Favourite Local person behind the counter

Paul Hewak

Photo by Bryce Creasy

1. Paul Hewak (Burrito Del Rio)
2. Cory Ralke (The Tallest Poppy)
3. James Brown (The Cavern)

 

If you’ve ever been served by Paul Hewak at Burrito Del Rio, you may have been impressed by his eye for presentation. 

When people notice how straight his lines of ingredients are, Hewak says it’s nice to know they appreciate the small things.

“When I was learning how to do this job, I did care about how the food looked, even though you roll it up,” he says.

He says he cultivated his skills while working in a hotel.

After working at Burrito Del Rio for just over a year, Hewak says he finds he enjoys it more than previous day jobs.

“It’s been a really refreshing experience,” he says.

Hewak says other kitchens have had a negative or hyper-masculine atmosphere that he didn’t feel comfortable in. 

“I never lasted at any of them very long,” he says. “I’m not going to say any of the specific kitchens, but I quit all of them.”

While Hewak is happy at Burrito Del Rio, he says he isn’t always in an outgoing mood, and some people he served may have not thought of him as a candidate for favourite local person behind the counter based on what time they came in.

“I don’t think I have a terrible view of myself as an employee, but I would say they must have caught me earlier in the shift,” he says. “I will fully admit that I kind of get frustrated sometimes.”

He says he would never take that frustration out on a customer and is flattered to think most have had an exceptionally pleasant experience being served by him.

When he’s not preparing your burrito, Hewak is a student at the University of Winnipeg. He is currently enjoying an urban inner city studies course and would like to further pursue that subject.

Published in Volume 71, Number 13 of The Uniter (December 1, 2016)

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