WORKING -- MELINDA FAVA

SHE IS

Serving you fresh and healthy foods.

LUCKY BREAK

Melinda Fava, 18, has worked at Huntington Beach fixture Jan’s Health

Bar for the last seven months. Her job as a server has her making

fresh-blended juices, smoothies and soups for the hordes of customers

that cram into the popular establishment on a daily basis.

Although Jan’s has been like a second home to her since the age of 14,

Fava says that employment there was born out of necessity.

“I actually needed to get a job because I had to pay a ticket,” Fava

said. “I was in Long Beach one night with some friends and got ticketed

for being out past curfew. The ticket was $446, and my mom was not going

to pay it so she told me I had to get a job.”

So Fava, who had completed home schooling, went in and filled out an

application at Jan’s. She got the job the next week.

FAMILIARITY

Almost immediately, the job was more of an enjoyment than a chore for

the smiley-faced local girl. It was a place where she and a lot of her

friends had hung out, so the sense of comfort that she felt was

instantaneous.

Fava also attributes her boss as being a great influence on making the

work environment feel more like home.

“She [Jan] is kind of like a mom to us,” Fava said. “She’s always

looking out for us and people always think that we are her daughters.”

ENTERPRISING PLANS

Wanting more then just employee status, Fava says that she wants to

one day run this this groovy Downtown health bar. She plans on taking

business classes as well as bringing in her cousin, who has also worked

at Jan’s, as a partner.

“Jan is teaching me the managerial ropes,” Fava said. “We are wanting

to go into taking over the place. I like being here because time just

flies by. It doesn’t seem like work to me.”