Kosmo Deli Disappoints

“I think I have to stop going to Kosmo!”

Alarmed, that’s what I told my friend Rachel when I called her from the Farmers’ Market on Wednesday morning.

A Little History
A couple mornings a week, you’ll find me sitting at the counter at Kosmo Deli in Kerrytown eating breakfast and reading the paper or chatting with a friend. I also pop in occasionally for lunch – I’ve been a loyal customer for several years, even after suffering food poisoning from a bad Tucker Burger (w/teriyaki sauce, cheese, grilled onions) last spring.

One of the main reasons I’ve enjoyed Kosmo is the congeniality of the kids who work for owner Don Kwon. They’re chatty and bohemian in that Community High sort of way, and always remember the “usual” order of regulars like me. But in the last couple months, there has been unrest behind the counter. Two of my favorite deli staff quit, one left for college, and one girl was fired. And I began to wonder, just what the heck is going on?

That said, I understand that food service is a volatile business and that things change. Two veterans remained, and I had just started to warm up to Dave (pink hair) and Zeke (orange hair), the new hires.

Wednesday Morning
“I’d like one egg over-easy, two pieces of sausage, and one slice of wheat toast,” I ordered. “and please, no potato products. I'm trying to diet.”

“Mandy, we only change the plates on Saturdays and Sundays, not weekdays,” Don called from behind the prep counter.

“Okay Don, but what is it about the breakfast plates?” I asked, curious. “I’ll pay for the entire meal – I just don’t want to waste the food I won’t eat.” Shaking his head, he responded “it’s not about the money.”

Truly trying to understand, I tried another approach, “if I order a breakfast sandwich and then hand Dave back a slice of the bread, would that be okay?”

“Don’t try to find a loophole!” Don fired back. “It’s a long story, but I decided a long time ago not to do it. I’ve lost regular customers over it, and I don’t care!”

And then he turned to that nice new guy Dave, and said “You’ve got to stop these kinds of orders out front.” He continued, “I’ll fire you next time!”

Cheezy, I Know, But It’s the ‘Golden Rule’ For a Reason
I probably would have gone on indefinitely patronizing Kosmo Deli, despite Don’s somewhat eccentric attitude toward breakfast plates and regular customers. After all, people have done stranger things for the food/establishments they love (see “Soup Nazi”).

But I am a firm believer in treating the people who work for you right. And if you ask me, the lower their power/wage, the better they should be treated. It’s better for business (see Zingerman’s) and it’s better for your own personal karma. And, particularly when you work with young people, you have a responsibility to set a good example.

(My god, that makes me sound old. Sigh.)

So enough is enough, and from now on you won’t find me at Kosmo Deli on Market mornings. I’ll be among the caffeine addicts reading the paper at Sweetwater’s. Better for my diet, anyway.

Remember that young woman I mentioned above? who was fired by Don last month? My friend Emily hired her, based partially on my recommendation. “She was a good find, " Emily told me when I called for a progress report. "But Mandy, I don’t think she was treated very well where she worked before.” Em continued, “She seems so surprised to be working in a friendly environment. Whenever someone is nice to her, she’s like a little sunflower turning her head toward the light.”