Ruy L.

Ruy is originally from Brazil. He came to the USA in 2010 and joined our team in 2017 as a Server at Eataly Downtown. Since his start, Ruy has always brought his enthusiasm to work. He is fun to be around, and certain guests come to our La Pizza & La Pasta restaurant especially to be served by Ruy.

In addition to a passion for hospitality, Ruy recognizes that food and wine knowledge is key to success as a Server. He takes every opportunity to learn more about Eataly’s products, and he has become well-versed in regional Italian cuisine. Ruy’s desire to learn and his positive energy makes him an inspiration for our team.

How did you decide to become a Server?
“I started working in Brazil in hospitality. I have a degree in hospitality. I used to work for American Airlines in Brazil. And then a hotel. When I came to Manhattan, I worked for different types of restaurants. I am definitely a people person. That’s why I like to work in restaurants and be around people all the time.”

What do you enjoy about working at Eataly?
“I really like to work here because Eataly gives us good benefits and stability … and most of all, flexibility. Because they are flexible, you can study, you can maybe find a part-time job in a place, work on some hobby like dancing, theatre, whatever.”

What have you learned since working at Eataly?
“I thought I knew about Italian food, but when I came here I was so impressed. It was so beautiful, it had so many things I didn’t know about. For me, before, Italy was just like spaghetti and lasagna. I didn’t know about the whole culture, and I got really impressed. At Eataly, every day you can find something new. Even me, working all these years here, when I go around, I find something I didn’t know. Like where the grapes came from in a wine or where a cheese came from. So it’s very interesting and also very important for my job actually.”

Outside of Eataly, what do you like to do?
“Dance – I love to dance!”