Nocturnal
Tendencies
A slice
of third shift at Country Kitchen
by Tim Bugansky
photos by Michele Lenni
 Allison Kinney prepares to serve some of the third-shift regulars, many of whom she considers to be friends. |
What would compel a person to sit in a booth at Kent's Country Kitchen
on West main Street at 10:57 on a Saturday evening? Loneliness, boredom,
insomnia or a sudden urge for a skillet breakfast.
Dozens of Country Kitchen regulars seem to be there almost every day of the week. Their base of operation is the smoking section at the back of the restaurant.
Everyone in the back seems to know everyone else. They bounce from table to table, bumming cigarettes and sharing greetings, news and gossip. They might arrive in groups of three or four, but the entire dining room is an extended family.
The third-shift waitresses are just as comfortable placing food in front of these customers as they are sliding into the seat next to them and chatting for a bit.
Liz
Liz
Bailey started as a waitress at Country Kitchen in July, though she worked
there from 1996 to 1998. She has always worked third shift, and she wouldn't
have it otherwise.
"Third shift is the bomb because third shift is different than all the rest," she says, scurrying past with an 11 p.m. order of French toast. "First is seniors, second is families, third is people."
Liz says she savors the friendships she's made working third shift – friendships that have remained strong even though she took some time off from Country Kitchen.
"Somebody came in tonight that I haven't seen since before, and I wanted to give them a hug," she says. "It's kind of weird having a relationship like that with someone who you're just supposed to be giving food to."