Jacqueline Fluker enjoys being around people — and she interacts with a variety of them while working at By the Bridge Bistro on Claiborne Avenue.
People and food are two of her biggest interests, and she likes to deal with the regular customers and learn about them: “They come in, you get to know people’s names and know what they want.”
Fluker, 41, was born and raised in Greenwood until the fourth grade, when her family moved to Inglewood, California, which is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
She has lived in other areas as well, including Texas and Florida. She has moved back to Greenwood on occasion and made her most recent move six years ago.
“After high school, I just started working and always kept two jobs,” she said. “Just because I like not having to ask anybody for anything. If somebody wants to go on a trip, I have the money to go, and I just go.”
She said she has “done everything” in terms of jobs. She’s worked as a law clerk, in a pharmacy, at a grocery store and at a flower shop.
When she moved back to Greenwood, she took a job as a server at Giardina’s. While working there, she happened to serve her two current bosses, Caleb and Ben Cox.
The two were impressed with her and invited her to what she thought would be a job interview the next day. She was surprised to find out that it was actually a job offer. She was hired five years ago and has worked the front counter at By the Bridge ever since.
In her free time, she enjoys being around her family, cooking, playing poker and watching various TV shows and movies.
“If there’s a sad part, people always look for me because nine times out of 10, I’m crying,” she said. “I’m really sensitive.”
She lives with her two dogs, Baxter, a pit bull, and Bentley, a Maltese.
“Baxter is the big baby,” she said. “He’s 2 years old, and he doesn’t know that he’s as big as he is. He’s very jealous. If I go to play with Bentley, he has to cut through. He has to get all the attention. They don’t fight, but they do wrestle.”
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
