SpaceX now has a job listing for an expert mixologist for a tiki bar at its Boca Chica test launch site. The mixologist will have to know not only how to make mixed drinks, but also how to pair drinks with the tiki bar’s menu.
Elon Musk had previously said, “I mean, you gotta have a tiki bar” at the launch complex, which SpaceX calls Starbase. Although he has a reputation for being a demanding boss, he may also have thought that it was necessary for his employees to have a nearby place to unwind at the end of a tough workday.
His ideas for making work at his companies a little more bearable also include having Tesla’s HR department poach “employees of the month” from local ice cream shops to staff its frozen yogurt stands and the possibility of an indoor roller coaster at the larger Tesla facilities. For customers, he has also floated the idea of a “carhop”-style restaurant at Tesla’s charging stations so that people can enjoy a burger while they wait for their electric vehicles to charge.
(Is he serious about the carhop thing? Well, Tesla did file for a trademark for restaurant services, with the first one possibly opening at one of the largest charging stations in California.)
The Boca Chica area’s hotels are reportedly filling up with employees who were required to temporarily relocate to assist with preparations for the planned orbital test flight of the Starship-Super Heavy stack. SpaceX had previously sought a development manager for a luxury resort that it is developing near the launch facility, but it may not be complete yet.
The nearby tiki bar may fill up with those employees after the test flight as they either celebrate the first successful orbital flight for Starship or mourn the loss of yet another prototype. SN15 may have ended Starship’s explosive string of bad luck with its successful high-altitude test, though.
The job listing can be found on SpaceX’s online careers page. The position requires at least two years’ experience in mixology or cocktail preparation in a bar or restaurant and a valid food handler’s card or equivalent. Because SpaceX is an aerospace company with contracts with the U.S. military and NASA and has sometimes been caught between a regulatory rock and a hard place when it comes to hiring practices involving non-U.S. citizens, it had this to say about its citizenship and permanent residency requirements:
“To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.”
Elon Musk has been aggressive about attracting qualified employees to Texas and especially the Boca Chica area, including calling for the development of more housing in the Austin area in the wake of strong demand and soaring prices for housing and donating $30 million for education and community improvement projects in Cameron County, where the launch facility is located. He reportedly expects that the area in and around Starbase will grow by several thousand people as he continues to bring employees on board.
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