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Longtime Waiter Appointed Columbia Ambassador - Will Lead Free Tours of Columbia Ybor City
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| 11/01/2008 |
Tampa, Fla., January 1, 2008 -- Now you can experience a walk through over 100 Years of Columbia Restaurant History with a guide who has over 50 years of first-hand knowledge.
Joe Roman, 80, started working at the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa’s Historic Ybor City in 1954 at the age of 26. He has always taken great pride in his work and it earned him a good living, on which he raised two sons with his wife of 59 years.
In 2002, after 48 years of work, Joe began to cut back on his hours due to problems with his knees, and then had to retire. He was very distressed that this meant he would not reach 50 years of service.
“We knew how important it was to Joe for him to reach that milestone,” said Gonzmart. “We created a position just for him in conjunction with our 100-year anniversary in 2005. Joe has been named our "Columbia Restaurant Ambassador." In this role, he continues what he does best, greeting guests and sharing the Columbia story with them. He will be giving tours of the restaurant. We don''t have to train him in our history, he lived it first hand.”
You can enjoy your own free tour of Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City with Joe anytime from 12-2 p.m. Monday –Friday. There is no formal sign up sheet, you can let your server know that you’d like to take the tour with Joe, and your server will have Joe visit your table and lead you on the tour at your convenience.
Joe Roman is a favorite among guests because he often spontaneously breaks into song. He earned his nickname, “The Singer Waiter,” in 1962, the year the first song that he sang to guests was released, Tony Bennett’s classic, I Left My Heart In San Francisco.
Joe has built his entire life around working as a waiter. He and his wife have two sons and four grandchildren. He was able to raise his family entirely on his salary as a waiter. He was born and raised in Ybor City, and takes great pride in sharing the history of the area with visitors and locals alike.
Joe has also received other honors for his loyalty and longevity. “For his dedication to his work and to our family, we inducted Joe into our Columbia Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2000,” said Richard Gonzmart, fourth generation owner of the Columbia. “We created our Hall of Fame to honor employees who have contributed to the legacy of Columbia Restaurant.”
In 2006, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio proclaimed August 16, 2006 as “Joe Roman Day” in the City of Tampa, Florida, to honor Columbia Restaurant’s Ambassador for over 50 Years of Service in the Hospitality Industry, along with acknowledging Mr. Roman’s commitment and dedication that have made a lasting impact on our community and its citizens.
In August of 2004 Joe was honored as the recipient of the Iris D. Larson Hospitality Award at the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism held in Orlando, Florida.
The Iris D. Larson Hospitality Award was created to recognize hospitality/tourism industry professionals who exemplify the qualities of selfless spirit of service and leadership in their work experience.
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