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A fried bologna sandwich, as delicious a comfort as it is, might seem like an unusual pick for a chef\\u2019s favorite food. For Matt, though, it was one of the first dishes he learned how to cook, and one which inspired him to eventually go on to culinary school. From the time he was a young boy and could barely reach the table, he was making biscuits with his grandmother and helping prepare meals for his family. \\u201cI love the science behind it,\\u201d he says ,and he can\\u2019t imagine himself doing any other job. Matt went to culinary school right after high school and has been working in the industry ever since.\\xa0

Matt shared his perspective on the impact COVID has had on restaurants, particularly at the start of the pandemic when the governor\\u2019s orders were rapidly changing and restaurants had to adapt quickly to stay in compliance. \\u201cOne of the hardest days in my career was having to call everybody and tell them they didn\\u2019t have a job. You didn\\u2019t do anything, but you don\\u2019t have a job. It\\u2019s hard enough to do that for one person, but then you have to do it for fifty people.\\u201d We talked about the importance of eating and shopping local, and the value of empathy and kindness. After all, \\u201cIt doesn\\u2019t cost you anything to say \\u2018thank you.\\u2019\\u201d Last year, Matt also lost his grandfather to the virus. We talked about how strange it was not to be able to gather and band together, even in grief, and discussed strategies for maintaining community despite distance.\\xa0

It\\u2019s hard to know where things are going, even in 2021. \\u201cI don\\u2019t think the restaurant industry will ever be the same.\\u201d We remain hopeful that the vaccine\\u2019s reach will be enough to slow the spread of COVID-19. For Matt (and previous podcast guest, Jordan) this year will bring a wedding! But for now, we\\u2019ll continue to support the local business we know and love, letting empathy be our guide in all matters.\\xa0

Note: We recorded this episode back in December 2020