I got into the restaurant business because I needed to put myself through college. But I learned to cook long before that. When my parents divorced, my mom was having a hard time and my sister didn't really cook, so feeding the family became my job. I discovered pretty quickly that I liked being in the kitchen. I liked the knives, the fire and figuring out how things worked.

By the time I got my first restaurant job in college, I was promoted to Kitchen Manager within about six months. I graduated with a degree in psychology. Naturally, I became a restaurant manager.

I've never been someone who changes jobs very often. I spent years with Mr. Gatti's, Wendy's and Black-eyed Pea before joining Luby's. I've now been here for 17 years.

What keeps me here is the people. Some members of our team have been with Luby's for more than 40 years. One of our cooks likes to remind us that he's been doing this for 52 years. Geno, one of our longtime servers, is approaching 81, and if she misses a day, guests immediately start asking where she is. That tells you something about this place.

Our guests aren't just coming for lunch. They build relationships here. I've watched people grow older alongside us. I've seen longtime guests slow down, come in less often and sometimes disappear for a while. One of our regulars, Miss January, recently came back to celebrate her 97th birthday with us. Seeing her again meant a lot.

Those relationships are part of why I'm so proud of our team. People here take care of each other. We work hard, joke with each other and trust each other enough to have some fun. Everything has to vibe.

I don't believe I have all the answers, either. I rely on my managers and want their opinions. When people know their ideas matter, they become part of where the restaurant is going.

My goals are pretty simple: keep growing this restaurant, find new ways to serve our community and help the people around me grow. I'd especially like to see the managers I've worked with get opportunities of their own.

Outside of Luby's, I fish, fix computers and spend as much time as I can with my family. We even celebrate Thanksgiving in July. It started as a random family dinner more than a decade ago. Now it's tradition. I think that says a lot about me. Give me good food, people I care about and a reason to gather, and I'm pretty happy.