This story was adapted from Maelin Mejias’ interview with Business Insider’s Abby Narishkin for the “Big Business” video series. Mejias works at Summit Diner in New Jersey. Summit began serving customers in the late 1920s and moved to its current location in 1939. It’s one of New Jersey’s oldest diners. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.
I’ve been waitressing at Summit Diner for 14 years, which is surprising because I had only planned on being in the US for a year.
I’ve worked at other diners, but what has kept me at Summit for so long is the feeling of family, especially from my boss, Jimmy. He’s an excellent person.
I’m from Costa Rica, and I don’t have any family in the US. But Jimmy and the crew at Summit — they treat you like family.
A while back, I fell down and broke the head of my tibia. I wasn’t able to walk for two years. And Jimmy would often come to my house and give me food and money.
The people I work with still ask me how I’m doing now. I feel very supported at Summit, and I love that feeling.
Jimmy can be a pain in the butt sometimes, but I still love him.
I enjoy my job at Summit Diner
I start at 7 a.m. and close at 3:30 p.m. I work four days a week, from Thursday to Sunday, and it’s a chill vibe at Summit.
I get a lot of regulars, and so it can sometimes feel like I’m not even working; I’m just socializing.
I see people come in who are pregnant, and then I get to meet their kids later on. Those are my favorite customers. I know what they like, what they eat, and drink.
I was supposed to be in the US for one year, but then I fell in love, got divorced, and decided to stay. Partly because my job at Summit is stable, it allows me to pay the bills, help my family, and support others.
That’s the most important thing to me: I’m able to help others.
Diners have taught me about American food culture
Before moving to the US, I didn’t know what a diner was. We don’t have that kind of restaurant in Costa Rica.
I thought American food was mostly just cheeseburgers and hot dogs. However, working at Summit has taught me that the American food scene is so much more.
For example, I had never had corned beef hash. Now, it’s one of my favorite things on the menu. I’ve tried it with everything from pancakes to French toast, but the best combination I’ve found is corned beef hash, egg, and Swiss cheese on a roll. Even customers will see me with it and ask what I’m eating, and then order it themselves.
When I call people ‘honey’
I know it’s sometimes common in diners for waitresses to call people honey. English is not my first language, so this is somewhat unusual to me.
If I’m calling someone honey, it’s usually because it’s the end of the day, I’m hungry, and they’ve been bothering me too much. I’m like, “Yeah, I’m coming, I’m coming. I’m coming, honey.”
Jokes aside, though, I enjoy the customers — they make Summit Diner what it is.
I’ve seen other diners close in New Jersey, and it’s sad because diners are part of the United States’ culture. Summit has people who take pictures for their marriage here because their first date was at Summit.
I feel fortunate and grateful because I have Summit. My boss and the people here are very, very nice, and I hope Summit continues to do business for another 100 years.
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