
Photo by Jay Paul
“Everybody is like family to me,” says Jacquie DeGroat, the vivacious and self-proclaimed “most requested brunch server.” For the past 16 years, regulars have visited her nearly every Sunday inside the historic 125-year-old Jefferson Hotel, which hosts a 400-guest Champagne Brunch 50 weeks of the year. Crowds double on Easter, Christmas and Mother’s Day.
Longevity is a common quality among the hotel’s staff members, and it’s why Greg McGehee, a 14-year employee and and the hotel’s food and beverage director, believes The Jefferson is able to navigate its most consistently busy shift — one that requires a squad of employees from in-house restaurants Lemaire and TJ’s, The Jefferson itself, and its banquet staff — so smoothly.
Executive Banquet Chef Patrick Ehemann, a 16-year hotel veteran, leads on the culinary front, along with banquet sous chef Seth Goulston and Executive Pastry Chef and creme brulee tart master Sara Ayyash.
At 10:30 a.m., guests begin to pour down the grand staircase toward tables laden with chafing dishes, a display of oysters on the half shell, the meat-carving station and an omelet bar, while the scent of waffles lingers in the air.
But the bustle of brunch started five hours earlier, with many of the staffers arriving at 5:30 a.m. to prep and others working as part of the “clopening” crew, industry lingo for being part of the closing staff the night prior, then rising and shining to get back at it.
The employees buzz like bees, each working in unison on their respective tasks. Energy is fast-paced, movements intentional. The team has successfully mastered the art of teamwork in this culinary colony.
Brunch seatings occur at 10:30 and 11 a.m., 1 and 1:30 p.m., the tables determined by Kelly McLeod, restaurant reservation and events coordinator, aka “The Brunch Maven.” Upon accepting a reservation, McLeod conducts a pre-brunch interview and prepares a detailed floor plan with references to denote celebrations, allergies and dietary restrictions.
“Everything is very personalized,” McLeod says, and it’s a big reason why locals and out-of-towners have flocked to The Jefferson each week for over three decades, and why holiday brunches are typically booked months in advance.
“We’ve been here so long, we don’t think about the amount of stuff that happens and takes place,” McGehee says.
“You only think about it when one of the links is out of place,” Ehemann says, such as an employee calling in sick or an emergency.
“Or if the waffle iron breaks,” Goulston chimes in.
“Or the elevator,” Ehemann fires back as the trio start to laugh.
“Those are the days we are really thankful that [brunch] runs itself,” McGehee says.
