Employees are important component to Jamaican Grill's success
Jamaican Grill serves up serious food and serious service and has been for 30 years. KUAM News spoke with longtime employees who are celebrating the milestone.
According to co-founder Frank Kenney, he believes the restaurant has been able to make it to 30 years, because of three important components - God, loyal customers, and the incredible staff - past and present.
Staff like Christine Matsuoka, general manager of the Mangilao location, who is going on 20 years with Jamaican Grill says she never intended on staying for so long. Starting off as a server, then cashier, and soon after a restaurant manager.
"One of the things I fell in love with in working here is that they are so family oriented. Everyone that comes becomes part of the family and we just go from there. I love the people that I work with - staff, management team, and the owners. They are not only there when you need help or when you have something going on in your life but they are there with everything that you do...and we want to continue that," she said.
And general manager for the Chamorro Village location, Francesca Isimang, who has been with the company for 27 years says at the beginning, it was just a job she needed. "I was still going to school at that time, it becomes a part of a routine, it went from routine to being part of something, and then that something turned into family and family turned into career," she recalled.
Like Kenney said, he's grateful for the employees because of their dedication, hard work and the buy-in to the restaurant's mission- to “wow” every single guest they serve with ya mon,serious food and serious service.
Matsuoka said, "I've seen throughout the years we don't have only new customers, customers that we've had generationally - we've seen them when they were young, and now they are coming in with their kids, and their kids are having kids, so that is the milestone- it's what has had us last this long- it's the community and the generational guests we've built over time."
And Isimang added, "Without the community behind Jamaican Grill, we are really nothing. So we owe it to the people of Guam and all our friends and family, that comes off-island, thank you."