Hot spot workers cater to the rich and famous in ‘Serving the Hamptons’
The Hamptons on the eastern end of New York’s Long Island is one of the swankest resort areas on the East Coast and a playground for the rich, famous and powerful. And at its epicenter is a hot spot that is the subject of an unscripted series upcoming on discovery+.
“Serving the Hamptons,” a five-episode hourlong series that begins streaming Thursday, April 7, follows the employees of the popular Southhampton eatery 75 Main, whose owner Zach Erdem demands the highest level of service for his clientele of billionaires, politicians and celebrities.
That means getting the best help, and to attract it Erdem provides accommodations at a posh beach house. But in return, they must follow his rules, the biggest being no hooking up. Given that his workers are young, attractive singles, that can be a tall order. But Erdem has his reasons.
“This always happens,” he explains. “They go out, they drink and they’re like, ‘OK, I was trying to hook up with this girl but ... . ’ And a fight broke out or something happened and the next day it will affect my work . ... ”
“I look for mostly single employees,” he continues. “It’s better for me because if you hire married couples, even if the couple is divorced, like your chef gets upset because the (waitress) made a mistake and then the chef would scream at her. And the husband comes and (confronts) the chef and tries to beat him up . ... This cannot happen.”
Erdem’s story is a page right out of the American dream. He grew up herding animals in the mountains of Turkey and came to this country with little money after seeing a photo of New York City in a newspaper.
He eventually found his way to Southhampton and 75 Main, where he began as a dishwasher and impressed his bosses with his work ethic and people skills. After working his way up through the ranks, leaving the restaurant and coming back, he purchased it in 2010.
Summer is high season in the Hamptons and 75 Main is packed daily. So Erdem, a self-admitted micromanager, demands his 250-plus employees be on their game and do things the right way – his way.
“My staff sometimes gets mad at me,” he says, “and they’re just, ‘You know what? F... Zach. I can’t do this. The guy’s crazy. He wants this, he wants that.’
“Yeah, of course I want that,” he continues. “You want to make money? This is how you make money. You want to give the good service? This is how you do it. You learn. I never tried to be mean to anybody or make someone upset. All I want is the best quality staff service for my customers.”