Service with a smile, just like Forrest Gump ...
Print Edition
WAITER Xiao Bo carries every dish with care, greets guests with a broad smile and stands at attention by the kitchen door ready for his next task.
It wasn’t so long ago that the 22-year-old thought he would never hold down a job.
However, his mother encouraged him to try his luck when she heard a new restaurant was recruiting waiters and that people with learning difficulties could apply.
The Forrest Gump Restaurant in Changchun, capital of northeast China’s Jilin Province, has hired 12 such workers alongside other employees to take orders, serve food and clean.
The restaurant was named after the memorable character played by Tom Hanks in the film “Forrest Gump.”
“We hope to create opportunities for people with learning difficulties, so that they can earn a decent living and become respectable men just like Forrest Gump,” said restaurant owner Hu Yanping, a Changchun-based businesswoman who has supported more than 100 such young people over the past 23 years.
The 600 square meter restaurant is her latest undertaking to support them.
Ranging in age from 20 to 60, the trainees have an average IQ of around 60 and the lowest has an IQ of 40. They wear black T-shirts to distinguish them from other employees who wear red or white.
In the first weeks, each of them is accompanied by a mentor who teaches them the basics of their job and gives a helping hand when necessary. They work three to four hours a day and are paid 300 yuan (US$48.4) a month during the training period, with free meals and lodging.
A week into his training, Xiao Bo has learned to set tables, take orders, serve dishes and sweep the floor.
“After three months’ probation, their pay will at least double,” said Hu, who has opened a bank account for each of them. “I hope they will learn to spend money rationally and sparingly and eventually provide for themselves.”
By creating these jobs, Hu said she was fighting a prejudice.
“Many people think it’s okay for a physically disabled man to work in a wheelchair, but it’s not OK for a mentally disabled man to do the same job even though he’s physically healthy,” she said.
It can take patience for diners to appreciate the service provided by these enthusiastic, if sometimes inexpert, waiters.
“Most of the guests were tolerant and did not complain,” said Hu.
“Many said they are willing to come back to see how well the waiters are doing and support my business.”
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