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Stormy Sunset

Tangent ‘TJ’ Ambridge is an interesting character and was just born to be in a social job. With an easygoing attitude and the added advantage of towering height he bartends with the greatest of ease at the Wharf Restaurant and Bar.
 
TJ was born in Toronto and spent his first five years of life just north of the city before his family made a move west to Edmonton, followed by Calgary a few years later. He couldn’t wait to join the working world, gaining employment in a pizza place/bingo hall as a server at the age of 16. Heady stuff for an impressionable young man!
 
Once TJ left high school he went and worked in Vancouver for a couple of years before deciding to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. He signed up at Victoria Flight Training and emerged three years later with a Commercial Pilot’s License allowing him to fly multi-engine planes. He was 25 years old, owned a Cessna 150 and was ready to further his education with the ultimate goal of becoming an instructor. Unfortunately, 9/11 changed all that. The terrorist attack changed the airline business and not only was TJ advised to not continue his programme at the time, but the school closed a year later. In a double whammy the insurance rates went through the roof and he could no longer afford to keep his plane.
 
TJ dusted himself off and carried on in the hospitality industry, which he had never left. He wanted to be closer to his family, and so packed his bags to fly back east to Toronto. He quickly got a job as head bartender at Milestone’s in Yorkdale where he spent four years.
 
An opportunity came up in Greece and he was on the brink of going out there before the position fell through at the last minute.
 
Time for Plan B.
He had friends who had worked in the Cayman Islands and they highly recommended the lifestyle. TJ applied to 15 to 20 establishments, and within 24 hours The Wharf got in touch and said they were interested. That was in June 2004 and he was due to fly down on 12 September, which ended up being the date when Hurricane Ivan was just starting to move away from the Islands, leaving destruction in its wake. Now he had to play a waiting game, whilst dealing with being semi-homeless in Toronto thanks to all his plans to relocate, which had now been put on hold. Finally in the last week of October, TJ hopped on a plane and officially arrived in the Caribbean.
 
TJ is one of the local industry’s most recognisable faces thanks to the Wharf’s strong base of resident patrons and of course his sparkling personality. His job is an enviable one as he gets the opportunity to socialise with international clientele and work with a fantastic team of people who are more like family than work colleagues. The stunning views of the sea don’t hurt either. TJ is definitely going to be bartending into the foreseeable future, so take advantage of his bartending prowess and longevity and head down to The Wharf. Come for the drinks; stay for the service.   WH