Retired Couple Save Favourite Restaurant
Updated : Apr 17, 2009
VeryHappyPig loves food and enjoys dinning out. Our favourite restaurant is anyone of the all you can eat kind. We would be very upset to say the least if our very favourite place to dine The Pig Out all you can eat was to close but we certainly wouldn’t be in a position do what one couple in America did and ensure the restaurant remained open.
When retirees Joyce and Jim Willis found out that their local Apex, North Carolina, Schlotzky Deli were in trouble, they took it upon themselves to save it.
The Willis' had been regulars at the deli and couldn't imagine what would happen to the employees if they lost their jobs.
"The manager told us that the business was going under and all the employees would have to look for other jobs," Joyce Willis said.
With no restaurant experience the Willis' took a leap of faith and bought the restaurant.
Their first order of business? Give the employees a raise.
And that's not all.
The couple hopes to give the employees some of the profits at the end of the end without taking any of the money for themselves.
"My goal if I live long enough is to pay my employees the highest we could over any other restaurant," Willis said.
Employee Joshua Reale is thankful.
"They put the customers and employees first. They rather us be happy than them," Reale said.
Next the couple hopes to turn the business over to manager Randy Ellis in the next five years. Ellis had dreamed of owning his own business one day but never thought it would be possible.
"They're helping me out in such a way that you can't believe to help support my family and so it's something I've always wanted to do," Ellis said.
Now they hope the plan works even through the tough times.
"That's what it's all about, working as a happy family and when you take care of workers they will take care of you," Willis said.
VeryHappyPig says Grimace also scares the crap out of me!
