Ronnie Hayes
Short-order cook, Philadelphia Fevre Steak & Hoagie Shop, 2332 E Madison (Central District), 323-1000.

While scarfing down my second lunch of the day (a plain cheesesteak and a large, icy Coke) at Philadelphia Fevre, I watched Ronnie Hayes at the griddle with fascination and a deep respect. This is one talented man.

Armed with his trusty spatula, Hayes was a blur of constant motion as he assembled cheesesteak sandwiches with one hand and worked the fryer with the other, never hesitating or faltering as he continuously scrambled chopped beef with spicy peppers, mushrooms, browned onions, and melted cheese. I stuck around until the lunch rush was over and convinced Hayes to take a quick break with me.

I almost thought you wouldn't have time to talk.

"Yeah, I was all ready to eat my lunch, but every time I turned around, more people kept coming in. It just gets like that sometimes. I don't know where they all come from...."

How long have you worked here?

"Three months... [but] the place has been here 18 years."

So you're new. I thought you'd been working here forever.

"I've been cooking for a while. Before this I worked down in Renton, and before that at Papa Murphy's."

Philly's Best is close by. How are theirs different from the cheesesteaks here?

"Well I haven't had theirs, so I don't know--but people come in here and say ours are better... we've got the right [kind of] beef, all chopped up, some peppers, and hoagie bread.... Sometimes we got people coming in twice a day."

Where do you eat after work?

"KFC--"

--me too.

"--and Wendy's, you know, fast food. Jones BBQ, CC's Burgers. CC's got some good burgers. Oh--and teriyaki. I love teriyaki."

You guys also sell scrapple by the pound. I've only had it a few times, in Delaware. What is it exactly?

"It's like mashed-up scraps... different parts of the pig. Whatever's left over, like from sausage. We don't cook it here, but you can get it frozen. One guy once ordered six pounds of it." [A waitress yells out, "It's what they scrape up off the floor!"]

I still think it's delicious. Do you ever panic when everyone comes in at once, and you're slammed?

"All I do is holler, and the boss, Morris, comes out and helps. And it gets so hectic--and the phone's ringing, there's [takeout] orders. I can get five or six sandwiches [on the griddle], but the boss can do 10 at once. He just lines 'em all up... and he just gets it done. He can throw down."

Thanks for taking your break with me. Do you mind if we take your picture?

"Let me just get my spatulas."

Interview by Min Liao