Episode 7 - Kevin Hernandez of South of Brooklyn

Kitchen Trenches is a podcast sharing the untold stories of the food industry to promote authenticity,  relatability, and direct listeners to supportive resources.

This episode's guest is Kevin Hernandez who is the Owner and Operator of South of Brooklyn, a food truck in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with 15 years of experience in the industry. 

This month's episode is different.

In American kitchens, language is a major factor that affects both individual and group experiences, and shapes the overall culture of a workplace. 

According to the Association and the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance's 2022 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion report, about one in four members of the restaurant workforce is Hispanic, serving in many roles, from entry-level through ownership. This, naturally means, a fully English-speaking kitchen is a rare occurrence in the food industry. 

Spanish-speaking coworkers have shaped my personal experience in such a beautiful way and what is often considered a language-barrier has served as a personal reminder for me to listen to my coworkers carefully and with sincerity and to never shy away from the discomfort of trying to speak a language I am not fluent in. 

So, in this episode I quite awkwardly stumble my way through this interview, mixing in both English and Spanish to give a real-time, real-life example of how these conversations often go and prove that they are worth the while.

Time Stamps:

• Introduction: 0:18

• Guest Check: 13:33

• Camaraderie: 18:30

• Family Meal: 20:50

• Why: 24:52

Episode Shout Outs:

• South of Brooklyn

•  2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report

• Ethan Hawke, Morgan Freeman, U2

• Bill Murray

• Hal's Seltzer

Southern Smoke Foundation

If you're a listener in need of support, we encourage you to explore the aid opportunities available from Southern Smoke Foundation. Southern Smoke provides access to no-cost mental health services and emergency relief funding for food and beverage workers nationwide. 

If you're a listener who wants to continually support the backbone of our food systems and the people behind the stories we share here, consider donating to Southern Smoke via the link in our show notes.

We'll catch you in the trenches next time with new episodes airing monthly.

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