Resy Presents

A Year in the Life of Restaurant Workers

For the love of restaurants — and restaurant workers everywhere. We're looking back on the past year, a year unlike any other, but also looking ahead, through the experiences of the restaurant industry across the country. Here are their stories, as told through their own voices, and their own camera rolls.

Photo illustration by Tania Bou-Samra

A Year in the LifeSeattle

Kristi Brown, Chef and Restaurant Owner

Summer 2020, right around her 50th birthday, was supposed to be when acclaimed chef and co-owner Kristi Brown and her…

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A Year in the LifeNew York

Dago Cruz, Line Cook and Sous Chef

Like many cooks, Dago Cruz found himself without work when dining rooms closed last March and finding work, no matter…

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A Year in the LifeChicago

Terry Moore, Bartender

For bartender Terry Moore, the days just before the pandemic struck in March were spent going to concerts with friends…

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A Year in the LifeHouston

Ajna Jai, General Manager and Creative Director

In January, two months before COVID-19 forced restaurants and bars across the country to close, Ajna Jai closed her family’s…

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A Year in the LifeSan Francisco

Kevin Tang, Sous Chef and Pop-Up Pioneer

Like many other chefs who found themselves unmoored from their full-time jobs when dining rooms closed in March 2020, Nari…

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A Year in the LifeNew York

Cédric Vongerichten, Chef and Restaurant Owner

Like many of us, chef Cédric Vongerichten found himself balancing the pressures of work life and family life during the…

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