Raising the Bar for Service
CHARLIE THE JONES ASSEMBLY
Carlos, or Charlie as he’s known, is the front of house/associate manager for one of the most welcoming restaurants in Oklahoma City, serving people amazing food in a comfortable atmosphere. Charlie seeks to elevate the quality of service provided to The Jones Assembly guests with his charm, approachability, and a warm attitude towards everyone he encounters.
“My management philosophy goes hand-and-hand with hospitality – I grew up religious and one of the main things I took away from it is, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ so I apply that idea to anything that I can.”
Charlie moved to Oklahoma City from Los Angeles when he was 12 years old. An immigrant to the United States, he’s come to love Oklahoma City.
“I love what Oklahoma is – a lot of people say things like ‘Oh we forgot we were in Oklahoma’ when they are dining with us, and I know they mean it as a compliment, but we want people to know they are in Oklahoma. That this is what Oklahoma dining can be! We want to set the bar very high for this to be what people can expect with hospitality and service. We don’t want you to escape Oklahoma; this is what it is and what it can be.”
Charlie worked at The Melting Pot and Cattleman’s Steakhouse before coming to Jones Assembly.
“When I got the opportunity to wait tables at Cattleman’s, a staple restaurant in Oklahoma, I did that for six months and was given a chance to manage...there I learned a lot of great things like how to handle volume and large staff.”
He was looking for his next move when a friend turned him on to a new restaurant opening in Film Row called The Jones Assembly.
“I applied in person, met the Director of Operations, and just clicked with many of the people that were applying.”
He started as a server, but his personality and hard work helped him move up quickly into his current role now as associate manager.
“Jones Assembly is one of the most progressive companies and restaurant I’ve worked for...they are very accepting and loving.”
It’s easy to see how the concept and philosophies behind the company are carried into the dining room.
“The term we use in the restaurant industry is ‘front-of-house’ as we’re known, we try to emphasize home, people aren’t just customers, they’re guests, they’re people that also work hard for their money and we’re going to treat people that way…come in here, we’ll welcome you, let you put your feet up, relax and give you the attention and experience you came here for, not just food.”
If you are looking for good food, The Jones Assembly certainly has plenty of it, one of Charlie’s favorites being the Sugo, a braised pork ragu with housemade tagliatelle, ricotta, and fresh herbs.
“To me this dish is the definition of comfort food because I’m a sucker for pasta, I love Italian, I love pork more than I do beef…it’s perfection, it’s like eating a poem. If a poem was a dish, it would be Sugo.”
> Find Charlie and very delicious and edible poetry at The Jones Assembly, 901 West Sheridan Avenue, Oklahoma City
