Mary Swiger at Lahaina Grill

Mary Swiger was kind enough to take time from her her very active personal life and busy job as Bar Manager at Lahaina Grill to grant WCM the following interview.

WCM: Mary, it’s pretty well known that you and your co-hosts at the Lahaina Grill bar are primary attractions… along with the food, of course. How do you mange to keep things sizzling night after night?
Mary: It’s pretty easy really. Our bar lends itself to conversation. Most of our guests are locals or return guests so all it takes is a couple of people to start talking and the bar picks up this energy. It’s really fun.

WCM: You’re more than a bar manager. You also serve full gourmet meals at your bar. With all the serving, bussing, pouring, mixing, and special orders, how do you manage it all so seamlessly?
Mary: All of us girls are great multi-taskers. It’s just one of those things that you learn to do over time. Both Annabehl and I have been at Lahaina Grill for over ten years now. Working with the same person for so long makes it really easy. Jessie is relatively new but she already has blended in great.

WCM: What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?
Mary: I love Maui. When I first moved here I fell in love with the island and then I got this job and it was perfect. This doesn’t even feel like a job. It feels more like I’m going to a great party every night. I feel fortunate to have a job I love so much.

WCM: Okay, better put, how did you originally find your way to Lahaina Grill? How long have you been working there?
Mary: I moved to Maui from Las Vegas. I knew our current General Manager, Debbi Fagan, there. She worked at the same restaurant I did in Vegas. She had lived out here for a bit and worked at the Ritz Carlton. She had a contact there who was the General Manager of this restaurant at the time. She said I should go in and apply and that I could use her name as a reference. So, that’s what I did. I got the job here fifteen years ago. Debbi eventually moved back to Maui and she also got a job here. Now she’s the general manager. It’s a small world out there.

WCM: Fill in the blank. If I weren’t the bar manager at Lahaina Grill I’d _______.
Mary: I’d love to be the owner. Seriously, it’s such a great restaurant that I would love to own one just like it. I really love the industry so if I weren’t here at Lahaina Grill tending bar I would probably still be involved in this industry in some way. It’s such a social environment and I love that.

WCM: Lahaina Grill is undoubtedly West Maui’s best place to meet and mingle. How do you make everyone feel so at home at your bar?
Mary: I’m a people person and I think that’s evident when you’re at my bar. At least I hope it is. I really love getting to know people. I’ve met some incredibly interesting people here and become very good friends with lots of them. People are interesting and a bar is a perfect setting to start conversations with people. It’s not like table side service. It’s a little more casual so it is easier to engage the guests.

WCM: I happen to know firsthand you’ve watched the evolution of many relationships from your position behind the bar; from heady first date to heart aching split. Do you offer advice to the lovelorn?
Mary: Hmmm. I listen and offer advice if I’m asked. I can’t seem to figure that department out for myself, let alone figure it out for someone else, but, sure, I give an opinion if asked. I mostly listen though. That’s all most of us want anyway; a sounding board and someone to listen.

WCM: How do you handle prickly situations?
Mary: Thankfully we don’t get many of those here. I try to be as nice as possible. It’s hard to be nasty to someone who is being really nice to you so that is how I try to manage it. I try to make it difficult for them to stay “prickly”. If, however, they are bent on staying in a difficult mood, at that point I turn the situation over to Debbi, the General Manager. She’s excellent at dealing with difficult situations. That way I can get back to doing my job.

WCM: What’s your favorite libation to serve? To enjoy after hours? To toss down the drain?
Mary: I’m not much of a drinker but I love a good glass of wine from time to time. I also love a great Lemon Drop Cocktail. The only trouble with them is they don’t taste like alcohol so they sneak up on me. I live in Makawao so I never have after hours drinks. It’s too far to drive after drinking. As far as what would I toss down the drain, ask anyone of my co-workers and they will all know the answer to this one. Mojitos! I hate that cocktail. I hate making them more than anything. Thankfully, Annabehl and Jessie don’t mind at all.

WCM: Another fill in the blanks: If I never see another _____________ in my life it will be too soon.
Mary: Mojito!!

WCM: What do you love most about your job?
Mary: The social aspect of it. It’s like a party every night at Lahaina Grill. Some nights are just so fun it feels almost sinful to get paid to be there. We really do have a wonderful clientele at Lahaina Grill — really amazing people. It’s so much fun to look out the window and see a returning guest about to walk in the restaurant. You just know it’s going to be a fun night. It’s like an old friend returning. Annabehl and I have known some guests for over ten years. That’s a long time to know someone and we’ve developed great friendships. We know a lot about them and they know a lot about us. We can talk about things just like old friends do. How are the kids? How’s the new job? How’s the remodel coming along? It’s the same for them. They ask us about our lives as well. And then there are the new guests; always an opportunity to get to know someone else. It really is great fun.

WCM: It’s obvious you love what you do. Thanks so much for sharing with WCM readers.
Mary: This was fun! See you next weekend at Lahaina Grill.