekends. They’re typically the first to interact with guests each morning, greeting everyone with a smile. Guests are happy to see them, if only because they are hungry. They are M&R’s intrepid breakfast attendants.
In large hotels where hundreds of guests pass through each monring, breakfast is a full-time job, considering the extra time attendants spend setting up and cleaning. In smaller hotels, attendants may be asked to transition to other jobs after the morning rush.
Some of M&R’s breakfast attendants are relatively new to the job; others have years of experience.
M&R Team News recently interviewed the following breakfast attendants from around the company:
- Mary Malter, Fairfield by Marriott St. Louis Collinsville, IL.
- Santa Marrero, TownePlace Suites New York Manhattan/Times Square
- Faye Richart, Fairfield by Marriott Indianapolis South
- Freddy Compaz, Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West
- Todd Lankford, Hampton Inn Joplin
- Rosa Mejia, Fairfield by Marriott New York Manhattan/Central Park
What's the best part of your day?
- Mary: “Meeting different kinds of people, interacting with them.”
- Santa: “Making sure people get what they need. It’s breakfast, an important meal at the start of the day.”
- Faye: “Repeat guests come to know me. It’s gratifying.”
- Freddy: “Many guests are international. It’s great to hear different languages and find a way to communicate, especially when it’s a guest’s birthday.”
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
- Todd: “Every day is different, which is also exciting. So you never know what to expect. We recently had a motorcycle group in.”
- Faye: “Making sure the buffet is always restocked, especially on weekends when guests come down later.”
- Freddy: “Guests have to let us know their special needs. It can be a nut allergy or they’re gluten-free. Once we know, we can help them.”
What's the busiest part of your day?
- Rosa: “When we have a group in, they usually come down early. They need to be fed quickly because they have a busy day planned.”
- Mary: “Business travelers can be waiting when we open. They want to eat and run. They’re busy with meetings, appointments.”
- Todd: “On weekends, the busiest time is close to closing. Families like to hang out.”
What's the most popular item on the buffet?
- Faye: “Waffles. We make them from scratch. People usually have the frozen kind at home.”
- Mary: “Waffles, especially on weekends. Kids love them. They don’t get to make their own at home.”
- Santa: “Scrambled eggs. They’re a staple. And quiche, which we don’t have every day.”
- Freddy: “Yogurt. We have two kinds: Yoplait, and a Greek yogurt, Chobani.”
Has your brand upgraded the buffet?
- Rosa: “We offer items that go beyond the brand requirements like hot, creamy oatmeal, sliced cheese and fresh vegetables.”
- Santa: “For guests with an early checkout, we’ll put together a grab-and-go bag they can take with them.”
- Todd: “We’re seeing more fresh fruit, including fruit salad, but also whole apples and bananas.”
What's an unusual request you've had?
- Mary: “A guest’s children are allergic to regular cow’s milk, so we provided almond milk. We made a personal connection with that family that made their day a bit better.”
- Faye: “Grits, biscuits and gravy.”
- Rosa: “One guest asked for an orange cut a certain way. For the rest of his stay, we cut an orange for him that way every day without him asking. He was very appreciative. We aim to please!”
