PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SEAN BARRAGAN , GILROY GOLD |
Rosa Lara is a mother and grandmother . Her straight blond hair falls below her shoulders . She speaks clearly and softly . She has worked at the restaurant for a total of 12 years . “ I love my customers ,” she said . “ I try to have fun with my customers . It ’ s easy to work with everybody . Customers come in and they say , ‘ Rosa , this is my boyfriend , or this is my girlfriend . And later they come back and they ’ re married , and they have kids . I see everybody as a part of my family , not customers . We know their names and stories .”
With short blond hair , blue eyes , and an Icelandic accent , Helga Sigurdardottir , who goes by “ Sig ,” has worked at Scotty ’ s for ten years first as a server and then as restaurant manager . “ I love to work , love meeting new people ,” she said . “ Your job really becomes your first home . This is all about family and about working together . It isn ’ t that these are just employees , we are all friends . You look forward to coming to work .”
Theresa Rocha is the youngest server . She ’ s a college student with dark , bobbed hair parted in the middle , studying for her AA as an EMT at Gavilan . Although she ’ s only served for two years , she ’ s been a part of Scotty ’ s for generations . “ When my dad and uncle were kids , my grandparents brought them here after church on Sundays .” “ This becomes your home , your family . Oh , I ’ m going to cry .” “ We ’ re trying not to cry ,” said Helga . “ I ’ m invested in everyone ’ s life here . I ’ m asking how everyone ’ s doing at home . If one of us is hurting , then the rest of us are hurting ,” Theresa said .
Gabriela “ Gabby ” Cupa , wears a pink hoody , her phone in the pouch . She finds it hard to speak at first . “ It ’ s emotional . Grace has been like a part of my family . I used to have our parties here . My two son ’ s birthdays every year . I like working here . I liked my customers . There were a lot of things that they told me about their lives .”
“ Grace has been like a part of my family ,” said Gabby .
Like a group of siblings , the servers are comfortable butting into each other ’ s conversation . They trade knowing looks
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about their shared experiences and they laugh together about the server-cook relationship .
Helga said , “ The cooks are a totally different story . The cooks are good . They ’ re hard workers .”
Theresa added , “ While they ’ re working , they ’ re serious . Outside of work , they have a goofy side .”
“ We always fight . They make me mad . They push my buttons ,” Gabby said .
Helga , ever the manager , said , “ It ’ s more like a brother / sister thing . Not a fight . The cooks are a part of the family .
Riley Kawano , 33 , Grace ’ s grandson , a sports enthusiast , wears his signature ball cap . “ This has always been my second home . I started really working here after I got out of high school in 2005 . I made sure every lane was good to go every night for our league bowlers , oiling the lanes every night . I ’ m definitely going to miss opening up in the morning . But mostly I ’ m going to miss all the regulars that would come in to eat and bowl . They weren ’ t just really close friends ; they were family .”
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“ It was a gathering place ,” Grace said . “ It was my husband ’ s focus that this was going to be a place for families to come to and be comfortable . There are a lot of memories here . We ’ ve had all kinds of birthday parties , wedding receptions . I just don ’ t know how to describe it . I ’ ll be fine , but saying goodbye to employees — that ’ s the sad part . They ’ ve been with me for many years . And I will miss all the friends that we ’ ve been fortunate enough to have .”
Grace admitted that she ’ s been thinking about getting out of the business for several years , but the timing never seemed right . Now , with Covid-19 resurging and the restaurant closures . “ The primary decision was my age and the timing . It is sad because it ’ s been good to us . But it comes a time when you have to make a decision .”
To the Kawanos , the servers , cooks , bowling crew , and bartenders , to all who helped Gilroy Bowl and Scotty ’ s Restaurant become a part of our community and a part of our family for the last fifty-two years — Aloha and mahalo nui loa .
PHOTOS :
BOWLER Riley Kawano
OWNERS Grace & Scotty Kawano
WAITRESSES ( l-r )
Rosa Lara ( 12 years )
Helga " Sig " Sigurdardottir ( 10 years )
Theresa Rocha ( 2 years )
Babriella " Gabby " Cupa .
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