Willy Staley
Willy Staley’s big break as a writer came when he wrote about the McRib sandwich for The Awl in 2011. In “A Conspiracy of Hogs: The McRib as Arbitrage,” he put forth a wildly entertaining and entirely plausible argument for the McRib’s unpredictable appearances over the years.
“The theory that the McRib’s elusiveness is a direct result of the vagaries of the cash price for hog meat in the States is simple: in this thinking, the product is only introduced when pork prices are low enough to ensure McDonald’s can turn a profit on the product,” he wrote. “The theory is especially convincing given the McRib’s status as the only non-breakfast fast food pork item: why wouldn’t there be a pork sandwich in every chain, if it were profitable?”
Willy’s essay attracted the attention of editors, which led to successful pitching opportunities with the New York Times Magazine, Playboy, and the New Republic. Currently, he’s a freelance editor with the New York Times Magazine. Before he took the job, he waited tables and bartended in New York City, often writing during the day before his shifts. In addition to his writing and restaurant gigs, he successfully completed an on-site internship in Philadelphia while living in New York; counted beats per minute in songs owned by Tuff City Records; and pounded the pavement for a non-profit in an attempt to survey industrial businesses in North Brooklyn.
“I got a strong sense of distrust from almost everyone,” he said of his summer surveying job. “I also almost got attacked by a dog at this Korean auto scrap yard.”
Highlights
How to land a restaurant job in New York City: If you’re looking for restaurant work, just lie. If you’re capable of doing the work, it really doesn’t matter. In the real world, never, ever lie on your resume, send a lot of them out, and keep your cover letters short and to the point.
On the benefits of bombing interviews: “I got my ass kicked in a couple job interviews, and I think that was a good experience to know that you’ve gotta take these things really seriously. I think since I was sort of directionless, that comes across.”