Letter from Sally Zaengle

Job Well Done, Brian Wrubleski

A huge thanks to Brian Wrubleski, owner of Mel’s at 22, for coming to Connections at Clark Sports Center and sharing food and stories with a gathered crowd of about 40 people. Everyone has a story, and Brian’s was inspiring. He shared his struggles and how his wife, Mary Ellen, was the inspiration for the restaurant.

One person who attended said this: “We’ve been to Mel’s restaurant many times. We think about how tasty the food is, how good the service is, and how pleasant the room is. But we haven’t thought about the owner’s story. Brian’s story reminded us that each person has a complicated life story, and that even if we see someone doing well, we should never assume their life has been easy.”

When Brian opened the floor for questions, the first person who spoke did not ask a question but rather thanked him for the food Brian had provided for a special occasion. Others asked him to talk about how COVID affected him and how he made it through that time. He described the dining room being filled with takeout orders as he and his staff shifted gears into takeout versus dine-in, something I think he did exceptionally well, as we all navigated that challenging time.

So, thank you, Brian, for the lunch and the lessons in resilience, in learning to live with loss, in taking failure in stride, and in the value of sharing your story.

Sally Zaengle
Connections at Clark Sports Center