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Community Corner

Thrills and Spills at the Great Waiters' Race of Princeton

Speedy waiters turned Palmer Square into a race course this week.

Palmer Square in Princeton is best known for its upscale shopping and fine dining, but on Tuesday afternoon, the streets surrounding the square were turned into a race course with some of the speediest waiters in town vying to be first across the finish line in a competition to raise money for charity.

The challenge? To balance a fully loaded tray of drinks, including two full glasses, one of champagne and one of wine, and to speed-walk along the four sides of the square without dropping the glasses or spilling their contents.   

Thirty-six wait staff participated, representing 13 restaurants, including the Blue Point Grill, Winberie’s, Nassau Inn, Peacock Inn, Zorba’s Witherspoon Grill, Alchemist and Barrister, Triumph Brewing Company and Main Street Restaurant.

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In addition to a $15 registration fee, participants were asked to have their customers make donations in the name of their restaurants to one of three local non-profits: Sustainable Princeton, Corner House, and HiTOPS.

Elizabeth Casparian is executive director of HiTOPS, the teen health and education center located on Wiggins Street. Casparian is the non-profit liaison to the Princeton Merchants Association and also sits on the board. She was co-chair of this year’s Waiters’ Race, along with businesswoman Lorraine Jannick, who owns Craft Cleaners, Pristine Fine Dry Cleaners and Concierge of Princeton.

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“This year, The Princeton Merchants Association decided to resurrect the Waiters’ Race after six years and run it for the first time as a fundraiser,” said Casparian. “It’s a great way to bring people into town, raise money for important causes and create enthusiasm and publicity for our local restaurants.”  

Ben Weiss, founder and CEO of bai Antioxidant Infusions, a Princeton company that makes antioxidant-rich natural energy drinks, was one of the event’s sponsors.

“We love the advertising that comes with sponsorship,” said Weiss. “We sell to most of these merchants and being here helps us get our product out to a new audience.”  

Bot Beverages, which aims its products at health-conscious consumers, also sponsored the event. Both drinks were on the waiters’ trays.

The tradition of the waiters’ race began in France, where it is known as the “course de garcons de café.” It was designed to draw recognition to the honorable profession of waiting tables and also to test waiters’ skills and perhaps even improve their service.  

In France, Bastille Day, the 14th of July, is the traditional day to run the races. Countries around the world take their cue from the French and often try to organize their events during the month of July as well.

There were four heats to the Princeton event, two for women and two for men. The first heat was won by Nick Casale, who has been a waiter at Princeton Sports Bar and Grill for about a year.

“I had no strategy but to win,” said Casale. “It’s hard to hold the tray after a while. It gets heavy. It worked my muscles out and after a while I was shaking. But I just tried to keep my head straight and go as fast as I could.”

The four heats narrowed the field of competitors down to eight, who went all out to secure the victory.  For the women, the first-place winner was Aisha Khan, who has only been working at Eno Terra for four months. She credits her skill to her high school track background.

“I was a sprinter," Khan said. "It’s all about using your arms for balance, and I was bending my knees and pacing myself.” 

Patrick Amice took top prize for the men. He’s been a waiter for seven years, three of those years at Mediterra. He attributes his victory to his on-the-job skills and work ethic.  

“It’s because of everything I do when I wait tables,” said Amice. “I didn’t have to practice for this. I’m proud to be representing Mediterra. It’s a great group of employees and of course, I think it’s the best restaurant in town.”

Khan and Amice each took home the top prize of $250.

Abby Perry and her two-year-old son, Sam, were among the many fans who lined the streets of Palmer Square to cheer on the competitors. They had no idea the race was going on so it was pure serendipity that they happened to be there to watch.

“We went out for a walk and saw what was going on,” said Perry. “We always seem to stumble upon events like this. It’s one of the reasons we enjoy living in Princeton and so close to the square.”  

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