Tip Your Server Natalie Gregory

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!