Carolyn Meyers, Bartender
Ruth’s Chris Palm Desert
Carolyn Meyers’ decision to pursue a career with Ruth’s Chris was very deliberate. She had always loved the quality, the legendary service it offers to its guests, and she wanted to be a part of an organization that she truly believed in.
But once Carolyn joined, she discovered an even deeper story that inspires her every day – how our founder, Ruth Fertel designed her own path at a time when being a woman in the industry was not common. “Ruth’s story and legacy are everything to me. You follow this path that you never thought you would ever be on…and with that passion, things flourish out of you that you never knew existed,” said Carolyn. Thanks to Ruth’s legacy, plus the way Carolyn’s colleagues and leaders work every day to stay true to it, she has called Ruth’s Chris her second home for 11 years. “Not only are we focused on the food, but we’re focused on the happiness of the Team Members and our Guests.”
As a bartender at Ruth’s Chris in Palm Desert, California, the bar is one of her favorite places where building connections, and serving guests with passion and pride, take center stage. Carolyn has met some of the closest people in her life at Ruth’s Chris, including her husband Patrick. And in true fashion of Ms. Ruth’s love for warm hospitality, she has also built unique bonds with the regular Guests. One recent memorable moment she carries with her is honoring one of her regulars when she learned he had passed away. “We set up his spot at the bar with his name placard and scotch for the night…you realize this is not just a job, you’re connected to these people.”
For her, the bar is the heart of the restaurant and there’s nothing sweeter than the sound of a busy night, when Carolyn serves hundreds of drinks with precision and passion. “I love a loud bar. If the bar is loud, then that means that everybody is happy.” Plus, she understands that bringing fun and playfulness to everything they do behind the bar transcends to the entire guest experience. “There’s a certain vibe in the Ruth’s Chris bar that just can’t be met anywhere else,” she said.
Restaurants and working in hospitality have always been in her blood, as Carolyn fondly remembers visiting her father at the seafood eatery where he worked during her childhood. After starting as a hostess at the age of 17 while attending school to become a paramedic, she quickly determined that the restaurant business and making others happy through her craft was her forever career.
Joining the Ruth’s Chris family has not only allowed Carolyn to become a master at creating unforgettable cocktails, but also to focus on her raising her children and to share her love for picture-perfect libations on social media, like her favorites – the blueberry mojito and the blackberry sidecar. Her social media content skills have even given her the opportunity to partner with the home office, with her photos and videos frequently getting featured on Ruth’s Chris official Instagram account, @ruthschris. “The support and the tools that I have been given at Ruth’s Chris have allowed me to flourish in my own life.”
