Missy When you enter The Steer on a weekday you can be assured you will be greeted with a warm smile from behind the bar. That smile and cheery welcome belongs to our daytime bartender Missy.
Missy started working at The Steer over a year ago. Like many of our other employees she attended UB and had many fond memories of hanging out and dining at The Steer during her undergraduate years. When she finished school and started out on her new career in marketing, Missy felt a second job could fit into her schedule (as well as help pay a few bills). A job as a server at The Steer seemed the perfect fit. After waiting tables for a few months, she heard the position of daytime bartender was going to soon be available. Having no prior experience behind the bar, she decided to go for it. “I showed interest and pursued the position. I hadn’t tended bar before, but I wanted to be given a shot, because I knew I could do it. Tucker and Erin (owners of The Steer) listened to me and gave me the opportunity.” That was 8 months ago and needless to say, Missy fit the bill perfectly. Since then she has honed her bartending skills. Learning this year’s new summer drink menu was particularly fun. The Cool As A Cucumber being her personal favorite. “It’s the perfect summertime drink!”
If you have been in to dine at The Steer lately you may have noticed the servers using iPads to take your order. It’s been a great technological upgrade for the restaurant. Wanting to take things a step further, rather than just using it to take patron’s orders, Missy wondered about using it to show customers pictures of the Weekly Specials. After being given the green light, she developed that idea into reality. “It is great to be supported and trusted with my ideas on how to make my job and workplace better. I feel very appreciated by my employers.”
When asked what her favorite thing is about working at The Steer, Missy doesn’t even have to think about her answer, “The people here, staff and patrons alike. When you work with your friends every day, your job doesn’t feel like it is actually work. I have worked in other restaurants and there is always a divide between the front and the back of the house. Here, that’s not the case. It’s like being a part of one big family!”
And then there’s the food…
Having been a long time fan of the menu before she even joined the team, The Steer’s salads have always been a stand out to her. The Detox Bowl, the Griddled Goat Cheese Salad, and any of the Topless Burger Salad options are her go-to meals. She finds the new Vegan Menu particularly exciting as well. “There is now really something for everyone on the menu,” she notes.
Missy also loves how the owners and cooks at The Steer develop and test new specials each week. She enjoys being a part of this as well, by tasting the new dishes and having her opinion really matter. The Buddah Tacos were her most recent favorite.
Owners Tucker and Erin Curtin love to bring new flavors and ideas into the kitchen from local inspirations as well as from their travels abroad. Even fun new bar games like Tiki Toss, a simple ring, rope, and hook game played in the Virgin Islands, have made it to the restaurants lively bar area. “I tried it, and it’s addicting,” confessed Missy.
So, what makes a restaurant great? Delicious food, would probably your answer. While it certainly is a major part of satisfying customers, it isn’t quite the whole picture. Here at The Steer, we have always believed that a major part of what can make us great are the people we choose to be a part of our team. The restaurant business isn’t for everyone- and it is always such a bonus when you find someone who not only does their job well, but also finds ways to help us improve and grow- all while having a good time doing it!
