Business Partners
Four Season's Restaurant, Jackman, ME
Partner Profile: Four seasons Restaurant
Four Seasons Restaurant, Jackman, MaineFor the past 11 years, Alan DuPlessis has owned the Four Seasons Restaurant at 417 Main Street in Jackman. The restaurant is open for three meals a day, hosts private functions, and provides off-site catering services. In addition to its dining services, the restaurant has been attracting attention for its diverse staff of 20 that includes youths with disabilities.
Alan began diversifying his staff as part of an effort to make Jackman a better place to live and work by developing connections between the school system and local businesses. The school superintendent felt that certain students with disabilities would benefit from a modified school day that included workplace learning in the afternoon. The Four Seasons Restaurant became an enthusiastic participant in the program.
“He starting off doing dishes, but after a while we realized he could take on other duties,” said Alan, recalling the first student he hired as part of the program. “He learned to work potatoes and press hamburgers. He was very good kitchen help.” After successfully working at the Four Seasons, the student went on to find employment at another restaurant.
As part of the program, Alan and the school staff keep in contact. “We coordinated so that lessons learned on the job could be taken back to school and built on,” said Alan. “For example, when [a student] learned to accurately weigh and make the 4 ounce and 6 ounce hamburgers that we serve, back in the classroom, the math teacher worked on ounces and pounds conversions.”
This past school year, Alan hired another student with a disability. Alan reports, “The only thing we have had to do differently during the training was to say some things more than once and show him how to do specific tasks. He does whatever we need him to do.”
Alan elaborated on his experience with the program saying, “This has worked very well for me. We helped the school and they helped us. We gained a very dependable worker who knows what he is doing and takes the job more seriously than some of our other employees.”
Alan DuPlessis has some advice for businesses: “Hire them. Don’t be afraid. Go one step at a time. After they master one task go on to the next. You can always find work that needs to be done at your business that will match their abilities.”
Visit the Four Season's Restaurant the next time you are in Jackman!
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