“I’m really thrilled by this. Wow!,” exclaims Kyon Pringle, Freek’s Mill’s enthusiastic and happy-go-lucky porter, when he found out he was chosen by his employers as a truly stand-out staff member.
Restaurant porters play an integral role in the kitchen; they’re responsible for a number of tasks ranging from food prep to cleaning floor mats and putting away dishes.
“Kyon’s been with us since the restaurant opened,” says Erica Lauer, floor manager and sommelier of Freek’s Mill. “He really does a lot more than just the porter job description entails.”
Pringle lives within earshot of the restaurant and, therefore, knows just about everyone in the neighborhood. He’s even taken on the task of hiring Freek’s Mill’s own porter staff as well as at sister restaurant, Claro.
“He calls me uncle for some reason—I don’t know why,” says chef Chad Shaner.
“It’s a nickname for a cool guy,” chuckles Pringle. “Your uncle is a cool guy.”
One of Pringle’s most noticeable traits is his extreme positivity. “He basically wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable and happy here, as well as doing his job,” adds Lauer. “He knows everyone’s name and he’s always happy to be here.”
“We can’t say for most people that they’ve been here from the beginning,” Lauer continues. “So he’s really stuck with it and he’s been with us through the ups and downs. We all appreciate that.”
Pringle notes that the staff at Freek’s Mill is more of a family—he doesn’t see them as employers or colleagues.
“No one knows that restaurants run on porters and people like Kyon,” adds Shaner. “We’re very thankful to have Kyon here.”
“I’m really at a loss of words because I’m so happy just being here,” expresses Pringle. “Hopefully we keep up the good work and keep this going.”
View the full video of our new Employee of the Month series below.
Video and photos shot by Kathryn M. Sheldon, an award-winning producer, photographer and editor with a background in still photography and television production. Having produced food and beverage content for seven years at NBC, she is currently producing video content for the MICHELIN Guide.
