[BEGIN INTERVIEW] [00:00:00] Kathryn Sutton (KS): This is Kathryn Sutton, I am standing in the back of the Blue Bonnet Cafe with an interviewee. It is February 28th, 2012. Could you please state your name? Gaylene Hopkins (GH): Gaylene Hopkins KS: And Gaylene, where are you from? GH: Marble Falls. KS: Gaylene, how long have you worked as a server at the Blue Bonnet? GH: About twelve years. KS: When did you start working at the Blue Bonnet? GH: My first time I started was January 30th, 1990. KS: And how did you hear about the job? Why did you start working here? GH: I think it was from a former employer. KS: Great. And you, have you been a server the whole time, is that correct? GH: Yes. KS: What do you like about serving? GH: I don't know, it's just fun to meet people. And, you know, you meet all different people, and just the camaraderie, and- [laughs]. KS: Do you feel like a specific type of customer comes into the Blue Bonnet? Do you feel like there's different kinds of customers? GH: I think there's all different kind of customers. KS: Do you have any favorite type of customers? GH: Big tippers [laughs]. KS: That makes sense, sure. GH: [unintelligible] KS: Do you have any special types of relationships with here that work at Blue Bonnet? GH: Oh yeah, we're all like a family. KS: And do you have that relationship mostly with just the servers, or with the kitchen staff, the owners? GH: No I think everybody, all of us. KS: Sure. And, do you think there's something special about the Blue Bonnet that helps kind of foster that community, and what is that? GH: Just the people. KS: What's good about the people here? GH: We, we just all get along, I mean we have fun, we enjoy our job. We like our bosses [laughs]. KS: Do you think there's something that really, is it the menu that sets it apart in any way? Do you have something special that you like to serve? GH: Well I think the home menu, I mean it's just like, homecooking. KS: Is that the way you cook when you're at home? GH: Of course [laughs]. KS: What's your favorite thing to eat here? GH: Everything [laughs]. I don't know, I like the pot roast. KS: Do you have a favorite kind of pie? GH: Mm, probably banana. KS: Can you think back over your different years of service here-first stint, second stint-is there any sort of memorable experience that you have here? Something with a customer? Something with the people in the back-something that you really um, can think about fondly of or maybe not so fondly of, as well? GH: Mm, there's too many! [Laughs]. KS: What would you say, does um, does the Blue Bonnet have any kind of special role in the community, do you think, of Marble Falls? GH: Oh yeah, well we have our EMS fish fries, you know, twice a year. KS: Can you tell me a little bit about those? I'm not familiar with it. GH: John furnishes the labor, the fish, and all the, uh, donations go to EMS. All the profits. KS: And I'm sorry, can you tell me what EMS is? GH: Emergency Medical Service of Marble Falls. KS: Great. And is there some reason why um, the Blue Bonnet is so involved with that organization? Or is it just- GH: John's just a giving person. KS: Great, great. Throughout the course of these interviews, a lot of people have talked about how much, um, what a great relationship they have with John. Can you talk a little bit about that? GH: Oh, we love him KS: And why do you love him? GH: He's just such a good boss. [Gaylene starts to tear up, get emotional]. KS: Yeah, um, do you think that that is really special about this restaurant? GH: Oh yeah! KS: Yeah. Do you ever hang out with your other, other um employees outside of this restaurant? Or is it more when you come here you're together? GH: Oh sometimes, we do. You, know, just girls hang out, or- KS: Sure. I-this is kind of a strange question, but um, do you, have you always worn the same kind of uniform? Did you ever wear a different kind of uniform? Is there kind of a, a look to the Blue Bonnet Cafe? GH: Not really because we don't really have uniforms. You can wear whatever you like, you know. But most of us wear the Blue Bonnet t-shirts, and jeans, and- [00:05:01] KS: So, a lot of um, a lot of the staff here in the back, as well as the front have family that works here. Has any of your family ever worked here? GH: [Laughs] at one time I had two sisters, my mother and I all worked here [laughs]. KS: That's pretty crazy. So it's really, it, [laughs] it really is a family organization composed of different families- GH: Right. KS: But you're all- GH: My mom just retired two years ago and she'd been here nineteen years. And I have a sister that's been here twenty something years, I don't know [laughs]. KS: Let me see. Is there anything that, you know the Blue Bonnet has gotten some press coverage, you know, it's a fairly well-known establishment. Is there anything you can think of about the Blue Bonnet that maybe isn't covered in the media a lot? Is there something that's favored over other things, or, do you think that the media has gotten the Blue Bonnet right? GH: I think pretty much they've gotten it right. KS: Yeah. If, since you're a server, do you think that there's a typical kind of serving style at the Blue Bonnet? Do you think everybody has their own style? GH: I think everybody pretty much has their own style. But we all have fun. KS: And what's your kind of style of serving, if you could name it? GH: Just, I don't know-laid back, easy-going, just, you know. Have fun with your customers, enjoy your customers KS: And you think that, generally, everybody here is [unintelligible]. GH: Right, right. KS: Right. Could you speak a little bit about um, or actually this is a different question. Do you know the history of the Blue Bonnet? Is that something people talk about here, or it mostly just the day-to-day, is that more important? GH: I really don't know too much about the history. I think it started on Main Street, um, but I don't know the, you know, the different owners, and I don't know all that stuff. KS: Sure, sure. Well, I think that concludes our interview. But thank you so much for talking to me. This is very helpful and useful for our project. GH: Alright, thank you. KS: Thank you. [END INTERVIEW] [00:07:29]
