Warren chows down at White Hut

Date: 1/31/2012

Jan. 31, 2012

By Debbie Gardner

debbieg@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — It was a burger smothered with fried onions and a side of fries for Democratic senatorial hopeful Elizabeth Warren when she made a lunchtime campaign stop at the White Hut on Memorial Avenue today. Glad-handing her way down the counter of customers, Warren made of point of making sure everybody knew her name and that she was running for the senate seat now occupied by first-term Republican Sen. Scott Brown.

Most of the Tuesday lunchtime crowd — a mix of seniors and local laborers — seemed unfazed by Warren’s — and the local media’s — whirlwind appearance, and though polite, were more concerned with getting their burgers and hot dogs than talking politics. Two guys engaged in a friendly burger-eating contest, readily admitted to this reporter they didn’t know whom she was, and “didn’t care.”

However one customer, Wanda Szaframski of Westfield, said she knew about Warren’s appearance and made the trip to the restaurant just to tell her that she had her vote.

White Hut owner Roberta Ekmalian, who said she was surprised by Warren’s appearance, noted that it was “nice to see a politician come to town” and take the time to visit a small business such as hers. She added that she keeps hoping the politicians will remember small business owners like herself when the get to Washington.

After polishing off her burger and fries, Warren told the media that she was glad to have chances such as this to “reach out and find out what’s going on in the lives of people” across the state.

She noted that local shops and eateries such as the White Hut, now under the direction of the third generation of owners, are “the backbone of American business” as well as the American economy.

“When small businesses can prosper, we’re doing something right. When they don’t, we need to change things,” Warren said, adding that she now knows where in western Massachusetts she can get “a great hamburger or cheeseburger.”

See the rest of this story in the Feb. 8 edition of the MetroWest Reminder.