Team Stories

A Deeper Connection

Dear Team,

A family of four was ending their meal and wanted to let me know that they were so pleased with the service but especially management. They noted that the management team was much improved since pre-covid, and that there was one manager in particular that has really opened up to them and shared in their experiences. This family was homeless for a period of time after the pandemic and didn’t want to take away from their 2 kid’s life experiences, so they were coming to our Red Robin to eat with us, they would share a burger between the adults and order waters all around and the kids would split a kids meal as well. The reason they would come though is because of our bottomless fries, this was what kept them coming in, our bottomless options as well as a special manager, Sharde.

Sharde is one of our shift supervisors, she was a prep cook and when she started on the floor, her guest services skills proved to be beyond compare, she has had her own struggles with raising her son on her own and trying to keep finances in order. So, when she frequently greeted this family of four with a huge smile and asked them how everything was going and if they were holding up okay and shared her own struggles with them, they created a lasting bond together. This family came in tonight and made it a point to tell me that they were so grateful to the whole management team, but especially Sharde, for keeping their spirits up and opening up to them and allowing herself to be vulnerable so they could make that deeper connection.

This family is now back on their feet and both the parents have full time jobs again. The dad even brings his construction crew to Red Robin twice a week to have their meetings and discuss plans over a hot Red Robin lunch with bottomless options! This is what great leaders do: they make connections, deliver outstanding service, and allow themselves to be vulnerable in order to grow together.

Happy Holidays,

Ingrid Delva
Associate Manager at Rancho Cucamonga
Team Chesapeake