{"id":20439,"date":"2012-10-24T15:49:51","date_gmt":"2012-10-24T20:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=20439"},"modified":"2012-10-24T20:42:43","modified_gmt":"2012-10-25T01:42:43","slug":"family-of-deaf-crepe-sellers-serves-up-state-fair-fare-with-a-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/10\/24\/family-of-deaf-crepe-sellers-serves-up-state-fair-fare-with-a-message\/","title":{"rendered":"Family of deaf crepe-sellers serves up State Fair fare with a message"},"content":{"rendered":"

Family of deaf crepe-sellers serves up State Fair fare with a message<\/strong><\/p>\n

By ERIC AASEN Staff Writer
\neaasen@dallasnews.com<\/p>\n

Published: 18 October 2012<\/p>\n

Another hungry customer approached the Crepe Crazy stand at the State Fair of Texas and started talking, ready to place an order.<\/p>\n

The worker across the counter waved his hands. He pointed to his ear and shook his head. He motioned to a large laminated menu on the counter featuring pictures of crepes.<\/p>\n

The customer\u2019s eyes widened. It clicked: The worker is deaf.<\/p>\n

The customer touched a picture on the menu. The worker grabbed ingredients and got to work.<\/p>\n

At the State Fair, in a corner of the very loud food court in the Tower Building, a deaf family quietly makes sweet and savory crepes.<\/p>\n

Vladimir and Inna Giterman, the Austin-based owners of Crepe Crazy, have sold crepes at festivals across Texas. This year, for the first time, they\u2019re making them for State Fair crowds.<\/p>\n

The Gitermans want to show those who hear that those who are deaf or hearing impaired can be productive workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m representing the deaf community in the hearing community,\u201d Inna Giterman said via a telephone relay service. \u201cThey think deaf people can\u2019t do anything. Deaf people can do anything \u2014 except hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018A lot of work\u2019<\/p>\n

The Gitermans wanted to start their own business, so they began selling crepes in 2006. Vladimir had fond memories of his mother making crepes on the stove.<\/p>\n

He has been in charge of the State Fair booth, with assistance from Inna\u2019s dad, Solomon Giterman, who is also deaf. Inna has been working at other crepe stands around the state. Their son, Sergei, also deaf, helps run stands on the weekends. When they need help, they hire deaf workers.<\/p>\n

Some concessionaires wait years for an opening at the State Fair \u2014 typically, there are just one or two a year.<\/p>\n

Melanie Linnear, the State Fair\u2019s director of concessions, who\u2019s on the hunt for new and different foods, once spotted the Gitermans selling their crepes at a Grapevine festival. She was surprised that they were deaf but impressed that the stand attracted long lines of customers. Linnear handed over her business card, and the family later submitted an application.<\/p>\n

The Gitermans were picked not because they are deaf but because they\u2019re experienced food vendors, Linnear said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just goes to show how you can overcome any adversity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

One morning last week, Glory Dadiotis, a State Fair concessionaire who sells fruit kabobs, stopped by the Crepe Crazy booth. She blew a kiss to Vladimir. He blew one back.<\/p>\n

The crepe workers are impressive, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should see them under pressure,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s quiet. They look stress-free. Cool, calm and collected. \u2026 They don\u2019t have a handicap. They can work just like we do. They probably work harder than we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018What\u2019s a crepe?\u2019<\/p>\n

The Gitermans are used to a variety of reactions from customers. One fairgoer offered a bewildered look \u2014 he just couldn\u2019t believe that the workers were deaf. Some will write down questions on paper. Some simply talk louder, thinking that will help \u2014 but Vladimir has no hearing.<\/p>\n

A small number of fairgoers will approach the stand but not order anything because they don\u2019t want to try to communicate, Vladimir said.<\/p>\n

Then there are the fairgoers who ask: \u201cWhat\u2019s a crepe?\u201d<\/p>\n

Many customers like to peer over the counter and watch Vladimir as he places the batter on the hot crepe maker.<\/p>\n

