Disability Inclusion In The Workplace: Brian and Erin Mooney Of Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen On How Businesses Make Accommodations For Customers and Employees Who Have a Disability
An Interview With Eric Pines
Everything in your career is a building block for the future.
As we all know, over the past several years there has been a great deal of discussion about inclusion and diversity in the workplace. One aspect of inclusion that is not discussed enough, is how businesses can be inclusive of people with disabilities. We know that the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. What exactly does this look like in practice? What exactly are reasonable accommodations? Aside from what is legally required, what are some best practices that can make a business place feel more welcoming and inclusive of people with disabilities? To address these questions, we are talking to successful business leaders who can share stories and insights from their experience about the “How Businesses Make Accommodations For Customers and Employees Who Are Disabled “.
As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Erin and Brian Mooney.
Erin and Brian Mooney are the owners of Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen and Tre Luna Catering in Birmingham, Alabama, which they have owned for five and ten years, respectively. Tre Luna is Italian for “Three Moons,” a nod to their three children and shared passion for Italian cuisine. Tre Luna Catering was the first catering company in the nation to be recognized as Sensory Inclusive Certified through KultureCity®, with Tre Luna Bar + Kitchen becoming certified shortly after.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
The three character traits that have been instrumental to our success are confidence, humility, and compassion. Being a leader can sometimes feel lonely, as it’s hard to be everyone’s friend and lead them simultaneously. Respect must be gained, and from our experience, you must believe in what you’re doing and not be afraid to be vulnerable and strong. I believe the confidence we have has helped us not second-guess the decisions we have to make daily. When we bought our catering company, we wanted a culture-first approach. We diversified our business, interviewing at airports and a local university, and took all orders that came our way to start building our business. Slowly, our confidence as a company became a reality to our customers, who trusted us more throughout the years. Humility is a character trait that Brian and I try to embody every day. We aim to keep a positive outlook on our business and know that good people will come our way when our team needs the push to grow. When hiring, we focus more on the person’s character and kindness rather than just their experience. For example, our COO is an old friend that previously worked for a non-profit company and decided to take a chance working with us at Tre Luna Catering. We believed in her, and today, she is a key partner in our company. She was the missing puzzle piece that we needed to grow our company to reach its full potential. Compassion helps us be successful leaders, as we care deeply about our customers and employees. We believe in having a servant’s heart and that the customer is always right. One example is a simple one: when making a lunch delivery if a customer reports an issue with their order, we immediately resolve the issue by bringing them what they need, communicating with them and providing a discount. We feel this type of customer service and hospitality has built a strong following for Tre Luna.
Can you share a story about one of your greatest work-related struggles? Can you share what you did to overcome it?
Our greatest work-related struggle was during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the world came to a halt, so did our catering company. It was like watching a train come to a sudden stop; I remember feeling so afraid that everything we had built would be gone. We closed the doors to our restaurant and offered to-go food for our neighborhood. We brought our employees from the restaurant to help deliver food to customers all over town. Our employees were thankful for the stability we gave them during such difficult times. We were grateful to watch the community put their arms around us. Through our hard work and determination, we were able to open the dining room back up. Our customers trusted us and poured in every night to support our restaurant. The catering company returned stronger than ever, with more orders than we could have imagined.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Currently, we are working on a new and exciting project called Tre Luna and Grocery. Based on my grandfather’s butcher shop and grocery store in Maplesville, Alabama and Brian’s fond memories of visiting small delis and markets growing up in New York, we decided to create a store in junction with Tre Luna where people can buy house-made pastas, sauces, and dressings to provide the feeling of a homecooked meal prepared with intention and care without the extra work. We plan to offer all of our homemade offerings to the community to enjoy in the comfort of their own home.
Fantastic. Let’s now shift to our discussion about inclusion. Can you tell our readers a bit about your experience working with initiatives to promote Diversity and Inclusion? Can you share a story with us?
