Meet Cay Diffin | Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cay Diffin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cay, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
The end goal is to create a space where everyone feels welcomed and valued. It isn’t a spot where you just come for food and drink.
It’s a safe house, a place anybody can walk into and & know that they are appreciated.
Every guest that walks in the door, every employee that clocks in, anybody and everybody that we come in contact with should feel welcomed & appreciated.
That’s what hospitality is; welcoming a stranger or friend and offering them food, shelter, and safety, generously.
Hospitality is selfless.
The end goal is to have played a part in changing the skewed interpretation of the hospitality industry —to take hospitality back to its origin.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s been a whole journey. I have been fortunate enough to learn from some of the most passionate, hard working and intelligent individuals. Every mentor along the way has shaped & attributed to my success this far. From my first waitressing job at the diner where I learned the importance of efficiency and a clean floor to the white tablecloth establishments that showed me the power of networking. It wasn’t easy.
No single moment of this journey has been easy.
It’s not easy to be the one that is never at any holiday gatherings, because we’re too busy feeding the other families & giving them holidays to remember.
The weddings, the graduations, the birthdays, the funerals, all of the little things you take for granted —it is not easy to not show up for them.
To not show up because you have a job to do.
Because your time off request got denied.
Because giving up your New Year’s Eve bartending shift isn’t in your budget.
The sacrifices are not easy.
The work itself isn’t easy.
The negative reviews, the meals sent back, the entitled guests & the belittling comments, the cruel bosses, the manipulative coworkers, the sabotages; none of it has been easy but it has been rewarding beyond my comprehension.
What I’ve learned through all of this is no one is going to do my job for me. No one is going to achieve my goals but me.
That’s how I overcome the challenges; I have a job to do —a service to offer. If I don’t do it, nobody is going to do it for me., & I’ll be damned if I let any of these trivial issues prevent me from something better. These challenges aren’t here to stop you, they are here to teach you how to effectively get the job done despite the circumstances.

Adjusting my view on hospitality as a whole has been a huge unlearning process full of hiccups and fuckups.
Trying to find others who share the same view on hospitality —the same mission, that’s been one of the bigger challenges.
Dropping your ego at the door and being there to serve your guests without your pride getting in the way is one of the harder things to get in the habit of doing.

What Savor has to offer is unlike any other dining experience you’ve ever been to. Our intentions are different then most.
Every detail in every meal is intentional. From the dish in front of you to the music playing to the person sitting across from you.
We’re not asking you to come sit at our table so we can show you what we can do, we’re asking you to come sit at our table because you deserve an evening where you feel appreciated and seen. Every person who walks through the door, be it to dine or to clock in, none of them should leave feeling like they didn’t play a hand in making the evening memorable. It’s not only about feeding you a meal it’s about giving you an evening to remember. An evening that assures you how valued you are as not only a guest but as a human being, an equal.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh this is a fun one. I split up my time throughout Michigan, so I hope you’re down to road trip. When in Marquette, after sending out the signal to the homies that we’re in town to clown, we’d grab a dozen macaroons from 231 Patisserie & a six-pack from Blackrocks and we’d head to the beach until the sun drops.
Zephyr Bar is the place for dinner & one of the more interesting wine selections.
To end the night we’ll either find out if Dave is behind the bar and go get some proper cocktails or we’ll head to Breakers to shoot some pool and drink pitchers of Hamm’s until they kick us out.
Buzzing down to Mackinac Island the first stop after hopping off the boat is Watercolor Café for an espresso and a Poppie (our version of a homemade pop-tart).
I say this to myself every day when I walk in, “This is the best view on the Island”.
After we get our caffeine intake, we’ll jump on our bikes and head down to The Spot to meet the gang, bust out a grill and floaties and have a day fooling around Lake Huron.
Evenings are always dependent on who’s working, who has the night off & who’s playing music.
Never plan a fun night here, just let them happen.
When we get to Detroit the first order of business is making dinner reservations at Selden Standard.
The consistency of quality is unmatched in the city.
Dinner is always followed by a few pops at a dive (again, all depending on who’s working and who’s got the night off) & then hunting down some live music.
You can’t go to Detroit and not find some music to jam to. There is no better way to end an evening than a boogie on the dance floor with your favorite people.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many, so fucking many, incredible and astounding humans who have all given me so much & helped me in more ways than I knew people were capable of. Gosh, narrowing it down to be appropriately sized for this article is going to be a task.
Let’s just run down the timeline and hit a few highlights:

Janie:
This incredible woman taught me the ropes and how to navigate this industry without being cruel.
She is one of the most intimidating and inspiring humans I have ever met.
I’ve seen this woman run a line, run a restaurant, like no other.
There isn’t enough room here to tell all the tales of her superhuman abilities but if everybody worked for her for one Saturday breakfast rush during peak season, this world would be a kinder place, and a lot more efficient.

To the Little Gang of Bartender Boys in Marquette:
They set the bar so high, so dauntingly high but they gave me all I needed to reach those standards, always there to give advice and guidance. Their teaching and overall passion has been one of the biggest inspirations. I’m forever indebted to them for all they’ve shown me.

Chef Justin:
He leads with such grace and class & has always made it look so effortless.
Always ready and willing to answer any questions.
Thank you for getting me away from that goddamn host stand.
Thank you for all of the snacks.
Thank you for always being in my corner.
The most impressive chef I’ve ever worked for.

My sous chef, Clara:
There is absolutely no way Savor would still exist today without her.
She stepped up to the plate, hit a walk-off grand slam to save the day.
Watching her hone in her talents and use them so effortlessly is so much more than impressive. There is nothing she can’t accomplish. She keeps me sane.

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