Variety Staffer Cesia Martinez stands outside Cali N Tito’s, located at 1427 S. Lumpkin St, on Oct. 15, 2024. Martinez appreciated the different cultures the restaurant had incorporated into its decor. “As a little kid, I would always look forward to going to Cali N Tito’s because it was one of the few restaurants in Athens that had the type of environment that felt like I was at home, back in El Salvador,” Martinez wrote. Photo by Violet Cantarella
Variety Staffer Cesia Martinez writes about her experience working at longtime Athens staple Cali N Tito’s for an afternoon.
In the middle of busy Lumpkin St, in a colorful house-like structure, sits a restaurant called Cali N Tito’s. Despite the bustle of cars on the street, swaying palm trees and picnic tables invited me in. Upon entering, colorful decorations and the delicious wafts of Peruvian and Colombian food reverberated throughout the open-space restaurant.
As a little kid, I would always look forward to going to Cali N Tito’s because it was one of the few restaurants in Athens that had the type of environment that felt like I was at home back in El Salvador. The same sense of community, of appreciation for all Central American cultures made Cali N Tito’s a space I loved.
So, when I went to work at the restaurant for a day, I thought I knew what to expect – a calm, family environment as present in the kitchen as it was in the painted wooden tables.
However, after spending an afternoon working everything from the cash register to the restaurant’s table service, I quickly realized I was in for more than I’d bargained for.
Cali N Tito’s manager Andres Ramirez (left) helps Variety Staffer Cesia Martinez (right) prepare food on Oct. 15, 2024. Martinez served in various positions during her brief time at Cali N Tito’s. “(Cashiering) was stressful at the beginning because of the fast-paced environment. I wanted to make sure I was making a good impression while giving customers the best experience possible,” Martinez wrote. Photo by Violet Cantarella
Entering the restaurant, I met manager Andres Ramirez, who gave me a Cali N Tito’s shirt and apron to commemorate my stint in the kitchen. He first started me off as a cashier, working behind the counter taking customers’ orders and ringing them up at the register. I had never worked as a cashier before, so the experience was a bit nerve-wracking and I quickly made mistakes.
Each chef at the restaurant had a designated section, and on one of my first orders, I sent the ticket to the wrong section chef. A few orders later, I wrote down the wrong entree for a customer, putting more of a strain on the kitchen staff.
However, after seeing me struggle, Ramirez helped me re-learn the process. Although I slowed down a few more times due to learning so much at once, as soon as I was re-trained, it felt like I had been working for more than just a day.
As a cashier, I wasn’t just responsible for taking orders and sending them to the kitchen. As I waited for the food to come out, I also prepared appetizers, the most popular being chips with queso or salsa. Like my other duties, doing this was stressful at the beginning because of the fast-paced environment. I wanted to make sure I was making a good impression while giving customers the best experience possible.
The impression was actually the easiest part. I had no trouble delivering appetizers with a smile on my face. The hard part was remembering what to say – no matter how many times I reminded myself to ask if they needed anything else at their table or if I could get them anything else, in the moment, my mind would go blank. Having this happen to me gave me a whole new respect for restaurant serves – how do they remember to do everything, everywhere all at once?
Variety Staffer Cesia Martinez holds several platters of food at Cali N Tito’s on Oct. 15, 2024. Martinez gained a new sense of appreciation for food industry employees after visiting the restaurant. “I now know the sheer effort and coordination that goes into every dish, which only makes me appreciate it even more,” Martinez wrote. Photo by Violet Cantarella
After some time as a cashier, I transitioned to working in the kitchen, where I assembled dishes and served customers. After already having done some table service, I was pretty good at this – the only problem was when I would forget to grab customers’ order tickets and take them back to the kitchen. However, I improved quickly and soon had table service down.
When there were moments of peace in the kitchen, we worked to get ahead on simple dishes and appetizers in cause there was a rush of customers. I was proud to be able to work at my pace, independent of restaurant staff –I felt almost like a veteran after only three hours.
After spending an afternoon working everything from the cash register to the restaurant’s table service, I quickly realized I was in for more than I’d bargained for.
As I was leaving, several members of the Cali N Tito’s staff thanked me for coming and told me how much they appreciated my work. After feeling tugged in 100 different directions all afternoon, the compliments made me feel validated, like I wasn’t a burden to them after all.
Reflecting back, not only did working at Cali N Tito’s allow me to experience the hustle and bustle behind the scenes at one of my favorite restaurants, but it brought me back to the culture of El Salvador that I’ve been raised with my entire life. I now know the sheer effort and coordination that goes into every dish, which only makes me appreciate it even more.
Though I don’t want to work in a restaurant in my career, I’ll always remember the lessons I learned during my afternoon at Cali N Tito’s.
