Sports Waitress

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By McKenna Keil
Video by McKenna Keil
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Friday, April 4, 2014 | 4:28 p.m. PDT

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There are no televisions inside the Peppertree Cafe in Glendora, but that doesn't mean customers can't stay informed about what is happening in the sports world, they have waitress Julie Butkus for that. With every meal Butkus serves up at the family-owned Peppertree Cafe, she includes a side a sports chat.

"You have baseball, you have football, you know, track, anything. I love it, love it. Can't get enough of it," said Butkus. "Oh, there's the girl that talks sports. That's what I want people to know me as."

Butkus has become a local celebrity in Glendora and has customers who request to sit only in her section and will stay for hours just to hear her chat about their teams. "Julie, she likes to talk a lot of bad talk about football, about my teams. It keeps me going, she really makes me laugh," said frequent customer Albert Marmolejo.

Butkus' sports banter transform the dining room into a family room. "It's like being at home with your family. It just makes it a comfortable feeling and I'll always come," said Marmolejo.

Growing up, Butkus dreamed of being a sportscaster, but she didn't feel there was a place for females in the sports industry at the time. Plus, she had two children to support, so she took her passion for sports to the Peppertree.

General Manager Michael Kandalaft explains the importance of her interactions to the cafe's business. "Her building that customer relationship with them means a lot to us and it keeps the customers coming back," said Kandalaft.

For the past 16 years, Butkus has used her passion for sports to connect with her customers. "If there's nothing else to talk about, there's always sports. If it's not their passion, it's my passion and I'll be glad to do the talking," said Butkus.

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Sports Waitress

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