30+ years working at the same restaurant? Why these 3 Memphians have done that (and would again)

The restaurant industry traditionally has struggled with high turnover. In January, restaurant software company Toast found the annual industry turnover rate to be 79.6% over the last 10 years.

While many use a stint in the food service as a steppingstone to reach their long-term employment goals, a select few in some of Memphis' oldest restaurants have made it their career. And while staying at one restaurant for decades wasn’t the plan when they started, it’s not something any of them regret.

Here is a closer look at how three Memphis restaurant employees have made it in the industry, why they’ve stayed where they are and why their personal success translates into success for their employers too.

Finding another family

East Memphis restaurant Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House has been in business since 1977, and that's thanks in part to its longest-tenured employees and strong leadership. Of nearly 120 employees, 23 have worked there for more than a decade, the longest being Diane Kaulker, Folk’s Folly’s general manager who recently celebrated 40 years with the restaurant.

Kaulker began as a hostess in college. After turning down an out-of-town job offer from GE, she quickly became a manager in her early 20s and earned the general manager role in 2004. She said despite the often long hours and hard days, it’s the people she works with who have made staying an easy decision.

“Don't get me wrong, nights and weekends are hard,” Kaulker said. “You miss out on a lot. You're away from your family a lot. So when you're working with a group of people like we do here, you want them to be another good family.”

Antonio Sloane, who’s been with Folk’s Folly for 30 years, said it’s been a pleasure working there with Kaulker, who’s always “made me feel like family.” Starting out as a dishwasher, Sloane worked his way through multiple roles until he reached his current title as head butcher, a promotion that he said “speaks volumes” for the restaurant's commitment to its employees.

It’s partially the familial feeling among staff that has kept Sloane where is today. Having worked in other restaurants before, he knows this kind of working environment can’t be found just anywhere.

“When you pull up, you know you’re [going to work with] somebody you’re going to have fun with, somebody you can communicate with, somebody you can really trust in,” Sloane said.

Other storied Memphis restaurants like The Rendezvous have fostered a similar familial environment among staff through employee retention. Calvin Bell has been with the famous barbecue joint his entire career. He’s not your average waiter — the 34-year Rendezvous veteran has perfected his craft and become the very best at what he does, being voted the best server in the city four of the last five years in Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis poll.

In a restaurant that’s been open as long as The Rendezvous has (it turned 75 in 2023), generations of employees come and go, influencing the next and maintaining a line of experienced and dedicated employees. Bell said the “father figures” he worked with heavily influenced him.

“When I came down here at 13 years old, I was working with a lot of guys much older than me, and I got a lot of knowledge from those guys,” Bell said. “All the stories they used to tell and all the things they used to talk about, caught my attention so rapidly… and that really got me off to a good start, and made me the man I am today.”

Connecting with customers

After working in the same restaurant for decades, it becomes easy to make long-term connections with more frequent customers. The more relationships made, the harder it is to move on.

Kaulker recalled watching a daughter in a family of longtime regulars age from childhood to a married adult. She said it’s fun to maintain those relationships.

“Our customers are really great,” Kaulker said. “It's awesome that we have such long-term staff. You have your family, and then you have your work family, and then you have your customers that, you know, become an extended family.”

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Bell echoed that sentiment nearly word for word. He said sometimes his most dedicated regulars aren’t even hungry when they come in — they just want to stop by and say hi.

“You meet the customers, and you meet the customers' kids,” Bell said. “Generation after generation, I've been here. I'm on my fourth decade. So, you know … it just becomes family.”

Showing a commitment to employees

Creating a working environment that properly supports employees begins at the highest level. Sloane noted his appreciation for the restaurant’s commitment to paying employees through the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as smaller closing periods, like January’s ice storm.

“Everybody knows everybody, communicates with everybody, we all listen to each other,” he said. “And then you got managers and owners who listen to you and understand you. … Why would you go somewhere else?”

Small gestures add up. Folk’s Folly gives out a free meal to each employee every day, a small monetary bonus to employees every five years of their tenure, and recognizes each person on Facebook every anniversary of their hiring.

Most substantially, Kaulker said the restaurant's owners truly listen to her critical feedback — previously, they've lowered the number of hours needed to qualify for insurance. That kind of care is part of why Kaulker said turnover rate is always low at Folk's Folly.

"I don't know of a lot of places that do that," she said. "This is where you're earning your living, and you want to be able to have the benefits to provide for your family as well."

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At The Rendezvous, Bell said that's never something he's had to worry about.

“What hard decision would you have to make?” Bell said. “You’re able to take care of your family, you got paid vacation, health insurance for you and your family. I mean, you're able to live the way you want to live.”

Appreciating job stability

Kaulker has some perspective on how the stability of her job has benefited her everyday life and mental health. She recalled speaking to friends with more cutthroat, corporate jobs who she said were crying before they had to clock in.

“It’s been good. There's not been a reason [to leave],” she said. “It's like, OK, you might make more money than me, but I'm not crying. Money’s not everything, you know?”

For Sloane, there’s no decision to be made when it comes to other jobs. He said his job stability has given him “a lot of peace of mind.”

It’s the same for Bell, who said the benefits and treatment he receives at The Rendezvous have allowed him to “make it in life," and live without regrets.

"I look back on life and thank God I'm blessed, man," Bell said. "And if I had a chance to do it [again], I'd probably do it the same way."

Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at jacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com .

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 30+ years working at the same restaurant? Why these 3 Memphians have done that (and would again)