Crepes are \u201cbeautiful art,\u201d Vladimir wrote down on paper.<\/p>\n

Albert Medina of Arlington had already eaten fried ribs, fried tomatoes and \u201cfried everything,\u201d but wanted a crepe, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tripped out, so to speak,\u201d Medina said when he realized the crepe workers were deaf. \u201cI just took it for granted that he could hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few minutes later, after eating his dulce de leche crepe, Medina approached Vladimir and gave him a thumbs-up.<\/p>\n

When Kate Ondras of Irving ordered a Peanut Butter Heaven crepe, she sensed that the workers were deaf. She knows some sign language, and the large picture menu was unusual at the fair.<\/p>\n

Ondras had been near the stand earlier in the week and had seen a woman ask the workers for napkins. They signaled that they couldn\u2019t hear her. She started yelling. Then she walked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody should be able to talk to everybody, whether you can hear or you can\u2019t,\u201d Ondras said. \u201cWrite it down. Communicate in some kind of way, rather than saying, \u2018Oh, they\u2019re useless.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he headed back to the crepe maker, Vladimir grabbed a sheet of paper. He wrote that some fairgoers who don\u2019t know much sign language will place their hands at their mouths and move them down to their waists.<\/p>\n

It impresses him.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the sign for \u201cthank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

SOURCE:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/entertainment\/state-fair-of-texas\/headlines\/20121018-family-of-deaf-crepe-sellers-serves-up-state-fair-fare-with-a-message.ece<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Family of deaf crepe-sellers serves up State Fair fare with a message By ERIC AASEN Staff Writer eaasen@dallasnews.com Published: 18 October 2012 Another hungry customer approached the Crepe Crazy stand at the State Fair of Texas and started talking, ready…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[15581,1629,15477,23,15373,15574,979,15257,15394,24,15572,6495,15579,15578,15576,15582,15580,15577,15573,1239,15575],"class_list":["post-20439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-albert-medina","tag-american-sign-language","tag-arlington-tx","tag-asl","tag-austin-tx","tag-crepe","tag-crepe-crazy","tag-dallas-news","tag-dallas-tx","tag-deaf","tag-eric-aasen","tag-fair-park","tag-glory-dadiotis","tag-grapevine-tx","tag-inna-giterman","tag-irving-tx","tag-kate-ondras","tag-melanie-linnear","tag-october-18","tag-state-fair-of-texas","tag-vladimir-giterman"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-5jF","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36575,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2017\/11\/02\/deaf-owned-crepe-crazy-provides-employment-opportunities-for-the-deaf-community\/","url_meta":{"origin":20439,"position":0},"title":"Deaf-Owned Crepe Crazy Provides Employment Opportunities for the Deaf Community","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"November 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Deaf-Owned Crepe Crazy Provides Employment Opportunities for the Deaf Community While you can find a sea of fine restaurants in Austin, you will find only one decadently delicious place for crepes. 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Author: Mike Marut (KVUE)Published: March 23, 2022 BUDA, Texas\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ukrainian-food-truck-owners-in-Austin-raising-money-for-deaf-community-in-Ukraine.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ukrainian-food-truck-owners-in-Austin-raising-money-for-deaf-community-in-Ukraine.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ukrainian-food-truck-owners-in-Austin-raising-money-for-deaf-community-in-Ukraine.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ukrainian-food-truck-owners-in-Austin-raising-money-for-deaf-community-in-Ukraine.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35685,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2017\/05\/11\/deaf-business-owners-in-austin-work-to-overcome-communication-hurdles-stigma\/","url_meta":{"origin":20439,"position":3},"title":"Deaf Business Owners in Austin Work to Overcome Communication Hurdles, Stigma","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"May 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Deaf Business Owners in Austin Work to Overcome Communication Hurdles, Stigma By Stef Manisero May 8, 2017 Many people dream of one day owning their own business -- a dream that's easier for some to live out than others. 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