Jillian’s is FUN! Community Blog

Everything Matters

I think I am about to cry with pride.

      I just checked the mail and there was a letter from the Cleveland Clinic for Timothy Maguire, General Manager Jillians. I thought it was a check for an event but it was not. The letter started of with the words “To inform you of an incident” my heart went “oh my god”. So I will give you what the letter read.

Dear Mr. Maguire:

I wanted to inform you of an incident that my family encountered while at your establishment on 11/03/08.

My wife, son and I went to Jillian’s to eat dinner that night at about 5:45pm. When we entered the restaurant and sat down we were approached by a gentleman who asked if he could sit down at our table. We originally thought he was our server until about 10 seconds later when our actual server (Tamieka)came to the table to kindly greet us. We asked the man (who at that time we realized wasn’t mentally stable) to leave and he did without conflict. After assesing the situation our server asked the manager on duty (Ryan) to escort the gentleman from the restaurant. Following this the manager immediately came over to us to and apologized and returned a minute later with more than enough game tokens to satisfy our son.

I am writing this letter to praise you and your staff in handling the situation. Tamieka was excellent in immediately identifying the problem and Ryan was fantastic in removing this man and rectifying the situation. Our service was excellent and our food was outstanding.

What started off to be a situation keeping my wife and I, and anyone we knew, away from your restaurant only ended in a fun night that will have us coming back whenever possible. You and your staff are to be commended for your excellent establishment,service and cuisine.

Sincerely

W.Elliot Love

                                That is what it is all about caring about the guest

                                    Excellent job Ryan Keyser and Tamieka Cain.

                                             You both make me proud!

                                                  Timothy Maguire

MEMPHIS…HOLIDAY IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE

With the current transition with our Mall to an up-scale, all suites hotel and a remodel in our near future, we decided that if you can’t beat them…. JOIN THEM!!!!

On Wednesday, November 12 we hosted an Open House called “Jilllian’s Holiday in a Construction Zone”.

Our staff was looking sharp with Santa hats, hard hats and construction aprons……

We decorated our building with Holiday Flair!

Guest enjoyed  **EAT**DRINK**PLAY** and everyone was having a great time! Thanks to our kitchen staff, compliments were pouring out about the beautiful and very tasty food! And of course the bartenders were spreading plenty of holiday cheer!

Team Memphis pulled out all the stops and created a HUGE buzz for the Holidays and has everyone very excited about our future remodel.

Oh, and did I mention… several leads were generated for Holiday Parties!

Thank you to Wade, our Fearless GM, and the rest of Team Memphis for their very hard work!

Lights, Camera, “Actors”!

The phone rings….it’s the Obama Campaign office….they want to know if we have availability for a small campaign event.  I gather some information and book them in our private room.  During our conversation, it’s mentioned that there will be a couple of celebrities speaking on behalf of the Obama Campaign for a Change.  I get excited and ask if she can tell me who they are….

Moving on to the evening of the event….the room looks fantastic…red, white and blue linen and balloons make the room burst with color.  The buffet looks amazing…and the crowd is growing…there’s a buzz about who is on the way.

Brian, Shawn and I are outside…anxiously waiting to greet our guests.  With each car that arrives we wonder if it’s them.  Then, finally….they are there.  The car door opens….and they step out one by one and head toward the news crew waiting to get a quick interview.

We’re just inside the door now….their interview is finished…casually, they walk in….Kal Penn and Olivia Wilde from the Fox show House…and Justin Long the Mac guy…along with his list of hit movies….Live Free or Die Hard, Jeepers Creepers, The Breakup, Dodgeball, etc.

Kal Penn grabs my hand and shakes it as I welcome them.  He seems so gracious to be at our Club.  Justin stops by the ATM to get money before they all head for a quick bathroom break….

Now in the private room…they each take their turn talking to Young Professionals of Manchester about the importance of this year’s election and why it’s important that they get out there and vote.  Kal is first…..then he’s followed by Olivia….Justin wraps it up and then ends with a “Go Red Sox!”…..that got the crowd really excited.

It’s meet and greet time…I make my way over to introduce myself and Brian…what a rush it was to be up close and personal with people that we both watch on tv…not to mention a big star like Justin.  We pose for some pictures and get autographs…Justin writes a message for my 6 year old daughter on the cover of a dvd I brought.  We tell them how much we appreciate them coming.  They tell us that THEY are excited to be there….that it’s their best event so far!

Before leaving…they pose with our whole staff for pictures….it’s an event and an experience that none of us will soon forget.

Pasadena Kicks Some Balls!

For those who didn’t get enough playing time in elementary school, kickball lives on in Pasadena. Jake’s has become the home of many local kickball players. Every Friday night you can find the bar and billiards rooms bustling with men and women dressed in athletic shorts, knee high socks and kickball cleats. 

