Wheels and Meals | Video

Alan Miller | 11/13/2012

Every job has its perks. If you work for an airline, you might get a free flight every now and then. If you work retail, you probably get an employee discount. So, what do you get if you work at a car dealership?

More than you might imagine.

This is not ideal weather to be outside selling cars. But whether it`s cold or hot, sunshine or snow, there`s something different here. Dvorak Motors employees never have to deal with the elements on their lunch breaks, or breakfast for that matter. The meals are free, every day.

"The motto here is `Where you`re always treated like family,` and he stands behind that 100 percent. Even with the employees, I mean, we got, every day lunch and breakfast served for us, every day a hot meal, so I mean, it just gets your day started. It`s way different than anywhere I`ve ever been," said salesman and chef Cliff Hon.

Employees aren`t sure if any other dealership in the country does something like this. It`s homemade chili this time. And the menu will also include exotic dishes like cornish game hen and homemade macaroni and cheese. There`s no skimping.

"I was actually a cook back before I was selling cars in the `80s. So I had about six years of experience there, plus every Sunday, I cook in the house," said salesman and chef Dan Evans.

This has been going on since the first of the year. When you add up the sales and office staff, mechanics, service shop, detail, and pro shop employees, more than fifty people come through during a typical lunch hour. Workers say it`s a relaxed atmosphere with no stress, and it`s good for morale.

"A lot of businesses have that issue, where their employees take off for lunch, they`re supposed to have a one hour lunch hour, and sometimes that goes into an hour and a half. But here, they come in, they have lunch, they have a little good conversation, and they go back to work," said general manager Alvin Dvorak.

And it`s not employees only. If some customers are there during meal time, they`re also invited to come in for a bite.

The employees eat in shifts, so that all the bases are always covered. And if he needs to track down someone just in case, the boss knows just where to look.

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