Jillian’s is FUN! Community Blog

Seattle Jillian’s Working Women’s Wednesdays; WOW’s Everyone!!!

It was our last Working Women’s Wednesday, and again IT WAS A TOTAL HIT!!! We saw nurses in scrubs, professionals in heels, and ladies in tennies ready to EAT, DRINK, AND PLAY!!!  Always a fun crowd of women ready to kick back, network, and win some awesome prizes!  I would like to thank the  AMAZING staff from MOViN’ 92.5; especially DJ’s: Brooke and Monti!  I would also like to thank Team Seattle who WOW’S me every single day! YOU GUYS ROOOOOCK!!!

Good Bye

This Friday, after eighteen years, one month and one week I will be leaving Jillian’s in Seattle to pursue new opportunities outside the hospitality industry. Being in one job this long has been a unique experience; one that has afforded me the opportunity to watch a business built almost literally from the ground up. In the course of that time I have seen the ups and downs of business cycles, the impact of wars, the challenges of natural disasters and the tides of history itself. In fact, it is amazing sometimes, for me to consider that some of the employees I am managing now were toddlers when Stephen Foster built what was then called “the yuppie pool hall” on the southwest shores of Lake Union.

As with the conclusion of any epic, the list of credits is long. Nevertheless, as I leave I have to take the time to thank all the Managers, Regional Managers, Event Coordinators, Kitchen Managers, Supervisors, Promotions Directors, House Pros and Bookkeepers (when we had them) who have shared some part of my journey. For good or ill, they were my partners in this venture and I learned something from each and every one of them. They are, going backwards through the years: Kai Gregerson, Victor Balderas, Sergio Da Costa, Kerstan Lindsay, Gerene Young, Stephanie Miller, Lauren Anderson, Sam Everly, Joel Pritsch, Josh Harris, Ali Van Nest, Angel Merino, Joel Droba, Bryce Lindholm, Damon McSpadden, Dave Whimpey, Don Gilbert, Cidnee Edwards, Adam Riehl, Christa McCutchen, Devon Isaakson, Tony Kadow, Cynthia Williams, Scott Davidson, Shan Roath, Lewil Shedd, Jeff Morgan, Tiffany Taylor, Myles Drutarosky, Teddy Montgomery, Andy Bynum, Patrick Dwyer, Tony Humphreys, Victor Bondurant, Tom Ducca, Christian Castillo, Michael St. Pierre, Bryan Webster, Greg Rogers, David Brekke, Sean Richards, Todd Jackson, Thomas Dillman, Steve Carter, Sue Carroll, Jessie Wells, Bridgette Candee, Valene Carter, Shelbi Mattila, Will Sohner, Paul Alexander, Dave Warner, Joe Ziskovsky, Kevin McKenna, Anessa Benedict, Jenn Silliman, Fred Minshall, Kevin Mizuta, Gayson Harwell, Dave Sanclemente, Rob Ledger, Matt Hilsabeck, Chris Barrios, James Beckley, Kimberly Kirk, Scott Dickson, Gary Said, Chris Weaver, Chris Corsi, Shari Harper, Chris Wong, Kim Suther, Dan Yaplee, John P. Enis, Sandra Bird, Boris Chong, Chris Gresham, Harry Robinson, Stephanie Wiper, Patti Stebben, Linda Carter, Robin Wong, Patricia Ambur, Tom Elliot, Leslie Dillon, Mark Smith, Donna Jo Rosenberg and last, but certainly not the least, King Cole.

There are three individuals from the corporate office who deserve special mention for always being “there” for me and rendering valuable assistance from afar: they are Mary Lee Leger, Eugene Rueger and Chip Romp. I would also like to give a shout out to Teresa Schultz in Payroll and John Sowders and James Lee from IT for the many times they came to my rescue. James, I am sorry I yelled when you suggested shutting down the MICROS and rebooting during Super Bowl Sunday while the Seahawks were playing; thank you for finding a way to add in more table numbers without having to do that.

As I leave, I am also remembering Lesley Spann and Fred Minshall, two comarades-in-arms lost along the way. I will never forget either one of them. My journey would not have been complete without them and wherever they are, I know they are toasting me with their favorite beverage as I move into the next phase of my life.