At Tre Luna, we strive to do our best to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace daily. Many of our employees have developmental disabilities, such as autism. One example would be a former employee who worked with us for several years, who was diagnosed with autism and Tourette’s syndrome. Through our efforts, we have been able to create a job that she could successfully contribute to and accomplish in an environment where she felt safe and accepted. Providing an opportunity and having someone believe in you can add far greater value to someone’s quality of life than many people realize. For individuals who have been treated differently their whole lives, being accepted and respected by their co-workers and employers can greatly impact their quality of life, even by working just a few hours a week.
This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have an inclusive work culture?
Inclusion in the workplace creates a feeling of belonging and connection. It’s more than just providing access to learning opportunities and training but also fostering an environment where individuals feel empowered to voice their thoughts and opinions and be their unique selves. We hired one of our friends’ sons, Kenny, who is diagnosed with autism. He is now one of our strongest servers and always puts the guests’ experience above himself, bringing joy to everyone who crosses his path. Giving someone with a disability a chance in the workplace can improve their quality of life and self-worth. We believe that individuals with disabilities shouldn’t be defined by their disabilities and should share their gifts with the community.
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. For the benefit of our readers, can you help explain what this looks like in practice? What exactly are reasonable accommodations? Can you please share a few examples?
At Tre Luna, we strive to provide reasonable accommodations and modifications for our employees on the job or in the workplace. How things are usually done enables a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to perform essential job duties and have meaningful employment. The goal is to remove barriers that might prevent people with disabilities from performing their jobs effectively. A few examples of accommodations include breaking down tasks into smaller and manageable steps, providing detailed instructions, maintaining consistent communication and schedules to reduce uncertainty, or providing a quiet room or area where employees can go if they feel overwhelmed.
Aside from what is legally required, what are some best practices that can make a business place feel more welcoming and inclusive of people with disabilities? If you can, please share a few examples.
Our number one goal is to make our business feel welcoming to all and to prioritize creating a culture of respect and support. Leadership plays a crucial role in fostering inclusion and setting the tone for the entire organization. When hiring someone with a disability, we can modify a position and make necessary accommodations to build on their strengths. At the same time, disabilities may not be visible on the outside. Identifying the areas needing additional support can help the employee succeed in their role. All employees should feel valued and included in the workplace, regardless of their role and ability.
Can you share a few examples of ideas that were implemented at your workplace to help promote disability inclusion? Can you share with us how the work culture was impacted as a result?
Tre Luna is a KultureCity® Certified Sensory Inclusive Business. For guests with sensory processing needs, Tre Luna has partnered with KultureCity® to enhance our ability to assist and accommodate guests with sensory needs. Our goal is to provide an inclusive experience for all during their visit to our restaurant and our event spaces. We aim to raise awareness of the needs and challenges faced by individuals with sensory processing needs by supplying our staff with annual training and offering resources and accommodations, including sensory bags that contain noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, and other modifications to help guests cope with over-stimulating experiences. This training has helped our employees’ culture and benefits the patrons visiting us.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started My Career”?
- It all works out.
Brian and I both wish someone had told us many things before we started our careers. The first one is, “It all works out.” Our dear friends told us this phrase many years ago, and we find it true daily. Whether it’s a small issue or a large one, it will always work out in the end.
2. Everything in your career is a building block for the future.
Before Brian and I opened our own company, we both had jobs that gave us the tools to begin our own business. I was a schoolteacher and learned how to communicate with parents on a personal level, which gave me a deeper understanding of customer service. I also worked in catering, assisting with every job imaginable that my employees do today. Brian worked in country clubs, catering for weddings and gaining significant knowledge working under amazing chefs. These experiences prepared us for the future as business owners.
3. “When you acknowledge, as you must, that there is no such thing as perfect food, only the idea of it, then the real purpose of striving toward perfection becomes clear: to make people happy, that is what cooking is all about.” — Thomas Keller
We try to live out this quote as much as we can. At the end of the day, Brian and I want to make our customers and employees happy, all by serving a meal.
4. Food is imperfect.
Through years of serving thousands of people, we have learned that some people are going to be dissatisfied with the product. We both used to take this personally and feel like it was the end of the world. We both realized that life is imperfect, and so is food. Going forward, we try to never take a compliment for granted.
