Welcome to “GYH FAM,” a monthly conversation with one of our team members about their work, their interests outside of work, and tons of deep thoughts…..or sometimes not so deep thoughts.
We sat down with one of our servers that has been with us from the beginning, Jacque Brinson. We talked about all things GYH and what has motivated her to continue to be a member of our team at the GYH for 2 years.
What brought you to GYH?
My last restaurant told me I would have to wait a few years to serve, so I was in search of a new job. That’s when I found GYH, before we even had a fully developed website. I didn’t know anything about it but I knew it was a new restaurant in NODA, which is where I grew up. I thought it would be cool to re-enter this area, which I love. Once I met Chris and Sean and got the interview, I’ve been here ever since and I’ve loved it.
Restaurants and service industry jobs usually have a high turnover rate. What has caused you to stay on as a team member for so long?
There are several reasons I’ve stayed at GYH since we opened. We have hired a lot of really good people. Not only management but also people within support positions. We are always changing, I think that’s another reason I’ve stayed around. It feels like a new restaurant every couple of months with the changes to the food and beverage menu. I get to keep on learning about new stuff and meet new people. It’s always been good.
What is your favorite thing about being a team member at GYH?
I really like the atmosphere that we create with our outdoor patio in the summer. Everyone wants to be here and it transfers to the staff. We all enjoy being with the customers, we have good people here in noda. They want to go somewhere fun with good energy, they like to be here and it makes me want to be here.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to cook and play video games with my boyfriend. When the weather is good I like to garden with my cat, Pickles. I also love spending time with my family, especially being an aunt to my nieces and nephew.
Tell me about family values and how that applies to life at GYH?
I have a pretty cool personal connection to family values at GYH because I have had a lot of people from my personal life start working here with me. My sister, Sophie, my cousin, Lauren and all of my roommates have worked here. All the people close to my life have either been to this restaurant and gotten to experience it or have worked here. Not only that but because of the amazing people we have working here it does actually feel like a family a lot of the time. I love them.
How does that translate to our guests?
A lot of our guests pick up on (the family atmosphere at GYH) and play into it as well. They catch our energy and enjoy it themselves. You can tell when they stay for a while and I’ve even had guests come back to apply for jobs. They can see how much fun we have and how we are still capable of creating a functional work environment while being like a big family. We have a lot of fun together both at work and off the clock.
How have you grown in your time here?
In my two years here, I’ve grown a lot. I’ve learned a lot from the people I’ve worked with. Not only in my restaurant knowledge but personally as well. Everyone here has something to offer and something to teach each of us. I think that’s why I like working here so much is because we hire good people.