I'm originally from Lagos, Nigeria, and when I joined Luby's in 1999, I had never worked in a restaurant kitchen in my life. I had worked in marketing at the Sheraton Town Lake in Austin, moved back to Nigeria for a time, and then returned to the United States with my wife and children. I needed a job, attended a career fair, met the Luby's recruiting team and was hired as an Assistant Manager.

My first day was a shock. The kitchen was big. It was noisy. I didn't know much about American food. I didn't even know what some of the vegetables were called. For a while, I struggled. But I decided I wasn't going to let that stop me.

Back then, Luby's recipes and operating procedures came in big binders. I started taking them home and studying them like I was back in college. I learned the recipes, the systems and eventually how to manage people, cross-train a team and run a restaurant. Nearly 27 years later, I've worked in Luby's restaurants across Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas. And I definitely know what celery is now.

Over the years, I've learned that running a successful restaurant comes down to doing a lot of small things well, every single day. Food quality matters. Presentation matters. Food safety matters. Having the right food ready when a guest is on their lunch break matters. And teamwork matters. Those things may seem small, but together they determine whether someone comes back.

I've been fortunate to lead restaurants where our teams have improved operations, grown sales and turned struggling locations around. I'm proud of those results, but I always remind people that a General Manager doesn't do it alone. It takes managers and employees working together every day.

The part I enjoy most now is getting to know our guests. Some come once a week. Some come every day. Some are waiting outside before we even open. They know our food. They know when something is different, and they aren't afraid to tell us. I appreciate that.

I want our guests to think of Luby's as their kitchen, a place where good people are committed to preparing good food and taking care of them. After all these years, that's still what keeps me motivated. Keep improving. Keep building relationships. Keep growing the restaurant. And keep giving people a reason to come back.