In leaving I would like to recall for you something that Dave Sanclemente once said to me about how to run a business. I think it applies to any organization. An enterprise is like a pyramid: on one side you have your people – your personnel, on the second side you have your public - the people you serve, on the third side you have your profit – your organization. In a perfect world, all sides would be equal. However, we don’t live in a perfect world. It is, therefore, the job of everyone in the enterprise to work towards making all three sides as equal as possible. When one side is sacrificed for the sake of one or the other two, the pyramid will collapse and the enterprise will fail.

Finally I would like to bid a fond farewell to the staff of Jillian’s in Seattle. On the whole, it has been my pleasure to work alongside them in the trenches during good times and bad. They have always been kind enough to indulge me in the fantasy that it was I who was running things – when in fact it was they who carried the heaviest load all along. I have witnessed so many of you (thousands, perhaps) as you grew up, took on life’s challenges, succeeded, failed, moved up, moved out and moved on.

Now it is my turn to move on. In so doing, I wish you all the best in the years ahead.

Sincerely,
Cary S. Toland

Jillian’s Seattle April Employee of the Month

We are pleased to announce that Valdemar Huguet is the Employee of the Month for April 2008. Val began working at Jillian’s over a year ago as our Front Desk Host and quickly became an important and invaluable member of our team. Each day Val works to create a wonderful Jillian’s experience for all of our guests. His positive attitude, welcoming presence, and warm smile consistently greets each person as they enter and exit the club. Val’s extensive knowledge of the club and his ability to be a good listener allows him to answer to the needs of all of our clients whether in person or on the phone. Val is always willing to lend a helping hand, and his optimistic and vibrant personality makes working with him a pleasure.
Thank you Val for all of your hard work, we truly appreciate you!
Jillian’s Management Team

1993 - Champaign IL

1993. Seems like a lifetime ago. In 1993 a young guy out of Arkansas named Bill Clinton assumed the presidency.  In 1993, the internet was only known to a few folks at universities and in government labs. In 1993 CDs were the rage. In 1993, gas was LESS than $2.00 per gallon. In 1993, VCRs were the only means to record and re-watch movies and TV shows. And in 1993 we opened a Jillian’s in Champaign ,IL. Many things have changed over the 15 years. CDs are no longer the primary way we get our music. VCRS are obsolete. Bill Clinton is an old guy now, and unfortunately -as of today - we have exited the Champaign market.

We had a great run of it over the 15 years. In fact, we pretty much owned the Southern end of town for most of this time. We served the entertainment needs of the University of Illinois, local residents, and many in the business community. In 1993 and for most of these past 15 years, the dowtown area of Champaign (about 1.5 miles north of us) was a blighted afterthought. A relic from the 50’s. Old storefronts sat vacant as retail had moved out to the suburbs to the north. Downtown Champaign had no reason to exist. But that changed about 2-3 years ago as local operators discovered that these old storefronts were perfect for bars, restaurants, nightclubs. During this time downtown Champaign experienced a resurgence. A new life. It’s actually a cool, hip fun place that people want to hang out in. And as this area exploded it slowly but surely sapped the life out of our business.

 The decision to close is never an easy one for us. Especially when we have so much history in a town. We evaluate all of our options. Should we re-invest. Should we re-locate. Should we change our entertainment offerings. But in this case every option we considered ran into the same issues. This is a very small market, and there have been a plethora of new competitors that have come in, splitting the market in ways that makes it too difficult to compete. Simply put the market isn’t big enough for all the players. And unfortunately for us, we are outpositioned geographically. We’re not easy to get to, and we don’t have enough parking. So we decided to close.

15 years is something to be proud of. Think about each of the markets we operate in and how many competitors have come and gone in the time we’ve been there. 15 years in our business is a lifetime. We are proud of what we brought to the Champaign market and we are grateful to the teammates who brough us the years of success in Champaign. We wish them all well. As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. GS

Team Seattle Makes 80’s Night Thier Own!

Team Seattle looked totally awesome tonight for our “80’s Night;” a promotion we have just started doing every Friday Night!  The staff is really getting into it and making it their own.  Big hair, leg warmers, off the shoulder t’s, and side pony tails, rocked the floor at Jillian’s Seattle. It’s great as the guests know something FUN is going on! A BIG THANK YOU TO TEAM SEATTLE-WHO IS TOTALLY BODACIOUS!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Bruno MADE A DIFFERENCE!!

