Deborah Bodden, Martha Powery, and Nin Rivers are Pizza Hut’s longest standing employees; collectively they have clocked up an impressive 75 years.
All three employees started their careers with Pizza Hut when it first opened its doors a quarter of a century ago on West Bay Road.
Deborah Bodden-Wilkinson started as a waitress, working her way up through the ranks to her current position as assistant manager. She is now responsible for the overall running of the restaurant and scheduling of the staff. She says at times it can be a tough job, but she loves it all the same.
“I’ve dedicated 25 years of my life to working at Pizza Hut, but it’s a job that I really enjoy,” she says. “I particularly like dealing with the customers.”
Deborah started her career as a waitress at Morgan’s Harbour and applied for a job at Pizza Hut when she heard that it was scheduled to open.
One of the first fast food American chains, she recalls the early days when customers would line up outside the store. “I remember having to buy a new pair of shoes nearly every week,” she says. “They would be worn down. That’s how busy we were.”
Today, Pizza Hut maintains its loyal fan base. Deborah says that Saturdays are one of the busiest days and that the restaurant’s pepperoni pizza continues to be the most popular.
Martha Powery started the same day as Deborah; in fact both ladies carried out their training together. Martha is an expert pizza maker – responsible for making Pizza Hut’s dough, sauces and salads.
She says the secret to Pizza Hut’s great tasting pizzas is down to her expert dough making. “I know how to knead it just right,” she says.
Martha says she has stayed with Pizza Hut thanks to the great team that she works alongside and the flexible working hours.
Like Deborah, Martha started at Pizza Hut part time, supplementing her income from Holiday Inn as a short order cook to help raise her four young boys. When a full time position was offered, she jumped at the chance and hasn’t looked back since. “I love working here, we are a great team,” she says.
Employee Nin Rivers has worked alongside both Deborah and Martha for 25 years. Unemployed at the time, she heard about the opening at Pizza Hut through a friend and has remained a loyal employee all these years.
Nin is in charge of the dishwasher. “It’s plenty of work,” she says, “but enjoyable all the same. It’s down to the people I work with.”
Taddeus Langley is also one of Pizza Hut’s longest serving employees. He has been at the restaurant for some 12 years, in charge of keeping all the equipment maintained. He trained as a machine mechanic and says he loves the sense of team spirit at Pizza Hut.
Indeed, it is a sentiment echoed by all employees. It seems that it is the hardworking, dedicated team at Pizza Hut that gels everyone together.
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