Arby's restaurant manager shares how positivity informs his leadership style
When Nestor M. arrives at work, he says “Good morning” to everyone, from those in the store and Truck Care shop to the Arby’s team he leads.
“I like to charge our team members and customers with positive vibes. If someone is sad or mad, I want to help them,” said Nestor, restaurant manager at Love’s Travel Stop in Cleveland, Texas.
Positivity and empowerment are part of the foundation of Nestor’s approach to leading. When an employee realizes they can do anything they set their mind to, Nestor feels joy knowing he made the right decision when he joined the Love’s family.
Nestor was happy at his previous job as a district manager for a restaurant franchisee when a cancer diagnosis for his wife changed everything.
“I asked my leaders if they could work with me so I could spend more time with my family. They said, ‘Sure, but we’re going to cut your pay,’” Nestor said.
One of his former colleagues had made the jump to Love’s and recommended he apply. Nestor started out as a mystery shopper, then transferred to the operations manager role before being promoted to restaurant manager.
Because of the commitment to teamwork and cross training, Nestor’s Arby’s crew feels confident to step up and help Customers without having to ask permission first.
“If the store team is shorthanded, my restaurant team will handle courtesy checks to make sure our restrooms are getting attention. If one of my employees running the register gets a complaint from a customer, she knows what to do because I’ve already given her the tools to be successful,” Nestor said.
As for his own career, Nestor aspires to a higher level of management where he can spread more positivity. First, he has his sights set on having his Arby’s become a Certified Training Restaurant, where team members from other locations can learn from the best.
With a solid foundation of teamwork and hunger to learn, Nestor knows his team is on the right track.
“When you build that momentum of empowerment, nothing but good things happen. Our team members take pride in what they do. Our customers see it, they love us and keep coming back,” he said.
At Love’s, we strive to give employees across our family of companies the opportunity to grow in their careers. To accelerate your career with us, visit jobs.loves.com.