Training under fire
Published 9:07 pm Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Hand-carved steaks sizzle as they hit the grill.
The aroma of fresh-baked yeast bread wafts from the kitchen.
It’s 4 p.m. Wednesday, but the team in North Suffolk’s newest restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, is rolling out steaming entrees. Officially, the steakhouse, at 6130 College Drive, opens for business after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
But for three nights this week, the kitchen crew will hustle to produce fresh salads, hot bread and dozens of dinners — steaks, ribs and burgers, all served with homemade trimmings that include mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, baked potatoes and the like.
“This is a trial run,” said Benjamin Mayo, the restaurant’s managing partner. It’s part of the intense week of training for the restaurant’s 160 employees, giving them a chance to see and produce the meals they will begin serving customers next week.
Suffolk’s firefighters and emergency medical technicians will be the lucky benefactors of Texas Roadhouse’s practice runs this week, said Mayo. All the food prepared during trainings will be boxed up and given to various Suffolk Department of Fire and Rescue battalions every night, he said.
“It gives us an opportunity to give back to our first responders … and gives us several opportunities to train our new cooks, meat cutters and other kitchen team members,” said Mayo.
The restaurant will also host invitation-only, pre-opening events on Friday and Saturday, with all proceeds from alcohol sales and tips being donated to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Mayo said.
The restaurant picked CHKD as the benefactor of its grand-opening celebration because of its service to a staff member treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma several years ago, Mayo added.
Texas Roadhouse is excited about opening in the Suffolk community, Mayo added.