The Face of The Corner Room for 58 Years
STATE COLLEGE, PA — Emma Gonzalez an 80-year-old host at The Corner Room in downtown State College will be celebrating her 58th year of employment in February.
Gonzalez put in an application at The Corner Room in 1958, and to this day still is happy about her decision to do so.
Emma Gonzalez waits at the host booth, ready to greet and seat a customer. Photo by Thomas Kopania“I love, love this job, I really do and I would never leave it, “ she said. “ This job is still as wonderful as the first day, even better today.”
Gonzalez, who used to be a waitress at the restaurant, is now the person who greets you with a big smile as soon as you walk in the door. Being the host of the restaurant still gives her plenty of work to do, and time to meet and become friends with everyone that walks in the doors.
“I have met so many people through this job, and I love meeting new people every day,” Gonzalez said. “I meet and befriend someone almost every day, and they always come back to see me.
Gonzalez’s friends extend all the way to Texas. She says she has built many great relationships she even knows regular customers orders, and sometimes makes practical jokes with them.
Gonzalez's favorite memory in her 58 years was the one time she waited on Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. She said he was one of the nicest people she's ever met, and she treasures the picture she got with him.
And her plans on retiring? “Not any time soon,” she said.
She says that instead of staying at home eating and sleeping all day, this job keeps her active, and has helped big time in helping her celebrate her 80th birthday. Gonzalez said she will be working at The Corner Store until she dies, literally.
A Practical Joke With a Regular Customer
One of Emma Gonzalez's favorite things about working at The Corner Room is building relationships with the customers. Emma and this one particular customer became so close they were playing jokes and teasing each other every time they saw each other. This particular joke involved fake ice cubes and a dead fly.
