CREW D’ÉTAT: CAFÉ MEDINA MANAGER JENNA BRISCOE BESTOWED WITH SERVICE ALL-STAR NOD AT VANCOUVER MAGAZINE RESTAURANT AWARDS

Briscoe Among Five Singled Out for Industry Excellence at 27th Annual Awards Gala

A longtime fixture at Café Medina, manager Jenna Briscoe was honoured among a standing-room-only crowd of industry peers with a coveted Service All-Star designation at the 2016 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.

Originally from Alberta, Briscoe began her career in the restaurant industry in Edmonton while studying for a post-secondary degree in political science and communications before moving west to attend Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.

In 2013, brunch at Café Medina led to a job as a serving assistant, which quickly saw Briscoe rise to a management role after owner Robbie Kane recognized her penchant for customer-service excellence and attention to detail.

In the years since, Briscoe has played a key role in the day-to-day operations of the popular daytime hotspot and has become a warm and familiar face for the restaurant’s many visitors and returning clientele.

“In a city where there are so many restaurants and so many amazing people who work in those rooms, to be recognized for taking care of your guests is an honour,” said Briscoe, who shared the 2016 Service All-Star award with Ben de Champlain (Cinara), Michel Durocher (Bauhaus), Kristi Linneboe (Maenam) and Tara Thom (Ancora). “At the end of the day, that’s really the most important job for all of us.”

Kane, who launched Café Medina in 2008 and is known for his determined philosophy of enlightened hospitality, credits Briscoe’s team-first attitude and commitment to customer service as reasons she earned the prestigious award.

“It’s especially meaningful to be recognized by your peers for hospitality in this industry and particularly for us, because we’re a meet-you-at-the-door, impression-based restaurant,” says Kane. “Jenna has truly taken ownership of Café Medina and her commitment to each and every customer sets her apart in my eyes.”

ABOUT CAFÉ MEDINA | Since opening in 2008, Café Medina has been serving up its signature brand of Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, connoisseur-savvy coffee and sweet sustenance via the city’s best Belgian waffles. A quaint, bistro-styled restaurant replete with old-world charm and proprietor Robbie Kane’s determined philosophy of enlightened hospitality, Café Medina provides a full complement of fresh and eclectic breakfast, lunch and daily brunch alternatives and a pioneering attitude towards café culture. Since moving to its new location in Vancouver’s Library District at 780 Richards St., the new Café Medina has garnered numerous rave reviews, cementing its longstanding reputation as the city’s leading brunch destination.

780 Richards Street, Vancouver, BC | 604-879-3114 | medinacafe.com

Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Available to be booked for private evening events

Facebook: /medinacafe | Twitter: @cafemedina | Instagram: @medinacafe