>> NOW, 2 DEFYING THE ODDS, A POSITIVELY JAX STORY IS PROVING ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER
THAN WORDS FOR THE
JACKSONVILLE BEACH RESTAURANT.
SETTING THE EXAMPLE NEWS 4 JAX
REPORTER VIC MICOLUCCI TAKES
US INSIDE A CHILI’S FROM BY
MEMBERS OF THE DEAF COMMUNITY
AND SHOWS US HOW IT ALL
STARTED WITH ONE TRAILBLAZER
IN A MANAGER BOTH WILLING TO
TAKE A CHANCE ON EACH OTHER.
>> IT MIGHT BE QUITE AS CHILLY
AS IN AMERICA. BREAK BUT THIS
JACKSONVILLE BEACH RESTAURANT
IS GETTING ATTENTION FOR ALL
THE RIGHT REASONS.
>> WE’LL HAVE
>> WHEN IT’S QUIET IN OUR
KITCHEN, IT MEANS EVERYTHING’S
WORKING USUALLY WAS QUITE THE
KITCHEN. I MEAN, SOMETHING IF
YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED BY NOW,
THE MAJORITY OF THE KITCHEN
TEAM HERE IS DEAF AND GOT IT
TO MARKET LOOK, I’M A LOOK AT
THE TIME.
>> JASON PREVATT IS THE NEWEST
MEMBER. I HATE TO KEEP THEIR
MONEY. HE’S THANKFUL FOR
STEADY WORK SO HE CAN SUPPORT
HIS 2 MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER
WATER. IT’S KAYLA MERCADO’S.
FIRST JOB. HE’S HELPING HIS
PARENTS.
>> THIS JOB MEANS A LOT TO
YOU. BE PROUD OF MYSELF. WHAT
MAKES YOU PROUD? RE CAR AND
JUST BE MYSELF.
>> THIS WOULDN’T BE POSSIBLE
WITHOUT HIM AT 23. TYLER
POWELL IS A TRENDSETTER.
>> JUST WANT TO CONTINUE
WORKING HERE, CONTINUE GETTING
PROMOTED, UNABLE TO HEAR SINCE
HE WAS 5. HE HAS STRUGGLED.
BUT WHEN HE SHOWED UP LOOKING
FOR A JOB NEARLY 2 YEARS AGO.
>> GM TIFFANY PERRY SAW US
PART. WHAT WENT INTO YOUR
DECISION TO SAY? YOU KNOW
WHAT, I DON’T REALLY KNOW HOW
TO DO THIS, BUT I’M GOING TO
HIRE YOU AND YOU’RE GOING TO
BE PART OF THE TEAM. SO RIGHT
WHEN I FIRST INTERVIEWED HIM
WAS TALKING ABOUT WHERE YOU
CAME FROM, WHO HE IS, HE TOLD
ME, YOU KNOW, I ASKED HIM WHAT
HE WANT TO BE A DISHWASHER.
YOU WANT TO BE A COOK GOOD. HE
SAID.
>> I CAN ONLY BE A DISHWASHER.
THAT’S ALL I CAN EVER BE US.
BUT I WAS TOLD AND RIGHT
THERE, I’M A MOM OF 4 BOYS
THAT TUGGED AT MY HEART. AND I
SAID, NO, LET’S GO. WHAT DO
YOU WANT TO DO IT? BECAUSE I
WANT YOUR JOB AND YOU’RE
JOKING. AN INTERVIEW. I SAID,
ALL RIGHT, I’LL HELP YOU GET.
>> HE QUICKLY MOVED UP TO
COOK, THEN A SHIFT SUPERVISOR.
BUT HE WANTED MORE. HE
REFERRED HIS FRIENDS FROM THE
DEAF COMMUNITY FOR JOBS
BRINGING IN 8 PEOPLE.
>> I LEARNED A LEAD
DIFFERENTLY. I LEARNED HOW TO
LISTEN TO MY INSTINCTS A
LITTLE MORE AND TO BE QUIET
AND TO STAY HERE WITHOUT
HEARING. IT’S DEFINITELY A
DIFFERENT THE WHOLE THAT
SUPPORTS THIS. THIS TEAM ALL
OF US KNOW HOW TO SIGN FOR
CHICKEN. AND WE KNOW HOW
DESIGNED FOR SHRIMP. AND WE
KNOW HOW TO SIGN FOR CORN ON
THE COB AND BOATS. IT’S THINGS
WE USE EVERY DAY. BUT
EVERYBODY THIS BUILDING HAS
JUST UNITED WITH US AND JOIN
THIS GREAT CULTURE.
>> THEY USE WATCHES AND PHONES
TO KEEP IN CONTACT. TYLER WITH
A BUSINESS CARD, I’M DEAF. I
CAN READ LIPS WELL AND HOW MAY
I HELP YOU? WITH HIS HELP?
STAFF HAS LEARNED THAT
COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS.
ISN’T THAT HARD? AFTER ALL,
REGULARS ARE ACTUALLY QUITE
WELCOMING AND I’VE SEEN THEM
BLOSSOM.
>> AND BECOME, YOU KNOW, THERE
WERE FRIENDLY AND PERSONABLE.
>> IT’S BEEN A GREAT THING
TYLER AND HIS TEAM WANT TO
CONTINUE TO GROW AND INSPIRE.
>> ONE PLATE AT A TIME. SO
WOULD BE REALLY EXCITING FOR
HIM TO SEE HIM BE THE GM OF
THIS JACKS BEACH PHILLIES ONE
DAY. THAT’S WHAT HE WANTS. AND
I WANT TO HELP HIM REACH HIS
GOAL. BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THAT
HE’S COMING FOR YOUR JOB. HE
IS COMING FROM. I FROM DAY
>> EVERYONE IS THE SAME. IT’S
NOT JUST ME AND NOT THE BEST
PERSON EVERYONE CAN DO. THE
SAME THING THAT I KNOW.
>> AND THE SKY IS THE LIMIT
FROM JACKSONVILLE BEACH, VIC
MICOLUCCI CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL
STATION.
>> SO SO AWESOME. YOU KNOW,
WITH STORIES LIKE THIS THAT
EVOKES MILES IN A MOTION. WE
ALWAYS PROVIDE AN AREA FOR
INSIDERS TO COMMENT. AND YOU
HEARD WITH OUR LAST POSITIVELY
JAX STORY. OFFICER MITCHELL
PEOPLE WERE REALLY CHEERING
HER ON. BUT WITH THIS, YOU CAN
GO TO THE RESTAURANT AND
ACTUALLY SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
YOURSELF. IMAGINE THAT THE
DEAF COMMUNITY HAS REALLY
RESPONDED IN A BIG WAY AS WELL
AS SUCH A HUGE PART OF OUR
VIEWING AREA HERE WATCHING
THROUGH CLOSED CAPTIONS, BUT
PROBABLY GO TO THAT CHILE’S
BECAUSE IF THEY KNOW THAT
THERE’S SOME PEOPLE WHO ALSO
DEAF THERE. AND I HAVE TO SAY,
I LOVE THE WAY WHAT THE
MANAGER SAID, HOW SHE LEARNED
HOW TO LEAD DIFFERENTLY. AND
SHE LEARNED TO.
>> LISTEN AND NOT NECESSARILY
YEAH, WHICH IS WHICH IS SO