I’ve been in the food business since I was 16 years old. My first job was washing dishes at a Greyhound racetrack in Corpus Christi. From there, I moved into setting up buffets, cooking, working with chefs and eventually managing restaurants. What kept me in hospitality was pretty simple: I loved what food could do for people. Food brings people together. Families gather around it. Friends meet over it. Holidays revolve around it. And when you’re the person preparing that meal, you get to be part of creating those moments.

Luby’s was already part of my life long before I worked here. Growing up in Corpus Christi, my family ate at Luby’s for birthdays, celebrations and just about every kind of family gathering. My brother-in-law eventually encouraged me to apply, and I joined Luby’s in 1999. I’ve been here ever since.

Over the years, Luby’s has become woven into my family’s story. My children grew up understanding that restaurant life sometimes meant celebrating holidays on a different day or waiting until I got home from work. They understood the sacrifices because they also understood what Luby’s helped make possible for our family. That means a lot to me.

I want our restaurant to be a place people can count on. That means a clean dining room, great-looking food, a smiling team and guests who walk up to the line and say, “Wow, I don’t know what to choose.” That might be one of the best compliments I can get. I especially enjoy cooking dishes that make people stop and look—étouffée, shrimp and crawfish, crab-stuffed catfish, anything with a great sauce and a little personality.

I also enjoy being part of our community, especially serving the men and women from nearby Ellington Field when they come in. After all these years, I still believe work can be enjoyable. You have to keep it interesting. Keep it fun. Keep creating things you’re proud of. And most of all, keep taking care of people. That’s what hospitality has always meant to me.