Vote for Us in the Portland Phoenix Awards!
March 20th, 2017
Harding Lee Smith, Chef, Restauranteur
From Server to Youngest GM: How Passion Drives the Corner Room |
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But to be the best, you have to have quality employees to run the show smoothly. Enter Kate McDonough, the General Manager at the Corner Room. Last October, taking over the position at 23, Kate became the youngest general manager in Portland. How do you become the youngest manager in Portland? By loving every aspect of the restaurant you work at, and building a mutual respect between the staff and management. If you can’t put yourself in your employee’s shoes, they’ll never respect you. But if they do, then things run like a well-oiled machine. It took some time to get there. Kate started at the Corner Room in July of 2012, where she first worked on the floor, while also juggling being a full time student in the fall. Fast forward to becoming assistant manager, and then in March becoming manager. Being manager means being in charge of the family that is the Corner Room. When everyone is passionate about what they are making and serving, the connection is clear to see. Though it’s a lot of hard work, she says it’s definitely worth the opportunity to share with Portland what a great restaurant has to offer them. With high quality service and people that love the food, drinks and the overall experience that they are selling, there’s an ease that comes from that knowledge, shown by every employee.
One thing that makes Kate very special is that her job as manager actually is giving her field experience for graduate school. As a college graduate, her major was in psychology, but she is not interested in moving forward in a clinical setting. Working in a restaurant hands on as a manager gives her insight into industrial psychology, which is a field focused on the psychology behind building a business, plus advertising, and how to make sure a business continues to stay successful. Though there is certainly a culinary boom in Portland right now, she’s right when she says that there is a stigma associated with working in a restaurant. But with her experience, she can show that the restaurant industry isn’t just an intermission period for people who don’t know what they want to do. For some, especially those at the Corner Room, they love selling food, wine and the overall beautiful experience that is eating out in a great restaurant! |
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After much consideration and for the safety of our community & employees, The Rooms Restaurants will remain closed until further notice. During this time, please take care fo yourself, each other, and if able, those most vulnerable. Stay Strong!