We’re Happiest When We’re Fed

Working weekends at 4.0 can mean some long days. Many of us arrive at 9:30, and we’re often there until 7:00 or even later. And while we’re there, we’re on the move, serving customers, stocking wines and other merchandise, and generally running from one place to another. All of this activity means that we can get quite hungry while we're here.

The good news is that there’s no shortage of food here. Our managers keep us stocked with quite an array of snacks…and some seriously unhealthy food. When I started working at 4.0, it had been YEARS since I had laid eyes on a Swiss Roll, but sure enough, we have Little Debbie Swiss Rolls… and pretty much every other Little Debbie treat you can think of. If you love Oreo’s, you’ll love working at 4.0 because we’ve tried every flavor available (mint is my favorite), and we’re rarely without at least one of them. And don’t even get me started on those little elf cookies.

In addition to all the sweet treats, we’re also fully stocked with savory ones. Chips, pretzels, popcorn, nut mixes…you name it. And on a good day, we have at least two cans of bean dip available. We all have our favorite treats, and our managers do a great job making sure that we almost never run out of them.

But it’s our GM Jesse’s cooking that makes us the happiest. Whether he’s cooking for us on a regular Saturday, for a staff meeting, or on a Club Sunday, his meals make us feel appreciated. At our last staff meeting, he cooked up a full-scale shrimp boil. Several of us ate until we were full…and then kept going. A couple of Saturdays ago, he whipped up fajitas and a huge bowl of homemade guacamole. I got to lick the bowl.

Because food is such a big part of who we are at 4.0, I included this final question on my recent survey of my teammates: “What do you really wish Jesse would cook for us?” The responses demonstrate just how much we’ve come to expect from our meals at 4.0 (and perhaps how very spoiled we are):

• Jambalaya
• Lobster! (This one got two requests, both with exclamation points.)
• Beef Burgundy
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Veal parmesan
• Prime rib with all the fixin’s
• Filet mignon, sautéed mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus
• Delicious spinach lasagna, yummy garlic bread, a big herb salad

Perhaps the best response to my question was this simple one: “It doesn’t matter. It’s all good.” Yep, we’re well fed at 4.0, and I doubt that there’s a winery staff in the area that eats better than we do. So, if your 4.0 server seems particularly happy, it may be the lobster.