When Scott Platt was 16 years old, he started washing dishes in a restaurant in Charlotte, N.C.` and continued all through high school.
After serving with the Navy for four years, based in Scotland and Florida, Platt arrived back home to wait and tend bar again.
“This is the only job I’ve gotten out of a newspaper,” said Platt, who has been with Morton’s for more than 10 years, first in North Carolina, and now in Hartford, working his way up from washing dishes to assistant manager, with the ambition to become general manager within the next five years.
Platt was able to put himself through college with the money he earned while working at Morton’s, graduating with a degree in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During his college stint, Platt was able to study abroad in France for a year, indulging in famous cuisine and whetting his insatiable appetite for snowboarding.
After the Navy, getting a job wasn’t easy for Platt. He had no car and had to walk long distances to all of his interviews, carrying a suit with him. One day, Platt slipped into a bathroom at the Marriott to put on his suit, but was embarrassed to go out for his interview because the people in the lobby saw him walk in. So, with his suit on, Platt walked across the street to Morton’s and applied there for a job, then went back to the Marriott later for his interview.
First he was offered a job at the Marriott, where he worked for a few months until the Morton’s across the street opened to the public and he was offered another job, which he snatched up.
“I remember being in a restaurant with my mom and looking at the dishes and wondering how the waiter could touch those dirty dishes,” said Platt, who eventually spent years doing just that.
With all of his restaurant experience, Platt can see strengths and weaknesses in the Morton’s in Hartford. “The steaks we sell are unparalleled,” said Platt. “Our service is exceptional.” But, he said, it could behoove Morton’s to become more actively involved in the community through charity work. This comes from Platt’s observation of the clientele, in which he sees many people who have lived in the Hartford area all their lives, but are going to Morton’s for the first time, unaware of it previously. Platt suspects heavier advertising and a larger community presence will help get the word out about Morton’s.
But, the lasting impression of Morton’s, said Platt: “It’s a family atmosphere.” n
Amanda Blaszyk is a staff writer for the Hartford Business Journal.
