ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s a scene a lot of New Mexicans have gotten all too familiar with over the last year. Parents trying to keep up with their job, while their kids go to school online. That scene stood out recently at an Albuquerque restaurant. “I have all my friends there and my teacher,” Melody says.
Just a few feet away, her mom Katherine Andraca is also working, waiting tables at the Central Grill and Coffee House in Old Town. “Her online schooling is another job for me. I have to be there. I have to monitor, ‘Oh is she doing it right? Does she understand this?'” Andraca said.
Andraca has worked at the restaurant for a year. Owner George Griego says a few weeks ago she called in because she couldn’t find a baby-sitter for Melody. I told her to go ahead bring her daughter in, that’s ok with me. At that time we weren’t open for indoor dining, so she basically had access to the whole restaurant by herself,” Griego says.
Now that Central Grill, like other restaurants, is open for limited indoor dining, Griego says the second grader is still welcomed anytime her mom can’t find a sitter. “She’s a sweetheart I just love that girl she is so sweet and so kind,” Griego says.
Even though the restaurant is trying to recover from the financial hit they took last year. Griego says taking care of his team is a top priority. “Anything we can do to help we’re right there, we’ll do that,” he says.
It’s a gesture that one customer noticed and posted this photo to Facebook, encouraging people to support a local business that supports its employees during hard times.” I’m honestly blessed,” Andraca says. Melody says her favorite part about going to work with her mom is all the goodies she gets to eat while she’s there. That Facebook post has gotten more than 500 shares since it was posted this week.