No it’s not a softball team, it’s KICK BALL!
WAKA® is the World Adult Kickball Association® - the preeminent adult kickball organization and the world authority and governing body of kickball.
Team Pasadena host WAKA Kickball event! Jake’s hosted WAKA’s Mid Season/Charity fundraiser last week. The event raised $550 for Union Station, a local homeless shelter!
Interested in supporting your local team? Visit their website at http://www.kickball.com.
“Play Ball”

Evansville’s Successful Pancake Breakfast

On Saturday, September 27th, we hosted our most successful pancake breakfast ever with a division of Metro Christian Center called Sister Keepers. The event was a hit many days even before it took place. Our employees and managers purchased tickets way in advance, brought in friends and families, and helped set up this charity event the night before to be prepared for the following morning. On Saturday morning, Justin McCallister (KM), prepared all of the food himself and that was not a small chore. Included in the food cooked was 15 dozen eggs, 150 hashbrowns, 42 lbs. of bacon and sausage, 17 lbs. of pancakes, and 21 pots of coffee. By 9:15 am, our Watch Cafe was 100% full, receiving many compliments on the food and great set up. By the end of the event, 82 people ate breakfast, 152 tickets were sold, and the amount raised totalled $760. Our thanks go out to Justin, Jeremy Almon (Games/Bowling Mgr.), and Sharron, who volunteered their time off to make this event a success. Not only did we have many guests in Jillian’s who had never been here before, but almost all guests stayed around, toured our club, and bought $200 in game cards before our regular business hours. Since this day, we have had many other organizations and/or schools call about future events with us.

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Team San Francisco helps Project Open Hand

Team San Francisco teamed up with Project Open Hand to help the elderly and those suffering from AID’s.

During the Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival our team helped staff booths, gave out chocolate samples….ate many and sold water all benefiting Project Open Hand.

There was great spirit among the team and who would have turned down donating time at a Choclate Festival?  The event was held at the World Famous Ghirardelli Square at Fishermans Wharf on a great, warm sunny San Francisco Day.

The Event raised $60,000 for the cause. The money will be distributed to different shelters around the Bay Area.

Thanks Team for helping give back.

Tragedy at USC hits close to home

Los Angeles news reported a story of a USC student that was stabbed to death late Wednesday evening after an argument.  I heard the initial story with minimal details, and went on about my day.  While watching the evening news I learned that the victim was from the Fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon.  Sigma Eps hosts rush events at Pasadena as well as Universal twice a year.

We wanted to show our support during this tough time, so we sent the Sigma Eps House a sympathy basket with a card from both clubs.  Although a basket is a small gesture we hope the guys will remember that they are valued by the Jillians Family. �

Pasadena & Universal JAM!

Pasadena and Universal teamed collaborated with a booth at the Let’s Jam! trade show hosted by ISES (International Special Events Society).  A booth perfectly illustrated each of the venues offerings, highlighted by a Nintendo Wii setup.  Although she says it was her “first time playing” Marie did a fabulous job of consistently demonstrating the Wii and how much of a great addition it would be for any event.  In fact, she probably went straight to purchase one for her home after we loaded up!  Our booth was definetely among the most visited and for the longest period of time.  We also handed out cookies, game cards, and plenty of sales kits to event planners from the Los Angeles area.  I’m sure the buy-out success stories are sure to follow!

Who says event planners don’t like to party…

Guest Bartender Contest a huge success!

Jake’s Pasadena is rounding up a month long Guest Bartender Contest.  15 Guest Bartenders signed up to jump behind the bar and serve their guests for 2 hours.  They were encouraged to bring as many people as possible so they could have the highest sales and be crowned “Jake’s Guest Bartender Champion 08″.  Beer Sales Reps, Administrative Asst’s, as well as Managers from local businesses participated.  We’ve got 3 more lined up, but the #1 spot currently belongs to Tiffany from Smith Barney, who also donated all of her $500 in tips to donate to City of Hope Cancer Hospital.

sales and schmoozing

out and about is the key… i always thought i was to busy to hit the streets but after a successful day yesterday i need to reconsider. not only do i work better the busy i am i get more done in less time ( maybe it is time to go to a 4 day work week? )

anyway, i did 5 cookie visits in our surrounding area and randomly knew 2 different people at each place which made the visits fun and exciting ( or was it all the sugar from the cookies i sampled ? )  and when i got back my GM and i went to a convention and visitors bureau mixer at the new academy of sciences and i saw so many familiar faces that it made me realize that out and about is not so difficult. my GM and i played a game while schmoozing - who could get more business cards in a 1/2 hour time frame… guess who won? already sent them info about jillians! i am donating my time tomorrow afternoon to help set up for san francisco food bank event that is hosting 700 potential donors and i am so excited - who will i run into there???

embrace opportunity!

Worcester at the Alexandria Block Party!

