Hey, barkeep!
Thirsty's regulars enjoy spoiling their bartender
By Coley Ward
CWARD@AZSTARNET.COM
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.02.2008
Thirsty's customers can't stop giving bartender Missy Skvarla gifts.
Skvarla, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, says she now owns "several terrible towels," the yellow towels that Steelers fans wave in the air when they're excited. One customer even bought her a pink Ben Roethlisberger jersey, though she prefers her black and gold throwback Terry Bradshaw number.
"Whenever somebody sees something that says Steelers on it, they buy it for me," she says.
How big a Steelers fan is Skvarla? In November she's traveling to Pittsburgh to watch the Steelers play the Colts. And she's got a Steelers tattoo on her ankle.
Skvarla says she likes to watch Steelers games at Thirsty's, because there she's able to focus on the action.
"When I go to Famous Sam's I end up with somebody screaming in my ear," she says.
Do Thirsty's customers give you any presents that don't have anything to do with football?
"I made the mistake of mentioning that I like pink hats, so now I have a big collection of pink hats that people have given me."
Do you have any kids?
"I have two daughters. Both of them have worked at Thirsty's at one time or another. My youngest daughter, Jamie, 20, worked here this summer as a waitress. Now she's living in Houston with her husband, who is in the Army. My other daughter, Samantha, 21, lives in Colorado Springs. Her husband is in the Army, too. And I have a foster daughter, Felicia, who is a pastry chef at Desert Diamond Casino."
Did your daughters enjoy working at Thirsty's?
"Yes. People here really are like family. We had a graduation party for one of my daughters at my house and half of the people who showed up were customers of mine. And when my son-in-law was deployed to Iraq, lots of my customers sent him magazines and cards. Two of my customers who are school teachers got their students to all write him cards."
Have you worked at any other bars in town?
"I've been here for 11 years. Before I worked here I worked at Famous Sam's on 29th and Swan, and before that I worked at Lakeside Sports Club, which is now closed."
Have you invented any drinks?
"No, but we used to serve a lot of Jose Cuervo kamikazes when I worked at Lakeside, and that drink has followed me to Thirsty's."
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