Carson’s Kept The Whiskey Flowing And Employees Happy

Mark Fichtner from Carson's Food & Drink, a staple brunch, lunch, and dinner spot in Lexington, KY.

Mark Fichtner is one of our good friends along the trail. He’s someone who we love to sit and have a drink with after the intensities of sun-up-till-sundown footage all across the great state of Kentucky.

He’s one of those people that just has a way of making you unwind and just enjoy the moment.

But, another thing about Mark is that he’s an incredibly generous person. Selfless and always looking for ways to lift those around him up so that we can all rise together. He’s an embodiment of the saying “a rising tide lifts all boats.” And, he doesn’t miss a chance to raise the tide for everyone.

And, as we know, many of our favorite places didn’t survive the culling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many restaurants laid people off, limited their menu, and tried to continue turning a profit.

Mark, being someone who always has a plan and others’ best interests at heart, took a slightly different approach in his efforts to make it through the pandemic.

He didn’t focus on profit, he focused on his Carson’s Food & Drink family.

During the pandemic, Mark took the financial hit. He averaged out the pay that his employees had been making with tips and paid that to them during the shutdown and during limited reopening.

“It was expensive,” he said. “I didn’t lose anybody during that time.”

But his focus was on keeping their family together, and preserving their livelihoods. He understood the cost that would entail, and faced it head-on.

This allowed his employees to have a measure of predictability and stability during an incredibly unstable time. And, it allowed Carson’s to resume service with familiar faces and experienced staff who were able to continue on with the quality of service, food, and drink that has won Carson’s regular diners and numerous awards (like being named one of the best brunch spots in the US).

However, there are still issues other than financial that Carson’s is facing right now. Things like late deliveries, food shortages, and bottlenecks in the supply chain.

However, Carson’s excellent staff have kept up with the quality and experience people expect. Recent reviews have been raving despite the additional difficulties.

If you’d like to book a reservation or learn more about Carson’s, you can click here to visit their site.

Leave a Reply