I started with Pizza Hut as a server, never thinking it would become my career. At the time, I just wanted to wait tables to help pay for college. However, as I gained more responsibility as a trainer and then a manager, I realized it was helping me enhance my resume for the career I wanted in Human Resources Management, which of course involves serving people.
After I earned my undergrad degree, I was able to get a job in our franchise office in the Auditing Department while I studied for my graduate degree. I began to dread the day I would have to move on from the great experiences and amazing friendships that I had developed at Pizza Hut. Fortunately, that day never came. I was offered the position of Human Resources Director for our Maryland franchise, and worked in that role for several years before it was acquired by Quality Huts.
Since then, I have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge even more by working in a field training position and now in my role as People Business Partner for our East and Mid-Atlantic regions. Best of all, I get to make a difference by embracing the company core values of People First and Unparalleled Spirit of Service, two principles that I have always believed in… which is probably what drew me to the server role that started it all. So my message for our team members is, “Pizza Hut may not be your only thing, but it may be the thing that makes all the rest possible.”
Erika, Quality Huts Division
Pizza Hut was supposed to be a summertime job for me in 2007, yet here in 2019 I call it my career!
In 2007, recently graduated from High School, I was looking for a job until I left for college in the fall. As a kid I always loved going to Pizza Hut with my family and getting a pan pepperoni pizza! So, I decided to apply at Pizza Hut to work as a server. I walked in on my first day a wide-eyed new hire not knowing anything about customer service or what it took to be a good server, but I was confident I would do a good job. I quickly learned that being a server was tough work but could be very lucrative and rewarding. I decided that between college breaks I would come back and continue work for Pizza Hut. I ended up falling in love with the job. I loved getting to know the customers and prided myself on remembering their names and their orders. Mrs. Eyster, Medium pan pizza with beef and Cinnabon’s every Friday at Eldersburg Pizza Hut. After college I left Pizza Hut to try a career in Law enforcement. After a year in the police force, I decided that I missed Pizza Hut and the family that I had there. I returned as a driver and after a short time was promoted to a shift leader. I started learning the ins and outs of the business. I quickly fell in love with another part of Pizza Hut, the brand itself. I literally ate, breathed, and lived Pizza Hut! In 2016 I was blessed with a baby girl. In 2016 I needed to now provide for a family. Of course, Pizza Hut provided me with that opportunity. I was promoted to an assistant manager. Six sort months later I was promoted again to General Manager of the Owings Mills Pizza Hut. As excited as I was to be a GM, I was also presented with new challenges. I was used to running shifts but not an entire store. With the help of many mentors, I was able to build a successful store. I was offered to transfer to the Eldersburg location that was struggling at the time to try and restore that business. I applied many of the same tactics that I learn and use at the Owings Mills location. Putting the customer first was a top priority. Focusing on Champs and Hot Fast Reliable numbers became my top priority. In order to do that I had to ensure my team was all on the same page. We had to create a culture people wanted to work in and get the right people in the right places. After becoming successful at the Eldersburg location, I was presented the opportunity to be a training store. I trained countless Assistant Managers, Directors of Operations, People Business Partners, and even a Chief Operating Officer! WOAH! At one point I had a person I trained in every store in my area and a few in other areas as well. Again, I was presented another opportunity and became a multi-unit manager for Pizza Hut. I love what I do and the core values that Quality Huts has. They are all important from putting quality people first to leading with respect to true recognition but I believe that you have to love your job, so the most important core value Quality Huts has is Yeah… we make FUN FOOD and FOOD FUN!
Kyle, Quality Huts Division
I started with the Pizza Hut Brand as a trainee in the Restaurant Manager training program in 1982. I knew instantly I belonged in the Restaurant business. I was awarded the Cumberland Manager of the Year Award for 1983 by corporate Pizza Hut. My team earned this for having the largest increase in sales and profit. After a few years, I moved up to an Area Manager and in 1992, ownership promoted me to the position of Asset Protection Manager. In this role, I worked with our managers to control loss and improve profitability of their restaurants. I led the rollout of an automated point of sale system for our franchise when we upgraded from a manual system in 1996 and added IT Administrator to my responsibilities. Understanding the point of sale system has been beneficial when controlling loss. I was a member of the Pizza Hut Franchise IT/Point of Sale committee from 1999-2015, serving as the Chairperson for eight years. This committee led the direction of the Pizza Hut sponsored technology system with the objective to position it as the preferred choice for all Pizza Hut franchisees. I joined the Quality Restaurant Group in 2018 and direct Operations Technology and Auditing. I place great value in Accountability and Integrity. They have been at the heart of every position I have held. These core values are part of my daily interactions with my team and those we serve.
Tricia, Quality Huts Division