Okay so today's not given me a spare moment. I woke up at 9, went to class, and studied till 1 when I had to go in to work. I got off at 10:15 this evening and you'd think that I would be grumbling about a nearly 10 hour workday, but I'm not going to. The bottom line is this:
I seriously LOVE my job.
There's no doubt that Chick-fil-a @ the Ridge has drastically changed from the restaurant that gave me my first job 3 years ago. When I started, I was super nervous about starting something new. I knew nearly no one and I had much to learn. But I was taken under the wing of very experienced coworkers who very soon became good friends and showed me the ropes. I learned slowly but surely to do almost everything that a 16 year old kid could do as a novice chicken flipper. Preparing and cooking food, cleaning, taking out trash, and doing dishes. But I wanted to learn more.
After months of begging my manager Tabitha to let me work up front, she finally let me work a Thursday night shift to prove myself. I learned to take orders and handle customers, how to fill orders and do the closing duties for the front of the store. She must've seen something in me, and as a result I began to be regularly scheduled to work with customers in the front.
I continued to work hard and try to make myself stand out; all the while old friends moved on to bigger and better things in their lives and decided to quit their jobs at CFA. New faces flowed in, and I suddenly was no longer at the bottom of the food chain!
After much hard work and striving to learn as much as I could about the store and business that is CFA, I was promoted to Unit Training Coordinator. It's a blessing to be at the point that I am in at my job right now because as UTC I must be the go-to guy for all things CFA. Food Safety regulations, food preparation, outside sales, store and equipment maintenance, and customer service. This requires me to know literally EVERYTHING about this business, and trust me, it's a learning experience :)
Not only that, but I've got a wonderful friend in my boss. It's a great feeling to know that your boss is not only a call or text away, but is willing to invest so much faith in a nineteen year old. To leave me the sole "leader" in a store that is essentially 60+ people's livelihood is a bewildering thought haha.
So, flash-forward to now. Three short years later I no longer am at the bottom of the totem pole but am actually one of the people that's been there the longest! It's so crazy to realize how the faces of that place have changed so much, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's truly a blessing to teach others and to carry on the tradition of pride that Chick-fil-a does such a good job of creating.
Okay, so this post is super cheezy, and I'm sure if anyone ever reads this they'll roll their eyes, but that's okay. Everything I've said here is true. Although this job is the only job I've ever had, It seriously is the best. My co-workers are awesome. They are so funny and I love each and every one of them to death. My boss is the greatest. I have essentially made my schedule for the past three years and for CFA's flexability I am so so SO grateful. I've learned countless life skills at this job, and have made several business connections as well!
So call me a chicken flipper, that's okay. I am one of the few who LOVE my job!
-Kyle :)
