I grew up outside Chicago, and for a while, I thought baseball might be my future. I was playing with a team in the Chicago area when my first child was on the way. I was about 20 years old, and suddenly I had a pretty important question to answer: was baseball going to pay the bills? The answer was no. So I went to work.

That competitive side of me never went away, though. Whatever job I had, I wanted to keep learning, keep moving forward and figure out how to do it better. Eventually, after many years in the restaurant business, I found Luby's.

What attracted me initially was the quality of life. I was tired of late nights and wanted more time with my family. Then I got here and realized just how family-oriented Luby's really was. I bought in 100%.

Family has always come first for me, and I think that carries directly into the way I run my restaurant. I tell my team all the time: take care of this place like you take care of your home. To me, hospitality should feel like being invited to someone's house for dinner. You feel welcome. You feel comfortable. You leave wanting to come back. That's what I want people to feel here.

And if something goes wrong, the first thing I try to do is listen. I don't want to get defensive. I want to understand what happened, fix what we can and make sure that person knows we care.

Those relationships have become one of my favorite parts of Luby's. Our regulars know me by name. They introduce me to their families. They give me hugs. When my son had knee surgery, guests brought me gifts. Someone even brought a gift when my first grandchild was born. I've never experienced anything quite like that at another restaurant.

Outside of work, I'm still a Chicago guy. Cubs first, then Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks, and yes, the White Sox are at the bottom of the list. Mostly, though, I'm a family guy. I have five kids, five grandkids, and my girls describe me as a "big old teddy bear." I think that's pretty accurate.

I care deeply about my family, my crew and the people who walk through our doors. Take care of people. Make them feel at home. Let them know somebody is looking out for them. That's hospitality to me.