5. Learn from your mistakes.
Some of our biggest accomplishments were lessons learned from our biggest blunders. You have the opportunity to fix things and avoid making those same mistakes in the future. One example is when we first opened the catering company. We had a huge plated event and were excited about the opportunity with our first large team. When we pulled away, we realized the last of the chicken did not make it into the van, leaving some tables waiting for food. After receiving a review stating that we were a failure, we started to feel that way about ourselves, too. We brushed our shoulders off and began a new checklist system for every event, like a pilot checking off their list before a flight. Now, we have a built-in system with a runner, an expediter, and a team of people ready to jump in, ensuring that all events run smoothly.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story about how that was relevant in your own life?
- Brian Mooney: “Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you may miss it!” — Ferris Bueller
- I remember hearing this quote in the movies when I was a kid. As I’ve grown up, this quote has had much more meaning in my life. I can remember working at my first restaurant job when I was 14 years old, not knowing that this would be my career for the rest of my life. I remember meeting my wife at a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and I realized I had found my soulmate with whom I would spend the rest of my life. I look at the pictures of our family on the restaurant’s opening day and realize how quickly the time passes. I have all these memories of the greatest parts of my life, and the hospitality industry had something to do with all of them. Erin and I make sure to stop and look around these days and appreciate all of the gifts we’ve been given from this business and all the gifts we’ve been given from our lives.
- Erin Mooney: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” — 2 Timothy 1:7
- This is one of my favorite quotes that has helped Brian and me immensely through running our business. We have been through many struggles throughout our success. We opened this business with little money to begin with, but we were determined. We have experienced financial fear, a pandemic, and employee issues, but through it all, we believed in ourselves when we were afraid. We always try to remember that everything will work out if we are honest and true to our word. This Bible verse helped us remember that God does not want us to live our lives in fear but to stand up in our own power, show love and compassion to our community, and not forget to leave the restaurant and the catering company to spend time with family and friends.
If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
We would love to be able to provide every person with the resources and opportunities for therapy. Mental health and substance abuse can vary from person to person, and we are both extremely passionate about recovery. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of mental illness that goes untreated, or maybe is treated with a self-medicated avenue, in the food industry. We both would love to see a world with more awareness that can be led by reaching out to others in recovery.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
trelunabarandkitchen.com
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!
Thank you for making time for this interview. You are an amazing host.
About the Interviewer: Eric L. Pines is a nationally recognized federal employment lawyer, mediator, and attorney business coach. He represents federal employees and acts as in-house counsel for over fifty thousand federal employees through his work as a federal employee labor union representative. A formal federal employee himself, Mr. Pines began his federal employment law career as in-house counsel for AFGE Local 1923 which is in Social Security Administration’s headquarters and is the largest federal union local in the world. He presently serves as AFGE 1923’s Chief Counsel as well as in-house counsel for all FEMA bargaining unit employees and numerous Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs unions.
While he and his firm specialize in representing federal employees from all federal agencies and in reference to virtually all federal employee matters, his firm has placed special attention on representing Veteran Affairs doctors and nurses hired under the authority of Title. He and his firm have a particular passion in representing disabled federal employees with their requests for medical and religious reasonable accommodations when those accommodations are warranted under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA). He also represents them with their requests for Federal Employee Disability Retirement (OPM) when an accommodation would not be possible.
Mr. Pines has also served as a mediator for numerous federal agencies including serving a year as the Library of Congress’ in-house EEO Mediator. He has also served as an expert witness in federal court for federal employee matters. He has also worked as an EEO technical writer drafting hundreds of Final Agency Decisions for the federal sector.
Mr. Pines’ firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has offices in Baltimore, Maryland and Atlanta, Georgia. His first passion is his wife and five children. He plays classical and rock guitar and enjoys playing ice hockey, running, and biking. Please visit his websites at www.pinesfederal.com and www.toughinjurylawyers.com. He can also be reached at eric@pinesfederal.com.
Disability Inclusion In The Workplace: Brian and Erin Mooney Of Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen On How… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.