San Diego Server of the Month Smoking Gun Kait — With her ever-present smile, Kait of The Smoking Gun is PubClub’s Server of the Month in San Diego. Photo: PubClub.com

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Blogger

When you order food at The Smoking Gun, the sports/arcade/hangout bar on 6th & Market in the Gaslamp Quarter, chances are it will be brought to you by a smiling person wearing an apron that appears to be so long on her petite frame you keep expecting her to trip over it.

After she places the order on the table she smiles and asks if you need anything else. If you do, she brings it with the speed of a Padres player rounding third base with the game on the line. At some places, service is slower than a sunset yet you can time her return with a stopwatch. Then you look up and – poof! – she’s gone, back to the kitchen, off to serve another customer. On busy days, she maneuvers around the tables with the agility of a gazelle and moves so fast you might think she’s being chased by a lion.

“I need to get my steps in,” she jokes.

She is Kait Colvin and her exemplary interaction with the customers at The Smoking Gun makes her PubClub.com’s San Diego Server of the Month for March.

“The first few minutes you are sitting at a table, especially if it’s your first time in (a place), that is THE prime window for peak customer service,” she said in wisdom that shows a maturity level well beyond her 24 years. “It sets the tone for the whole interaction, the whole rest of the night. If you’re just sitting there, just looking around, waiting for someone to greet you – if I have the opportunity, I obviously go” over to them.

“I really pride myself on my work,” she said. “My work ethic is one of the things I am most proud of and I know I am a very hard working person.”

Showcasing some PR skills during her PubClub interview, she said, “one of my favorite parts of the job is meeting new people and giving them the Butter Burger, the best burger in San Diego.” She added that “I do love customer service.”

Away from work, “I love going thrifting (as in shopping at thrift stores),” she said. “Especially with my sister. I also like doing hot yoga. If I’m not here, I’m at home with my dog or at hot yoga. Or, I’m reading a book. I love reading (she mentioned biographies and mysteries as two favorite subject matters). I also love music and going to concerts, but they have gotten so expensive.”

Kait was born in Alabama – which makes her ideally suited to be working in the official San Diego fans Alabama alumni bar – and has been at Smoking Gun since July 2025. In fact, her first day on the job was the Fourth of July. That’s starting off things with a bang.

As you can clearly see from her interview in the video below, she’s got one of those brings-you-back-to-the-bar personalities, which is a major reason she is PubClub.com’s San Diego Server of the Month. She joins her manager, Gary, who has been Manager of the Month, making two people at The Smoking Gun who have been recognized by PubClub.com.

Congratulations, Kait! And well done, Gary, for hiring her, tho it was probably a decision as easy as saying “yes” to the San Diego Bama Fans.

Name: Kait Colvin
Occupation: Server
Bar/Restaurant: The Smoking Gun, Gaslamp Quarter
Hometown: San Diego, by way of Alabama
How Long Have You Been At The Smoking Gun ? Since the summer of 2025
Personality: “I do smile a lot, I do laugh a lot. I also consider myself to be outgoing.”
Favorite Food To Serve: “The nachos and especially our brisket and our Mac ‘n Cheese” at Smoking Gun. On her own, “my all-time favorite food is Mexican.”
Favorite Drink To, Well, Drink: Apple Spritz and Espresso martini
Things You Like To Do When Not Bartending: Hot yoga and going to thrift stores. Additionally, “I am a big adventure person. I like trying new things so I’m always down to try a new restaurant, a new bar, a new (pause) something.”
Available For Hire For Private Parties & Events? Yes
Instagram: @kaitnielsen

Each month, PubClub.com features an outstanding bartender, manager or server at San Diego’s bars and restaurants. To be considered e-mail at: bartender@pubclub.com

This story was written by a human with no assistance from AI or ChatGTP.