Thirty-one years ago, Maurice Jennings, founder of Biscuitville Fresh Southern established the Biscuitville Founder’s Day Club to recognize employees who have been with the company for five years or more. At this year’s Founder’s Day celebration, Biscuitville added 45 employees into the club, which currently includes 147 members from Biscuitville’s restaurants, 18 from the company’s restaurant support center, and 11 from the distribution center.
Such long tenure among so many employees across so many job functions is unusual in the industry. According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employees in food service generally stay on a job two years or less.
“Truly, our people are our strength,” says Biscuitville President and CEO Kathie Niven. “We are blessed to have so many team members who have made Biscuitville their career home for many years. We could not deliver our great service to our guests without our top-quality team members. We are very thankful for them.”
Fourteen of the employees who received recognition during this year’s Founder’s Day celebration have worked 25 years or more with the Greensboro-based restaurant company:
1. BRUCE CONYERS – OPERATOR (41)
2. KEITH HOBSON – AREA DIRECTOR (40)
3. CRYSTAL GOINS – ASSISTANT MANAGER (35)
4. BURNEY JENNINGS – EXECUTIVE CHAIR (35)
5. TERESA ADKINS – AREA DIRECTOR (34)
6. STEPHANIE PALMER – CREW MEMBER (33)
7. LARRY WILLIAMS – CHIEF SUPPLY CHAIN OFFICER (33)
8. GAI SHOTWELL – ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT (33)
9. GWENDOLYN JONES – SHIFT LEADER (32)
10. KENNY THOMAS – WAREHOUSE WORKER (30)
11. RENEE JOHNSON – SERVICE VENDOR SPECIALIST (28)
12. AMIE COOK – OPERATOR (27)
13. LEKISHA BRINSON – CREW MEMBER (25)
14. GEORGIA REIMILLER – CREW MEMBER (25)
In addition to the recognition at the Founder’s Day celebration, the company featured Bruce Conyers, its longest tenured employee with 41 years, on its Black History Month materials. After beginning work as a Biscuitville Shift Leader in 1981, Conyers advanced quickly in the company, winning the coveted Operator of the Year Award in 2001 and 2002. Today, just as he has for the past 20 years, Conyers serves guests with a smile as Operator of Biscuitville’s Huffman Mill Road restaurant in Burlington.
Keith Hobson, who reached the milestone of 40 years with the company this year, is the Biscuitville employee with the next longest career with the company after Conyers. Hobson currently is an Area Director who had served 36 years as Operator of the Bessemer Avenue restaurant in Greensboro. Hobson attributed his long tenure with Biscuitville to the company’s culture, stability, respect and confidence in the individuals who work there.
“Maurice Jennings taught me entrepreneurship. He said you run your restaurant like you are inviting somebody very important to your home. Is your grass cut? Is your floor clean? Are you ready? The top leadership has changed over the years, but the culture has stayed the same and that gives you stability.
“With Founder’s Day, we are carrying on that commitment to taking a day to reflect back and recognize the people who have made Biscuitville’s success possible over the past five years. It is important. Founder’s Day celebrates our purpose of enhancing lives by serving others – in the community and inside the company,” Hobson says.
