SanFrancisco has some of the best restaurants anywhere — and one of the most uni-组卷网

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San Francisco has some of the best restaurants anywhere — and one of the most unique, the top pizza restaurant in the city, is also one of the first to be owned and operated totally by deaf people.

Melody and Russell Stein opened the place in 2011. Their 900-degree wood-fired oven (炉) is the best they could find, and so is every ingredient, from sauce to sausage, to cheese, some of which come from Italy. “We also make it in-house,” said Melody. “And if that doesn’t make you hungry, I don’t know what will,” added Russell.

And for the customers who show up there night after night, food is only part of the experience. Unlike other restaurants, noise isn’t a problem, and neither is communication; pointing at the menu works just fine. And you can even phone in a takeout order. A green light on the wall signals an incoming call. An operator picks it up, and translates your order in sign language by a special TV. But this is about a lot more than serving hungry customers.

Tracy Smith, a reporter, asked Melody, “How important is it to you to have an all-deaf staff?” “Oh, it’s very important,” she replied. “If a hearing person, say, doesn’t get on well here, they can find a job tomorrow, while all the deaf people here have to look for years and still can’t find a job. That’s when I decided I would have a totally deaf team, even if they have no work experience.”

Melody comes from a restaurant-owning family from Hong Kong, and she met Russell at Gallaudet University.

Now they’re looking to franchise (获得特许经销权), with a little help from the Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). It’s a good investment (投资), says CSD’s Brandi Rarus.

Rarus said, “People often think that deaf people don’t have much to offer, or are less valuable, or less worthy in some ways. But when you come to this place, you see that’s not true.”

【小题1】How does Russell feel about the food in his restaurant?