I've spent most of my life in the Houston area, and I've been with Luby's since 2004. When I first joined the company, I was hoping I had found a place where I could stay for a long time, maybe even retire from one day. More than 20 years later, I'd say I found it.

I worked at several Luby's locations around Houston before becoming a General Manager, and in 2012 I became the GM of Houston 5. I've been here ever since.

One of the things I'm most proud of is the team we've built. Some of our employees have been here 18 or 20 years, and one has been here for more than three decades. We've been through a lot together, including COVID, when our restaurant stayed open and a small group of us did whatever needed to be done. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and filling in, other managers took turns cashiering, and our team stuck together.

I think part of the reason people stay is that they want to feel like they're part of something. Earlier in my career, I worked with managers who weren't always interested in hearing ideas from the people around them. I remember thinking that if I ever became a GM, I wanted to do things differently. I listen to my team. I want their suggestions. I want them to feel like they're part of the bigger picture. I'm a pretty laid back guy, but I care a lot about creating a place where people enjoy coming to work and our guests enjoy coming to eat.

I hear guests tell me all the time that they remember coming to Luby's when they were kids. There's something about the familiar faces, the smells, the food, and walking down the serving line that brings those memories back. To me, it's a little like going to Grandma's house.

When I'm not at Luby's, I enjoy lifting weights, fishing, baseball, and cars. I've had Corvettes and Mustangs over the years, and I still like anything with a little performance behind it. But some of my favorite time these days is spent with my grandson, who is almost five and lives with us. I raised two daughters, so having a grandson has given me the chance to do some things I didn't get to do before, like going to soccer practice. I really enjoy that time with him.

After more than 20 years with Luby's, I still believe you can always get better. I want Houston 5 to keep improving, but I also want it to keep being the kind of place where people walk through the doors, see familiar faces, enjoy a good meal, and feel at home. That's what Luby's has always meant to me.