Miss-Delectable
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http://www.kfmb.com/features/larry_himmel/story.php?id=34518
Matthew Baker and his business partner Sean Mazzerolle share a lot in common. They both have years of experience in the hotel and restaurant industry. There’s just one major difference between the two partners. Matthew is deaf; Sean is his interpreter.
For the past six years, they’ve owned and operated Feast on This Catering and Café.
“We got tired of the hotel business – a lot of politics,” Sean said. “So we decided to open our own business. We can do from small 8 to 10 people, up to 2,000 people.”
How tough is it for a deaf person to find work?
“It’s very hard, because the deaf are limited with communication,” Matthew said. “They don’t have a whole bunch of schooling and the interpreters vary in their experience.”
So Matthew and Sean have hired mostly deaf employees.
“I can guarantee you that they are capable of doing any kind of job you and I can do,” Sean said.
“A lot of clients love us because when we go over to their place and they have meetings it’s very very quiet and we set up in the rooms – they can’t hear us, like a mouse,” Matthew said.
At their Feast on This Café, most of the clientele can hear, while their servers can’t.
Along with serving up tasty food, Feast on This is a model for teaching tolerance and earning respect. Alongside soups and salads, sandwiches and entrees, they’re serving up plenty of food for thought.
Matthew Baker and his business partner Sean Mazzerolle share a lot in common. They both have years of experience in the hotel and restaurant industry. There’s just one major difference between the two partners. Matthew is deaf; Sean is his interpreter.
For the past six years, they’ve owned and operated Feast on This Catering and Café.
“We got tired of the hotel business – a lot of politics,” Sean said. “So we decided to open our own business. We can do from small 8 to 10 people, up to 2,000 people.”
How tough is it for a deaf person to find work?
“It’s very hard, because the deaf are limited with communication,” Matthew said. “They don’t have a whole bunch of schooling and the interpreters vary in their experience.”
So Matthew and Sean have hired mostly deaf employees.
“I can guarantee you that they are capable of doing any kind of job you and I can do,” Sean said.
“A lot of clients love us because when we go over to their place and they have meetings it’s very very quiet and we set up in the rooms – they can’t hear us, like a mouse,” Matthew said.
At their Feast on This Café, most of the clientele can hear, while their servers can’t.
Along with serving up tasty food, Feast on This is a model for teaching tolerance and earning respect. Alongside soups and salads, sandwiches and entrees, they’re serving up plenty of food for thought.