Tip Your Server

Blu Nyle is a musician, bartender, healer and all around Renaissance person hailing from Boston. She worked in the club and bar scenes of New York and LA while pursuing a vibrant career in music. We talk pre-pandemic about the grind of multiple side hustles, leading a spiritually rich life, and being grateful for the flexibility of service work in pursuit of bigger dreams. Enjoy!

Originally from Kansas, Ari Johnson started working in restaurants after college in Austin, TX. She made it out to LA a few years later, where finding a serving gig proved just as challenging as finding acting gigs. Eventually she landed in coffee shops M Street in Sherman Oaks and Coffee Commissary in Burbank, becoming an early riser. We discuss the problem with delivery apps, how cutthroat finding a server gig can be in LA, and her new web series Friend Request, premiering on YouTube next week. Enjoy!

Originally from Muskegon, Michigan, Brandon "Bubba" Ogborn began his restaurant journey as a dishwasher at the age of fifteen. He eventually became part of the Trader Joe's family for years before landing at Restauration in Long Beach, where he once chased a crazed customer down the street. We discuss the dark side of restaurants, how waiting tables is like putting on a production, and his podcast Telephone Stories, available now on Luminary. Enjoy!

LA native and illustrator Conor FitzGerald started his restaurant career in college, doing the coffee shop grind at Peet's in Harvard Square. Eventually he moved back to LA, continuing his coffee expertise at M Street Coffee in Sherman Oaks, a local enclave for artists...and customers with "service animals." We discuss the perils of cafe tips, his life in the freelance illustrator world, and how grateful we are to be free of the service industry (for now). Enjoy!

Jeneta St. Clair started in the restaurant biz back in Indianapolis at the age of 16, closing the now defunct downtown hot spot Jillian's past midnight on school nights. She moved to LA at the age of 19 to pursue acting, eventually finding a bartending gig at the Dirty Bull Tavern in Woodland Hills. We discuss what it means to be a woman working behind a bar, the freedom that comes from leaving the service industry, and the importance of comedy in connecting us. Enjoy!

Texan Keleigh Kremers came to LA to pursue acting, landing a serving gig at none other than the infamous Saddle Ranch on Sunset. She eventually landed at pizza restaurant Stella Barra next to the Arclight movie theater, where a friendly run in with Gary Oldman left her speechless. We discuss the hustle of the entertainment business, teaching customers the art of good etiquette, and her script about women in World War 2. Enjoy!

Molly Silver starting working in restaurants in Knoxville, TN where she worked at the Mellow Mushroom pizza joint as a teenager. She then moved up to being a host at a local bistro, managing unruly out-of-town football fans. After moving to LA for acting, she landed at Gusto, a different kind of unruly crowd - the privileged elite of Beverly Hills. We discuss the importance of reading a menu, her current restaurant family and east side neighborhood gem Little Dom's, and her upcoming web series. Enjoy!

Amy Heidt started working in restaurants during college back in North Carolina, where she learned the importance of a cigarette break. She eventually moved to New York City and worked all over town, including at Danny Meyer's Blue Smoke and a small tasting room in the Chelsea Market. We discuss the harsh reality of the actor grind in New York, why we always want to wait on Mark Ruffalo, and how to zen it out before walking into a shift. Enjoy!

Originally from western Nebraska, Costa Lapaseotes began his career in food service at a Whole Foods in Chicago where he got his start in the butchery world. From there he worked around Chicago's finest meat establishments, including Standard Market and Chop Shop. We discuss whether or not to tip your butcher (yes!), the hard choice of a comedy career, and making the move from Chicago to LA. Enjoy!

Tarik Woodbine briefly worked at a Wendy's when he was a teenager, where he learned what they do with leftover meat (it's in the chili). Eventually he made it out to LA after college and worked at Mo's in Burbank, which turned out to be a wild time for the predominantly early twenties staff. We discuss why you should always tip for to-go orders, juggling both a restaurant job and working on The Santa Clarita Diet, and his new collaborative project The Collective. Enjoy!