He’s a businessman with a good head on his shoulders. He works hard and achieves his goals. He pulls 40 hours or more a week in support of himself as well as his family. Braxton Pitlik, a senior, has worked at Scorz Bar and Grill, his family’s sports bar, since he was 13. Scorz is a place where many families, friend groups, and lone wolves come to socialize and watch their favorite sports teams in action. 

Pitlik, 18, says that his parents saw an opportunity to open a sports bar when they realized there weren’t a lot of spaces for college students and families to hang out, watch sports, bond, and more. They saw an opportunity to make money and create family fun for the people of Mount Vernon: hence Scorz was born. Pitlik says the environment Scorz holds is meant for families, older folk, and college students – mostly sports fanatics. He also stated that sometimes there are nice little parties that come in and have gatherings for special occasions.

Since the establishment is run by his family, it may be important to understand their roles within the business. Pitlik’s dad, Brandon, does payroll; his older brother, Trenton (MVHS ’22) was the head cook but is now in college; his mother, Tammy,  is the book keeper; and Pitlik is now the cook. 

There are many experiences to be had when working in a restaurant. Pitlik says one of the things he enjoys about his job in particular is being able to speak with his dad. He says that it gives him an opportunity to talk to him about anything. They start talking about work, but then it spirals into other conversations. Pitlik feels as though this has made him closer to his father. Pitlik’s father allowed him to start working young, so they’ve had lots of time to bond in this establishment.

Some of the many things that Pitlik has learned through this job are being responsible for yourself, your team, and your agenda. It has taught him how to do other smaller jobs such as cleaning and organization, which is important in everyday life. He also says that it gives him cooking experience,  which isn’t just beneficial for himself, but for when he has a wife and children to take care of and provide for. He also says that it helps him with his memory, because there are a lot of things you have to know off the top of your head to be successful as a cook. Being able to stay calm in stressful situations while also being collective and executive when making decisions is a crucial part of his job as well. He says that being a cook is very stressful, but he’s learned a lot in order to help himself and the people around him in doing their jobs better.

Since Pitlik is a high school student, he is quite busy. He manages his life and he says that his work has flexible hours because his parents own it. He says that he schedules around school for the most part. But pretty much goes from school to work every day (except for Fridays, which he has off). He also makes time to lift which means he is bettering himself every day. In his words, he says he “restarts, rinses and repeats” every day, yet he still has a good attitude. His availability on the weekends depends; he works in the mornings and tries not to work at night because he doesn’t want to stay there until 2 a.m., however, he is always willing to be of assistance and help as a barback when the restaurant needs it. 

Another important factor is how he feels about his work environment. Pitlik says that he likes it quite a bit. In his words, “everyone has bad days”. However, he explained it was hard at first with a low wage and being 13 to 14. None the less he worked his way up to being a successful cook and member in his establishment. “I like the bartenders. It’s air-conditioned,” Pitlik says. He also appreciates the freedom he gets, such as listening to music while he works. 

His motivation is huge because he is such a busy guy doing a lot for someone his age. He said that his motivation was to make money because he likes to spend money. He is invested in himself and shows how hard he works by putting his money towards the smaller things in life that he enjoys.

His long-term plans are not set, but he’s given himself many avenues of fun to look forward to. He says he wants to detail cars, start drop shipping, and maybe go to college. He will still work at Scorz during the summers, because he wants to be able to help them. In regards to the business, he says he’s not really sure what will happen to it, but he assumes it will be passed down throughout his family.

What does he want the town of Mount Vernon to know about his restaurant? He says it’s a great place overall. “It’s got good food, nice hangouts, games, and stuff to do there. It’s a nice place to go with family and bond.”