Carrie Omegna co-owns Fonda la Catrina and El Sirenito–a vibrant restaurant and bar that serves as a colorful oasis amid the engines and industry of Georgetown: a Seattle neighborhood of approximately 1,800 residents and 28,000 workers. Carrie talks to us about what good, clean, and fair food means to her as an independent restaurateur, and how employee happiness is the key not only to a healthy restaurant but also a strong community.

Georgetown has remained fiercely independent over the years--with only one chain store (a Starbucks) amid several local restaurants and bars. We talked to Carrie about what it will need to thrive in independence going forward (like, it currently has neither a grocery store nor farmers market), and we venture into what’s possible in this most unique of Seattle neighborhoods.

We also talked about what makes a healthy restaurant and how a healthy restaurant is an important cornerstone of a healthy neighborhood. It comes down to these values:

Advocacy: Often the cultural significance of Mexican food is completely overlooked in restaurants: many think there’s only one kind of Mexican food out there. Catrina works with staff to be vocal about the cultural significance of the Mexican cuisine they serve. Staff is educated and empowered to talk about the good, clean, fair food it serves by listing farmers and purveyors on the menu, speaking to customers about the quality and provenance of dishes, and by presenting fresh ingredients consistently and carefully.

Retention: Employees are more satisfied to work at Catrina, and Catrina has an unprecedented number of long term employees. Paying well above minimum wage and offering the same benefits to all staff members. “It's all about keeping staff around: listening to them, supporting them, valuing their input and recognizing their contribution,” Carrie says.

Regular customers: It’s easy to see how invested employees are in the restaurant’s success, conveying a sense of ownership that underlies the restaurant’s vibrant scene. Catrina staff understand and communicate the cultural significance of the Mexican cuisine they serve. They educate customers. And customers, in turn, are proud to know the menu and the employees.

Community: Regular customers, especially when they’re proud of a place, start to build a community, where customers themselves become vocal advocates who come together around the restaurant and feel invested in its whole.

Action: This sense of community leads to opportunities for action. for speaking out about what good, clean, fair food means for the community, speaking out about what the community needs from government and civic entities to make this possible and to help it grow to other parts of the community.