Don’t forget the FAA

Before he became owner-operator of two downtown San Diego eateries, Randy Wagener worked as a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller. He knows the stress of both industries.

Now running The Smoking Gun restaurant and the adjacent Spill the Beans coffee shop on Market Street, Wagener is giving back to air traffic controllers. They’ve gone without pay since Oct. 1, due to the federal government shutdown.

On Nov. 7, The Smoking Gun will provide lunch for 120 people at the SoCal Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility in Mira Mesa. In October, Wagener and crew delivered bagels and coffee from Spill the Beans.

“I’ve been in their shoes and I have the resources to help them,” said Wagener, who worked at the FAA facility from 2005 to 2010. “These are behind-the-scenes people who don’t get a lot of public interaction.”

Wagener wasn’t sure what the menu would be on Friday. Likely he’ll choose from Smoking Gun menu items that include a variety of smoked meats, like brisket, and other sandwich buffet options.

Joining the effort with funding and donated schwag is Skrewball, the San Diego-based, peanut-butter-flavored whiskey brand (not intended for onsite consumption).

“SoCal TRACON is the busiest facility in the world,” Wagener said. “And it’s really unfortunate to see these hardworking people have to go without pay. We wanted to find a small way we could help them out during this time.”

For the record, air traffic controllers might work at an airport or a TRACON facility, which is more regional in responsibility. The SoCal TRACON oversees San Diego International as well as 9,000 square miles stretching from the Mexico border to Los Angeles.