After spending the morning doing some photo work in the Elberta area, Janice and I stopped at the Subway in Santaquin for a late lunch because we know we can depend on the quality of a Subway-branded restaurant. What was incredible was the good time everyone, both employees and customers, appeared to be experiencing. It was a different attitude in the order line and dining room.
We returned a few days later to learn about this unusually happy manager named Bridget who moved from the Salt Lake City area 12 years ago because they wanted horse property. She has been managing the Subway restaurant since she moved to Santaquin. Wendy, the other manager, has been working at the restaurant for 16 years. Another employee we talked to named Dakota has been at the restaurant for a year and a half. They talk about how much they enjoy working together as a team.
The management style is “take care of your employees and they will take care of you.”
At the restaurant, you see the young employees doing whatever needs to be done, the moment they see a need. It’s apparent that it is not a matter of your job or my job; it is a matter of “our” job. While at the restaurant, I learned from the employees that they are encouraged to laugh and have fun. Some customers call the group the “Dream Team.”
Unlike many similar food chains, here you don’t see a “Hiring” sign posted; what you do find is management that loves people, and this is felt and carried forward to everyone. While here, you won’t walk out without a member of the staff attempting to learn your name and something to remember you by. You are sure to expect a warm greeting the next time you stop by for a sandwich or salad.
As we were leaving after our first stop, Bridget came to the door and complimented us for being a “loving-looking” couple, and asked what the sign was on the back windows of our yellow jeep. We told her the story of the Absolutely. I now realize her operating style was learning about customers.
The young people working with Bridget are blessed with a wonderful teacher. She is one you feel like you work with and not for. That is something we should all think about and strive to do. That is the message we learned from the Santaquin Subway Dream Team.
Ed and Janice are looking forward to going back for a Santaquin Subway experience.
