Clearing the Table

The past 5 1/2 years have been a roller coaster to say the least. I've been through 4 apartments, 5 restaurants, numerous little odd jobs, 2 relationships (if you can even call them that) and countless reflections over what the next step would be. I'd always thought, in my own stubborn way, that I had figured everything out and was ready to do things and make my life decisions at the naive age of 17. How wrong I actually was ...

I moved into Manhattan on Dec 4, 2007. 2 days after I graduated High School. I had dreams of performing on Broadway, touring the country, and making a name for myself in the theater world. Out of survival, I started working in a restaurant. I had always loved hospitality and even used to turn my living room into a restaurant when I was younger, cook for my parents, put on a suit, and wait on them. Realizing that this was a great and fun job, I thought that the idea of working in a restaurant the rest of my life was much more appealing than a life on stage. I was able to sleep-in, take care of things during the day, work at night, walk with cash in my hand, get a paycheck with even more money, enjoy countless shift drinks, and stay out til 5AM and not feel bad because I just left work a couple hours before.

After a recent epiphany, I discovered that this passion of mine was only temporary. The lifestyle can work, yes. But for me, it had run it's course. I found myself becoming increasingly volatile with my mood, consistently tired, and feeling just complacent. I vowed early on in life to never become complacent with my life. I realized that this career had run it's course and was taking a toll on my body and well being. But what to do?

I got a new job, a few other prospects for potential future career moves, and put my two weeks notice in with a prayer in my heart that all will work out for the best. I decided to live my life to become the best possible example of myself and to never settle or become complacent.

The past 5 years in the industry have taught me so much about myself. Without going to college, I matured greatly between the ages of 18-21 by living out my stupid college years in real life. I learned what can happen just by putting a smile on someone's face and taking whatever was going on outside of that room in their life away because it didn't matter for even just a brief moment. I met amazing celebrity clientele that people coming to NY go out of their way to see, when those people just happened to sit at my table or at my bar. The regulars that came in never ceased to make me smile when they would come in to give me a piece of some recipe they were trying, sharing their engagements, just grabbing Sunday dinner, having date night, giving me some present because they saw it and thought I might like it, bringing me chocolates, or telling me that they missed me last weekend when I was no longer their brunch bartender. The coworkers I've had over the past few years have been some of the best people I've met, as much as they think I make fun of them because I hate them. The array of different people I've worked with has helped form me into the man that I am becoming and I am excited to share new parts of our lives with each other as we move on into various courses. I've had fantastic mentors as bosses, as well as people I know I never want to become. I've had great guests, and terrible humans. Fantastic tastes of wine and some that I thought should never be allowed near someone. And I'm sure that throughout my new journeys I'll have the same.

The next chapter of my journey holds way too many emotions for me. Excitement, anxiety, apprehension, etc. But the foundation that I've built for myself over the past 5 years in this industry will hold strong and hopefully keep this moving forward.

Thank you to everyone that I have met over the past 5 years and the restaurants I've worked in. You've taught me more than you could possibly know and have helped improve everything about my being. While this is the end of our employment together, it's not the end of our relationships and I'm excited to see everyone go through their next chapters.

In the end, what’s most meaningful is creating positive, uplifting outcomes for human experiences and human relationships.
-Danny Meyer