Quincy restaurateur surprises staff with $35,000 in Christmas bonuses
Christmas came early at Quincy’s Alba restaurant after the owner and customers teamed up to deliver more than $35,000 in cash bonuses to staff who have seen tips and shifts dry up amid coronavirus-era business restrictions.
“It’s been a really difficult year,” Alba owner Leo Keka told the Herald. “Right now, we are all suffering, so I pitched in as much as I thought I could.”
Keka announced the bonuses in a Facebook post where he thanked customers for stepping up to help “our best-in-the-business staff both in the front of the house and in the kitchen.” All of them have been scraping by with fewer tips and fewer shifts as restrictions limiting restaurant hours and capacity stretch into the tenth month, Keka said.
Earlier this month, Keka pledged to donate 15% of Christmas week gift card sales to his staff prompting a flood of last-minute purchases from hundreds of loyal customers.
The sheer volume of donations was enough to bring a tear to the eye of the restaurateur who admits he can sometimes be “tough to work for.”
One customer purchased $6,000 in Alba gift cards after hearing about the employee bonuses.
“It makes me emotional. There’s a lot of generous people in this world,” Keka said.
Keka delivered the cash to his staff on Christmas Eve, giving every staff member — cooks, valets, waitresses, bussers and hosts alike — almost $300 each.
The bonuses also celebrate the 30th anniversary of Keka’s arrival in America, according to a statement on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
As an appreciation for the opportunities provided to him that have led to his success, Keka said he wanted to spread a little holiday cheer and help out his staff.
“I know how I got here: I was given opportunities. I had no money, nothing — this is an opportunity for me to now give something back to my staff.”
The Albanian immigrant has thrived as a restaurateur in America. He opened Alba, an upscale steak and seafood restaurant 19 years ago. In August, he expanded to Hanover, opening Alba on 53. Taking a chance and opening amid COVID-19 restrictions has paid off too — the restaurant has been packed “by socially distant standards” each night, according to Keka.
Keka immigrated to America in 1990 after fleeing communist Albania by swimming across a lake to Montenegro and then escaping a Serbian prison. He was penniless and unable to speak English, but soon landed a job washing dishes for fellow Albanian-American Anthony Athanas, the late owner of former Boston stalwart Anthony’s Pier 4.
Keka worked his way up through management at both Legal Sea Foods and Grill 23 & Bar in Boston’s Back Bay before venturing out on his own.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3mRjRQh
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