Mario Alvarado Honored by New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau For 40 Years of Brennan's Service
Mario Alvarado, who has the distinction of working 40 years as a waiter and busboy at Brennan's Restaurant on Royal Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, was honored at the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau's (CVB) National Tourism Week Business Expo & Luncheon for approximately 600 members of the tourism industry at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel on May 11, 2011. The banquet was part of the National Travel and Tourism Week celebrations across the country.
Stephen Perry, President and Chef Executive Officer of the CVB, presented the award to Alvarado, noting that his long service in the hospitality industry deserves great praise. Perry explained that 70,000 locals are employed in the industry that brings $5 billion to our city annually. He called Alvarado a "Champion of the New Orleans Tourism Industry." Further stating, "Through your contributions, you have positively impacted New Orleans' cultural economy." Alvarado was the only wait staff person in the New Orleans area honored at the banquet.
Born in Ecuador in 1954, Mario Alvarado came to New Orleans in 1970. He began working at Brennan's Restaurant in 1971 on the recommendation of his father (Luis), who worked in Brennan's kitchen. His father encouraged him to come to Brennan’s by telling him, "It's a great place to work."
Employed continuously by Brennan's for 40 years, Mario says he is proud to be a part of the staff and he feels you couldn’t ask for a better job than to be a waiter at Brennan's. "It has been a good job and I have enjoyed meeting people from all over the World everyday," he says. "I have always been treated fairly at Brennan's and I appreciate the loyalty the owners have shown me."
He married Iraida Castilla, a native of Cuba, in 1976, and they have two sons – Mario Jr., born in 1979, and Alexis born in 1981. Mario has worked for UPS in the area for 10 years. He and his wife Shontel have two children: Sophia, 3 years; and Angelina, 5 months. Alexis graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in criminology, and served in the U.S. Army for 10 years, seeing action in Iraq. Now in the U.S. Army Reserve, he works for the Food and Drug Administration and as a special agent for the Secretary of Defense. He and his wife Erin have two children: Julian, 3 years, and Colette, 2 months.
Ted Brennan, a proprietor of Brennan's, says, "Mario takes pride in doing a good job and exemplifying everything a good waiter should be. Our customers love him. We are proud to see him honored by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau for his positive contribution to the important hospitality industry in New Orleans."