This blog is rife with examples of poor restaurant managers, horrible bosses and customers so awful that I wouldn’t waste my piss on them even if they were on fire and begging for me to put them out. However, once in a great while, we are gifted with a story (WRAL TV) of a restaurant owner who reminds us that there is plenty of good in the world of food service.
Gypsy Gilliam, owner of State Farmer’s Market Restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, wanted to show her appreciation to her staff and rather than bringing in a box of day old donuts from the Piggly Wiggly, she decided to close down her restaurant for a few days and take her entire staff to Disney World, along with their families.
(Cue me emailing my resume for a job at State Farmer’s Market Restaurant)
The staff was understandably shocked and grateful.
“I have a 5-year old son,” said employee Jessica Burr. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know this is something I wouldn’t able to do for him. I am forever grateful to Gypsy, and I don’t have any idea how to pay her back.”
Gypsy knows what’s important when you’re running a business: the employees. Each and every one of these people who work for her know how valuable they are to their boss. It’s real and genuine and that’s how you earn respect from your employees. I’m not saying that every boss should take their crew to Disney World, but they should let them know how important they are to the business. When your employees are happy, the customers are happy. It’s been proven time and time again.
Gypsy said there would be no restaurant without her staff and she was “blessed to be able to give them a little magic in their lives.
Thank you to Gypsy Gilliam for brightening the world this week with your wonderful story. And congratulations to the staff of State Farmer’s Market Restaurant who have discovered they work for an amazing boss. But I have feeling they already knew that even before they went to Disney World.
Mike
Stories like this are wonderful to hear. I wish more bosses were like this. With maybe one exception (Lulu’s in Van Nuys*) I have never encountered anything like this (I have worked for places where they absolutely depended on me to always be there and do all sorts of things to keep them going and wouldn’t even get a $5 Christmas bonus or one free meal)
*and even here the Christmas party for employees that the old owner would have was tainted by this one group of asshole “customers” who knew when it would happen that would show up on that particular evening each and every year RIGHT when we were closing 3 hours early to set things up – something we would always post on the doors of the place 2 weeks in advance so everybody would know we were closing early) with a look of shock and surprise that “Wow. I cannot believe it. Our friend has been recommending this place to us for years and finally we made the 150 mile drive and were passing by and decided to give this place a try! I just can’t believe this!” and the owner would feel sorry for them and invite them into the party where they could gorge themselves for free and drink themselves silly for free. They did this EVERY year and only would order for delivery once or twice a year (and of course NEVER tip and complain like crazy when they did) but year after year these assholes did this guaranteed…