Erica S.

Erica grew up in the mountains of Silverthorne, Colorado. She attended acting school in North Carolina and soon moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career. There, she worked a number of waitressing jobs that eventually led her to join the TERRA team at Eataly Los Angeles in 2018. 

A part of the original Grand Opening Team at TERRA, Erica has been an anchor at the restaurant ever since. Starting as a Server, her leadership skills and ability to provide stellar service to guests resulted in her promotion to Lead Server in 2023.  

Erica has excelled in her role and is committed to learning and getting better every day. Between challenging herself to sell a particularly niche bottle of wine to executing countless private event services with finesse and care, Erica is an example for our entire team. 

What’s your favorite part of your job?
“I get so satisfied selling wine. My first question is usually, ‘What are your preferences?’ and then off that, I can hit it out of the park about 99% of the time. I also love encouraging guests to try something different. It’s really fun, especially when I can encourage people to try something new.”

What have you learned since joining Eataly?
“I’ve learned so much about wine. We’ve had many managers who are passionate about it, and it is fun to talk with them about it. Learning about other aspects of Italian food has been very eye-opening as well. I love learning and sharing where things come from and how to eat them properly.”

What inspires you?
“A lot of the time, it’s the people around me. There are always instances when guests and colleagues alike may not be having the best day, and there’s a part of me that always wants to turn that around for them. I enjoy making people feel good about themselves. It’s those moments that are inspiring for me, especially because you never know who you’ll meet – there’s always a chance to make a positive impact.”

What do you enjoy doing outside of Eataly?
“I love hiking and going for walks. I have a miniature Australian shepherd, so I take her out a lot, too. I also like to work out. Finally, I’m a massive fan of reading, especially fantasy and romance novels. I run my own book club with my friends, and we have such a great time!”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
“I wanted to be a racehorse jockey! That quickly changed as I got more into theater though, and I really wanted to become an actress.”