As I glance out the window, this late August morning, I see a mother walking through the parking lot with her daughter who looks to be around eight years old. The little girl is dressed for school, backpack and all carrying a few books in her arms. That sight sets off a flood of emotions within me. I recall the annual end of summer mornings when my wife would make our boys pose for a picture with their backpacks before getting in the car for their first day of school. Those are happy memories and emotions for me. The funny thing is, that quick little glimpse of a mother and her daughter heading to school, while invoking warm memories and emotions of my kids on their first day of class, was somewhat counterbalanced by a tinge of dread. You see I dreaded going back to school. As a kid I loved summer and did not want it to end. Growing up, I never accepted the purpose of school – at least some parts of school. When I turned 38 years-old a wise friend told me that “learners inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” That was when I finally understood. Think about that.
My point is- we live our daily lives with choices. We can choose to grow or choose to rot. I choose growth. The Ram chooses growth. Growth for our businesses means making those positive impressions on each and every guest that creates those everlasting memories and indelible positive emotions. Dropping those rocks and boulders every shift, every day, every week, every month and every year is the key to success. Smile, open doors, make eye-contact, know the menu and beer list backwards and forwards, Ram beer table greets, suggest menu items, sparkling clean restrooms, tidy parking lots and landscaping, gator fries, spotless silverware, 100% recipe adherence, the right atmosphere, clean menus, sharp uniforms, high fives, praise pays, accountability and more. That is cultivating loyal guests for life. That is Ram.
I want to take a quick moment to highlight our new, late-night happy hour (s) starting on August 30th. Sunday through Thursday we will be open till 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday we will be open till 11:00 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday we will be offering Happy Hour from 9:00 p.m. to close. Our guests have asked for this, and these new hours will offer increased exposure to younger guests be it millennials / gen y’s and an incredible opportunity to cultivate that younger generation into loyal Ram guests. Build those bonds. Create those indelible emotions. Drop those Rock and Boulders. Game On!
In September we say Happy Birthday to: Kevin Martinez, Grace Huntley, Alycia Kaeka and Tim Bunch.
A special thank you to the following team members who celebrate significant anniversaries with their Ramily this month: Jennifer Hunt (28 years), Karlie-Jean Schmidlkofer (8 years), Amanda Gomez (6 years), Stephanie Gilmore (5 years), Helen Ledger (7 years), Courtney Casey (11 years), Tony Magallanes Davalos (7 years), Daniel Nadasky (6 years), Patricia San Agustin (11 years), Ronis Zumba Jacobo (11 years), James Campolo (8 years), Maria Zolotsev (8 years), Nicole Hull (5 years), Benjamin Garcia Cantoran (8 years) and Banger Smith (18 years). Thank you all very much.
“Dedication to excellence on any level, in any area, requires an intensity of emotional investment.”
~Theodore Isaac Rubin