Dressed in black from head to toe and peering through silver wire-rimmed glasses, it’s not that Victor Chacon is imposing. Still, there’s no denying he’s got that “I’m-in-charge-here” demeanor.
And he is.
If you’re one of the thousands of faculty, staff, and students who have lunched at the University’s Faculty Club over the past few years—16 to be exact—then you’ve met Chacon, the restaurant’s maître d’. Together with co-workers Joyce Dixon and Maria Garcia, and chef Richard Guerrero, he comprises the team that serves a bountiful buffet each day and makes dining at the club such a smooth and satisfying pleasure.
“For me, everyone who comes here is a VIP,” he said. “I take care of everyone the same—as a valued customer.”
Chacon is on the job Monday to Friday at 7 a.m., earlier if he’s helping on a catering assignment. It takes the full morning to ready the 129-seat restaurant—setting the tables, preparing the food line, coordinating the reservations. After the busy 11:30-to-1:30 p.m. lunch, it’s time to clean up and to log all the credit card, department and cash charges.
His most hectic days are Thursdays when the two-for-one special is on. He remembers one day in particular when the tables were filled, the line was long, and hungry customers were clamoring for a seat.
“Man, that was a madhouse,” he said. He saved the day by seating some diners at the back counter, others in seats at the carving station, and firmly encouraging others to exercise their patience muscle.
Born and raised in Valparaiso, Chile, Chacon’s parents instilled in him his cherished values of honesty and fairness. In the Pacific port city with its colorful, clifftop homes, he began his food service career in a butcher shop. There he honed the skills of making precise and orderly cuts, limiting any waste, and striving always to satisfy the customer.
He left Chile in 1977 for New York City. After 10 years there, he and his wife Sonia ventured south to Miami for a new start.
Chacon’s service at the U began back in the early 2000s when he was working for a staffing agency and got a 5 a.m. call. Did he want to work the day with the catering department at UM?
“Over the years, I learned to always trust my wife for advice—she always made the right decision,” he says. Sonia gave the nod, and Chacon’s professional career took, well, a U-turn.
With his extensive restaurant experience—he opened the Rusty Pelican on Key Biscayne and worked there for many years rising from server to bartender to floor manager, Victor made a quick and positive impression. The department invited him back the next day and then the next. After a few weeks, he was offered a permanent position at the U.
His wife passed away several years ago. Yet three of his four children still live in the Miami area and his daughter, 19, and son, 23, live with him at his home in Kendall. Together with his family, his work at the Faculty Club is a true source of satisfaction.
“I really like my job,” Chacon said. “So many people know me here, and that makes me feel good.”
“Firm” and “fair” are the hallmarks of his success, excellent customer service his trademark, and an eagle’s eye helps him spot any possible problems in the making.
Be sure to greet Chacon the next time you’re at the Faculty Club. You want to come on Thursdays for the two-for-one special during the busy 12:30-1:30 stretch?
“Hey, forget about it!” he says, then pauses. “It’s okay, we’ll take care of you.” But you may have to wait a bit, and remember—he’s the man in charge.
