FAST FIVE: Jason Nye, CDAIDE guy

Meet Jason Nye, the executive director of CDAIDE, a nonprofit that provides support and resources for local workers in the restaurant and hospitality industries.

A Pacific Northwest native, Jason grew up north of Seattle at the tip of Lake Washington in Bothell. He spent his childhood playing in what was then forests and fields, but is now housing developments and pavement. After driving through on the way to Yellowstone with his family in 2017, he and his wife fell in love with Coeur d'Alene. It felt like his childhood, city set amongst the natural forests and lakes where there is a focus on family, community and greenspace. He and his wife decided then and there that this is where they would eventually move. That exciting date finally came in June of 2020, during the heart of the pandemic. They uprooted their then-three children and settled into this great community of Coeur d'Alene. Jason is a graduate of the University of Washington and spent most of his career in tech. He has recently found a passion for nonprofit work and is serving the hospitality workers of our community in his work with CDAIDE. Jason and his wife have four children now and spend a lot of their time working on their house. Jason's hobbies include sports, board games, video games, igloo camping and getting outdoors whenever he can. Jason grew up camping and hiking all over the North Cascades and likes to return there whenever he can. He and his family love Coeur d'Alene and North Idaho and are happy this is now their home.

1) How are things going with CDAIDE at this time?

Things are going ... better. We help our local hospitality and restaurant workers through times of crisis, providing support with housing, transportation, utilities and medical/dental bills. Winters in this area are particularly tough on these workers because the number of tourists drop, creating a lack of hours for some and a lack of tips for most. A crisis like a hospital visit or car trouble during this lean season can be disastrous for these workers! So we are coming out of our most demanding season, but we're starting to see business pick up for our local hospitality businesses as the weather warms, and this will be helpful. We also just had an event Thursday, the Care Affair, and I'm so appreciative of the continued support this community provides our local nonprofits. CDAIDE has been able to make a big impact in many of the lives of our local hospitality workers. It's hard sometimes learning the secret struggles folks in our community are facing, but it feels so good to be able to help! I'm constantly hearing stories that break my heart, but then I get to see the impact we can make in the lives of our neighbors. It's such a blessing to be in a position to help!

2) What is your experience working in food service/hospitality, and what did you enjoy about it?
My experience in the food service industry started in high school, when I was a busser at Red Robin. During college, I worked as a server at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Restaurant work is surprisingly demanding. You're basically on your feet your entire shift and your pay is so dependent on your customers, because minimum wage for restaurant workers is ridiculously low. You have to be operating at 100% constantly because any mistake can cost you money in the form of tips, even if the mistake isn't yours. The thing about hospitality work I enjoyed the most was constantly talking with new people. Faces always changed and you never knew what any day would bring. Strangely, I also enjoy difficult customers. I like challenging situations that require a concentrated effort on communication. Winning over a customer who might have been angry or having a bad day was always something I liked doing.

3) What is one of the best experiences you have ever had as a customer of a restaurant or hospitality entity?
In high school there was a teacher who would do a manners course right before big dances. As senior prom was rolling around, I sat in on one of these. He mentioned that you should visit the restaurant you are going to ahead of the big night, ideally during the day when they may not be open. Find out the menu, where the bathrooms are, parking, etc. so that you'd be ready. I suppose this is all info you can find online these days, but not back then! I was taking my date and our group to Canlis in Seattle. I called the restaurant and asked if we could come in to check things out. They invited a friend and me in on a Saturday before they opened. We toured the place and did as the teacher had instructed. When prom night rolled around, my group arrived at Canlis and we were escorted to an elevated table, right in the center of the restaurant. Come to find out, it was the owner of the restaurant who took us to our table. He had wanted to meet the two people that had come in to check out the restaurant early. He and his wife sat at a table right near ours and treated us to sparkling cider and desserts after our meal. The setting, service and food were amazing! I'm now a customer for life. This will always be one of my fondest memories of a restaurant experience and I'm so thankful that high school teacher suggested the visit.

4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
As mentioned earlier, I like igloo camping, but there's a bit more to it than that. I have been doing it for over 30 years now and was rather well known as an expert igloo builder and instructor in my hometown. I've taught many groups how to make snow saws and construct igloos, and lead groups on these winter outings in the North Cascades. I love that you can cut blocks out of snow and build whatever sort of shelter you want. I love how the snow is different every year and there is problem solving involved in using it. Sometimes there's a layer of ice right in the middle of the blocks you cut, causing them to break in half. Sometimes the snow is super powdery and doesn't hold together well. Over the years, I've learned how to deal with all of this and can pretty much build with any kind of snow. I also love that the igloo(s) is (are) different every year. Sometimes we make a few small igloos and connect them by tunnels. Sometimes we make a giant igloo. I like the creativity involved. I'm now trying to figure out where I can do this more local to Coeur d'Alene. If anyone knows where I can find somewhere that regularly has 4 feet of snow or more on the ground through the winter, I'd be very grateful!

5) What are a few etiquette tips you can give us for how we can contribute to positive experiences with restaurant and hospitality workers?
Be patient. Many times they're feeling the same frustrations we are feeling as customers. Is the food slow? The server might be waiting on the kitchen. The kitchen might be short staffed that day. You don't know the chain of things involved behind the scenes that might be impacting you as a customer, and also impacting whoever is helping you. Understand how important your tips are. Hospitality workers usually make very low wages because it is expected they will receive tips. Most of these workers are part of the ALICE population (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). This means they are living just enough about the poverty line to not qualify for most social services. More than 80% of them don't have medical or dental coverage. They are often working long hours and multiple jobs just to get by. Many are single parents. Many have escaped very difficult backgrounds. When it comes time to add that tip to the bill, know that these people are counting on that to live and provide for their families. And be kind. Showing kindness isn't beneath anyone and can mean the world to someone who is struggling behind that smile they have to put on for work.