North Country kitchen workers push through summer heat

CARTHAGE, New York (WWNY) - For many North Country restaurant employees, hot weather is a challenge in the kitchen.

At Church Street Diner in Carthage, a combination of central air, fans and a window air conditioner keeps employees and customers as comfortable as possible on 90-degree days. But near the cooking equipment, temperatures climb significantly higher.

“You’re getting oven heat of about 375 as you are standing in front of this all day long,” said Dawn Lelakowski, owner of Church Street Diner. “It averages between, I would say, 95 and 115 degrees in front of the grill.”

Lelakowski said keeping customers cool is a priority.

“We want our customers to be nice and cooled off so they get hungry as they sit in here, and they’re ready to eat something as they take a break from the heat wave,” she said.

Lelakowski said the conditions at her diner are manageable compared to other kitchens.

“This is mild compared to if you’re working in a pizza shop,” she said.

Hotter still at the pizzeria At Stefano’s Pizzeria, pizza ovens reach 550 degrees. Fryers in the kitchen climb to 330 degrees. Even with fans and air conditioning, kitchen temperatures reach up to 90 degrees.

Krissy Parmigiani, an employee at Stefano’s, said staff rely on fan breaks and water to get through their shifts.

“Hot. It’s just hot. Sweaty. You just get really hot. But there are vents everywhere, so you just go stand by a fan for a little while. You’ll be alright,” Parmigiani said.

Parmigiani said the key is pushing through.

“It gets really hot, sometimes you get really frustrated, but it’s not that bad. You just push through it. Drink a lot of water, complain to your friends in the back, and keep smiling. Keep going,” she said.

Staff at both restaurants ask that customers be patient with kitchen workers during the summer heat.

North Country kitchen workers push through summer heat

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