Faces of Carson: Fox Brewpub's Jamie Waterman says downtown changes inspire 'sense of community'
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 03/22/2022 - 2:57pm
With roots deep in Carson City, Jamie Waterman has never even considered starting or raising her family anywhere else.
Born in Carson City and a 1996 graduate of Carson High, Waterman has deeps roots in this city citing her grandfather Don Cave was a Carson City Sheriff and her grandmother was from Winnemucca — so that makes her at least a third generation Nevadan, if not more.
A mother of two, 22 year old Teigenkey and 15 year old daughter Leea, she is happy to be able to pass on the sense of community she had when growing on to her children. “Although there have been many changes to the city since I grew up, in many ways it’s still the same Carson City.”
A fixture at The Fox Brewpub since opening in early 2007, Waterman states, “The Fox is my home away from home and I love the “family” I work with and the wonderful guests that have kept coming in since we opened.”
Her longevity in the hospitality industry is rare. She was the first employee hired 14 years ago when the pub was then known as The Firkin & Fox and has done just about every job needed to be done in the front of the house.
She remembers fondly, “Jim (Phalan), our prep cook Josephina (the Rock of the Fox), and I worked together from the beginning to build this pub.” She can’t imagine working anywhere else, though she does fill in at the Elks Club tending bar and every other Saturday can be seen serving at the Pour House on W. Telegraph Street.
In her 14 years, Waterman has seen so many changes to the downtown — for the better — starting with all the extensive remodeling of the historic 1862 St. Charles Hotel to turn the first floor into today’s lively pub even Mark Twain would have liked and probably frequented the original in 1862. She is proud that through all the remodeling, downtown redevelopment, and the pandemic, the pub has prevailed stating, “It’s been our “Fox Family” that has kept our customers loyal.”
Waterman’s mantra is to do her best to give the people of Carson what they want. She knows “How hard it is to please some people,” and goes the extra mile to get to know their likes and dislikes, where they prefer to be seated, and their food and drink preferences.
When asked whether she is embracing today’s growth boom, she stated, “Growth is good for our business and the City and although I may not like some of the changes, I am happy Carson City has not lost its sense of community.”
That special sense of community drives Waterman who still remembers the days when her mother worked within the capitol building and at 5 years old she was as free as a bird to run around the capitol grounds.
When next at The Fox, be sure to try one of the 17 brews on tap while enjoying some typical pub fare in the cozy setting of an authentic English Pub. 302 S. Carson Street at McFadden Plaza. Call 775-883-1369.
— Ronni Hannaman is the Executive Director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce. Faces of Carson is a regular series featuring local businesses and the people behind them.
