He did it again

POY... Now that he's nabbed the title 2 times, we can just use acronyms like the cool kids. Proprietor of the Year, Eric Vincent Martino! YEAH!

It is just crrrrrrazy to think how far he's come. I remember way back when, he was just barely promoted from a server to a manager... he didn't have a bank account, and his new *salary* was, well, not a lot. Though at the age of 20, those checks felt like he was in the big leagues and they certainly could pay the $325/mo rent and afford him those fancy rims on that Mercury Cougar. He always told me he would be a Proprietor, except, he always made it sound like it would happen if not next week, the week after.

Fast forward... a wedding, a move to Kansas, a house and a dog and a baby on the way (yeah, more than a couple weeks, rather 5 years)... Stars seemed to be aligned when Eric got the opportunity to head up the restaurant down the street from our house in Olathe Kansas. It was a struggling location for sure - losing, not making, money every month. That said, we can't really say it was the golden ticket by any means, but it was an opportunity, and there was no stopping Eric from taking it. The guy worked like a banshee, saw sales climb, Friday's and Saturdays seemed busy, yet every year at Partner Conference, we were reminded he was hardly a dot on the company map.

When that restaurant closed, it FELT like the end of a road. Little did we know, this was a dirt road leading to a highway. Nashville has proven to be a such a BIG opportunity, and enormous blessing to our family in SO many ways. From the friends we have made, the community that has accepted us, and the persnickety yet lucrative location of this restaurant. Well, we are happy, and certainly content and love what we call home - Nashville, Tennessee.

Still, he works so hard. Working those luncheons, going door-to-door selling to companies for catering, waking up early to get on the local tv stations, hiring and firing and also dealing with those workers with part-time job syndrome. Maneuvering with mall politics, dealing with Hillsboro traffic, making unhappy guests happy, and kicking psycho guests out. Friending those regulars, remembering their names, replacing grills and dishwashers and upgrading bathrooms - with real money. Counting every piece of food a the end of the month, Dressing up, coming home with calluses and burns and smelling like garlic. Donating to that mom's school, feeding that shelter. Sweeping the floors, delivering the food. Making memories, and believing in the big picture... and getting his staff to believe too. He. Works. Hard.
This November marks the end of his 5 year contract. Sighhhhhhhhh... we will bask in each day of his 30 day sabbatical, and then comes the big pen and paper right back... Can you do another 5? We shall see, right?
But for now, let's celebrate! POY! And Certainly deserving. Way to go, Eric!