Boston University student Jamie Sharp was considering the coffee selections in the Warren Towers dining hall one day when a whisper of advice floated her way from the waffle mixes.
“I was just dawdling around the milks, and he whispered, ‘Try it with lemon,'” Sharp, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said. “He put down the waffle batter, wiped his hands on his apron and grabbed my cup without a second thought. I followed him around the breakfast nook as he went from the lemon slices over to the syrup counter, where he ladled a teaspoon into my cup.”
Colombia native Enoc Parra, the “Omelette Guy,” has been working the grills in BU dining halls for the past 20 years, and giving advice is just one of the extras he adds to his famous breakfast food.
“I like when a student is happy because I made their omelette very good and correct,” Parra said. “I feel good when the student is happy . . . When I am doing work and making omelettes, I am thinking of the students and if they’ll like it. Whatever they like is no problem.”
Parra said his primary aim is making students enjoy their dining experience, and he is proud to know he can accomplish his goal.
“I try to give good advice,” Parra said. “I give advice on deciding what to eat, deciding what is better. Sometimes I recommend foods if a student is sick.”
Caitlin Sullivan, a College of Communication sophomore, said there are some mornings when schoolwork is too overwhelming and the dining hall is her only refuge.
“Just getting an omelette from him is one little, tiny thing in my day that makes it a little bit easier to manage,” Sullivan said.
Parra, widely known by students for his positive attitude and tasty omelettes, has gained such popularity among BU students that a Facebook group called “Who’s That Omelette Guy?” is dedicated to him.
“Who’s That Omelette Guy?” group creator Michelle Ciotta said she loved Parra’s omelettes and personality when she attended BU as an undergraduate, but did not know his name at the time and started the group to find out who he was.
“He makes the best omelettes, he is always very personable, and if you’re a frequent go-er, he typically remembers your order,” Ciotta, a December 2007 COM graduate, said.
Ciotta said she often ordered omelettes when she lived in Warren Towers, but even after she moved out of the building, Parra’s cheerful attitude had her coming back for more.
“I was very busy during my sophomore year and didn’t make it to the dining hall in time for breakfast omelettes at all really,” Ciotta said. “One day I was able to make it there in time and Enoc was there. After a year, not only did he remember by name, but he remembered my order as well.”
It is his commitment to service and ability to spread his uplifting attitude that has made him such a noteworthy employee of BU, students said.
“There have been days when I’ve had a bad day, and I’ve come in and him being happy makes me happy and be in a better mood,” COM freshman Brooke Lengsfelder said.
“I think if one person can change somebody’s entire day then they are definitely worth having in the BU community.”
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