Last month, I was so fortunate to work with Firefly Grill in Effingham for Mother’s Day. It was a really cool thing they were offering moms. After a family dined and were walking out, they had the opportunity to have a family picture taken, which Firefly would provide them later on. The response to this was huge! Every mom was thrilled to learn they were going to receive a print. I loved hearing this response because I’m a huge advocate for printing pictures. Even though we live in a digital age, print will always be timeless and will always be the best way to preserve memories. I was excited to hear their response, as well as excited that Firefly was providing these families with prints. Of course, upon first glance when you walk into Firefly Grill, you’ll see that prints are important to them as they are incorporated into the decor. I was also asked to take behind the scenes pictures. This was extremely cool to see firsthand the process of Firefly. It was Mother’s Day, and from the number of reservations that were in, it was going to be extremely busy. In the morning, when they had lineup, it was understood that each person had a job to do and if each person did their job, the day would be a success and flow smoothly. This seems like common sense, but I’m sure we can all think of a job that we’ve had, or still have, where our coworkers don’t seem to step up and do their job correctly which results in delays, poor customer service, and even a lot of stress. However, the team at Firefly stepped up and did their job, and because of this, Mother’s Day Brunch was able to flow so smoothly.
This month, I returned for the Father’s Day Lobster Bake. On this day I was tasked with capturing the morning prep as well as some of the prepared plates! This was another opportunity to see the team in action at Firefly, and just like Mother’s Day, everyone stepped up to ensure a great experience for the guests! Standing in the back watching everyone move around, it was a pretty amazing sight. Just like the food has an art to it in its appearance, the process of how that food is made is an art in itself. Everyone had a specific role and because they operated 100% in that role, the next person was able to operate better in their role. By that I mean, someone cleans/cuts the food, someone cooks it, someone prepares it, someone delivers it. Each person relies on the one before them. What was also cool to see was food being cut from “the farm,” brought inside, cleaned, cut and put on the plate. One of the first things you’ll see upon entering Firefly’s parking lot is the great amount of produce being grown. This all adds to the experience they offer because when you sit down to eat, you know that some of your food came from just outside the doors. When you get to see that food cut and prepared, like I did, it really makes the experience even better.
For both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Natasha and I decided to be guests as well and enjoy the food while we were there. As usual, we were blown away. Not only was the food spectacular, but the service was top notch. You seriously won’t find service like this anywhere else in this area. Servers don’t treat you like just a guest and push you out the door immediately after finishing your last bite. No, instead, they would spend time talking with us and treating us as more of like a family member who had come to their home to have a meal (this is the best way I can put it). And it wasn’t just us since I was working there, the staff would spend this time with each guest. I find myself people watching quite a bit, maybe it’s the photographer in me looking for a moment to photograph. I would watch the staff in the dining area, and they really do care about the experience their guests have. I love that there is something like this in the Effingham area. Between the business model and the experience, I find myself really inspired every time I go to Firefly Grill.
