Jonathan Bedwell’s work ethic caused Righteous Tap House to nominate him for this feature three months in a row!
Photo and Interview by Courtney Potts
So, what’s your role at Righteous? I’m one of the line cooks. I applied for a dishwasher position first—I’d clean this entire place, six days a week, then work four days a week back in the kitchen. I eventually got frustrated and was tired of the cleaning. I told the owners I couldn’t do the cleaning anymore. After that, they placed me back in the kitchen as a line cook. I feel more comfortable here.
How long have you been working here? I’ve been working with Righteous for two years. I started working at this location when it used to be called the West Bradford Bar and Grill. I worked there for a couple years, and then someone else bought it. After that, I worked at Boxcar, for about six months. After they went out of business, I got a call from the owner here, Jon, to help clean and gut the place.
What led you to the industry? A couple of years ago, I was living with my parents, and my mom said there was this restaurant down the street. I went down there and filled out an application for a job. After that, since I lived right down the street, I kept coming back every two or three days to see if they were hiring people, until one day someone called me and offered me a job.
You seem like you’re a pretty motivated person. Yeah, that’s very true. You gotta keep going and going—that’s how life works sometimes.
What’s a typical day look like for you? The main station I work at is the salad station. I have to clean it almost every day, and I make fresh guac, fresh pico, and nacho chip plates.
What do you enjoy most about working here? The people: the customers, the employees. It’s always a really nice place to be. Do you have any mentors here? I look up to chef Kevin Diskin; he’s a very cool person to work for.
What’s your favorite thing to order? I love the Inquisition Burger. It has two La Frieda custom patties, cheddar cheese, bacon jam, with a fried egg on top. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches here. It’s so good! For beer, it depends what’s on tap—it changes often. We have a lot of options on our can and bottle menu as well. I enjoy ciders usually.
Do you contribute to what you guys serve here? I don’t have a say in the menu, but I do contribute to the weekly specials we choose. Last week, we did a nice and simple taco flatbread that everyone loved. I ended up being pretty busy that week, making a lot of them.
Do you ever come here in your free time? Usually, on my days off I like to chill at home. After my shifts, I like to stay for one drink and talk with the customers or the employees. There are so many great people here.