Friday the 12th Worcester Jillian’s had the pleasure of attending the block party hosted by Alexandria Realty, for the “residents” of the Bio-Tech park! There were a few companies that we have built relationships with in attendance, but there were many more that hadn’t even heard of Jillian’s! We were 1 of only 5 business’ invited to attend and it was great! I had the Guitar Hero, $5 Game Cards, 1-Hour Free Pool Cards, and plenty of “fun” things to give away! The DJ was awesome and had a group of 10 people play rock-paper-scissors to win a VIP party from Jillian’s! The people came out in waves throughout the day and there were always fresh faces visiting our table! Some of the people that I talked to said that they “used” to come to Jillian’s and after talking with them and letting them know all of the great things that we are having now they said that they are going to be coming back! It was an awesome way to let people know what Jillian’s has to offer without sounding like a sales pitch! We were already fun, and if it is this fun there, just imagine what it is like here! Overall the day was a HUGE success and I even had to call the club and get some more “fun” brought out to me!

Manchester’s Newest Addition

Manchester FINALLY has it’s newest additon!!  After being a week over due, Wendy finally sent me the word this morning that she was in labor….after many hours, I have finally heard from her.  She has a bouncing baby boy.  At this time, I don’t have any stats, and at the time of her text, they hadn’t chosen his name yet.  As soon as I know more, I’ll let everyone know.

CONGRATUALTIONS to Wendy and her husband!!

Melissa

Food Quality….

Impacting Food Quality

To all Jillian’s Kitchen Managers and General Managers,

First of all, let us congratulate all of you for the hard work you have put in recently.  Our new Banquet Packages have thrown some challenges at our staff and our kitchens.  We have introduced new menu items that are doing very well.  The new Café Menu is getting close!!!  Obviously our guests are ready for better selections and variety of items. As Kitchen Managers it is imperative that you all take the time to make sure your food is the best it can be at all times. When your kitchen is producing great food – the word of mouth advertising with our guests spreads quickly!  Your first priority is to ensure Great Food Quality on every shift. This is a huge task and does not happen without proper planning and follow up. We wanted to review some topics and give you some direction that we feel will help your team continue to improve food quality. Please take the time to review this information with your GM. Also team up with your GM to identify areas to improve and put a plan together that addresses how your team will impact these areas. Be ready to share the plan with your GM and Regional.

Continue reading Food Quality…….

Embracing Opportunity with a Heart !!!!

Dave Wallace and the Team from Memphis have given us our Mission and Core Values all rolled up into one FANTASTIC WOW STORY from this past weekend.

Over this past weekend, Hurricane Gustav lined up to hit the Gulf Region. On this anniversary of Katrina, you can image that everybody was nervous and that the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas were not going to see a repeat of years past of so many stranded and helpless in the city.  With that said, the local, state and federal government worked to evacuate Millions of residents to cities of safer ground.   Memphis was one of those cities that saw a major influx of people.  This is when the Memphis team “embraced opportunities.”  The team, lead by Dave Wallace, realized that thousands of people were stressed.   What is happening back at my home?  When can I go back home?  What will it be like when we get back home?   These were a few questions that many of them would have while they were in Memphis waiting.  Dave Wallace and the team “Made this their own” and they created a Jillian’s has a Heart promotion.  Getting the word out to a few radio stations and to ALL the hotels, we let everybody know that Jillian’s would give the families that have been impacted an hour of free games or 2 games of bowling.  Jillian’s reached out to those in need and offered to them what we do best.  A little “FUN.”  So hard to have “fun” in times like this, but it was a way to let all the families that have been impacted know we are empathetic and in our own little way, want to give them something to hopefully put a smile on there face. 

Well this entrepreneurship by the team was received by those impacted and the community with great excitement.  5 Television Stations heard what Jillian’s was doing and we were on the news in the Morning, Mid-day, and evening both Sunday and Monday.  All of the news stations embraced this opportunity to share some heartfelt news with the community.   All the managers Made a Difference as they spoke to; handed out cards to, and just listen to all these families.  

Wow … what a human story, what a way to look at an opportunity to help your fellow man and given them a moment of FUN, what a way as a company to send a message into the community that we have a heart and do the right thing.  

To the entire TEAM of Memphis, I know I speak for everybody when I say how proud that on this past Labor Day weekend, your Labor and love for the community and families that need help gave them all a little spark of joy.  Great job living our Core Values.

Party with the party!

Team SF EMBRACED OPPORTUNITY in a big way last Thursday. They pounced on the Obama acceptance speech and hosted over 300 people who gathered to watch and celebrate an historic moment. They turned an otherwise normal Thursday into a $13,000 day! Phenomenal! This wasn’t about politics for Team SF, it was all about capturing opportunity, and they did a magnificent job.

On a similar but separate path, Captain Carl and Team Columbia are also EMBRACING OPPORTUNITY by sponsoring and hosting a ROCK THE VOTE concert coming up on October 2. This is a huge undertaking by Team Columbia, that will not only result in a great, memorable event, but also will deliver a month of constant media attention for their location, and will further establish them as the undisputed leader for entertainment in their market!  

Folks, I encourage you all to put your personal politics to the side, recognize that you are a vibrant part of your respective communities, and look for ways to EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY as the election season heats up.

GS