Our mission statement may be “Your Fun is Our Business”, but during the six weeks of Jimmy V, “Fundraising was our business!” It is not unusual for our location to have one team member who out shines all the rest, one team member who sets the bar for that years fundraising ability. And this year was no different. Well no, I take that back. This year WAS different. For the first time it was not our Servers, but our Door Staff who took the lead in terms of commitment, enthusiasm, and dollars raised. This was due to an incredible employee that we are honored to have, Bruno Kautai. Bruno not only set the bar for the past six weeks, but he set the bar for years to come!

Bruno took a company wide fundraising event and made it personal, he MADE IT HIS OWN. Bruno would come in each day, get his pens, orange JV flags, and set up his donation station at the front desk. He EMBRACED THE OPPORTUNITY to go above and beyond what was expected of him. Once the rest of the door staff saw how excited he was about it, they all jumped on board. Bruno was infectious! Bruno showed the rest of the guys that EVERYTHING MATTERS when you are raising money. A few of his pointers were: Ask every person that comes through if they want to donate. And when you ask, make sure you not only say Jimmy V, but that you say cancer research. And lastly, NEVER ask for one dollar, ask for a donation. They may pull out $20!

As the six weeks came to a close, and much of the staff was feeling like we may not reach our goal, Bruno WOWED us all by raising his enthusiasm even more! In the last few days, he even got a little competition going among the door staff for who could raise the most money! In the end, what Bruno really did was MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I can honestly say that without Bruno, we never would have raised the $9,617.00 that we did. If I had to guess, I would say that 70% to 80% of the money we raised came directly from Bruno’s relentless enthusiasm and encouragement of his teammates.

Fundraising aside, Jimmy V is really about so much more. It is six weeks of conscious raising and education on an illness that claims too many, too soon. It is an opportunity to take a step back and realize the good that we have in our lives, and reminds us to cherish it. And most importantly, it gives us an opening to talk and remember those who have left us due to Cancer. I cannot tell you how many people – staff, vendors, and guests – I heard share with Bruno stories of loved ones that they have lost. You could tell how happy people felt to have a moment to share their stories, and make a donation in honor of their loved one. From the minute you started talking to Bruno you could tell that this came from his heart. He was not out to win a contest or have bragging rights, he was out to help in any way that he could. If that is not MAKING A DIFFERENCE, I really don’t know what is.

From all of us in Seattle, THANK YOU BRUNO!!!

Jillian’s Seattle: Best Happy Hour In Town!!!

It’s the third week of our Working Women’s Wednesday Happy Hour, and it keeps getting bigger and better!  This week local MOViN radio dj’s; Brooke and Monti made a joke during their morning show while plugging the event that there would be a Matt Damon look alike contest, and even though they said they where just joking, we definitally saw the power of radio.  I heard this plug on my way to work and when I walked in the door we had already been getting calls on it!  An awesome group of professional men and women showed up this week to unwind from a long day at the office, network, enjoy drinks and food, win PRIZES, recieve a chair massage, and even get their eyebrows waxed!!! It was another SUPER FUN Wednesday Happy Hour at Jillian’s Seattle!!! Tune in next Wednesday; word on the street, we’re having FIREFIGHTERS!! Jillian’s Seattle has definitally been blessed latley with the firefighters!!! 

a little bit of green in san francisco

earth day has come and gone and we are trying to make a difference - every little bit helps right?? we stopped drinking bottle water ( reports say that tap water is better for you anyway ) , we are turning off computers at the end of the day and not printing as much as we have in the past.  we have 3 colored bins - blue : glass and plastic, green for compostable items ( paper, food and our biodegradable plastic cups ) and  brown  for trash. since we started using all of the bins the trash one doesn’t fill up 1/2 as much!!! do what you can today to make a difference!

Team Evansville — Wowing the Guest

Letter received to Jim Ames in Evansville…. 

Dear Jim, 

My name is ****. I was visiting from Indianapolis, IN & had 4 players cards that where not good at your facility.  I had my nephew and granddaughter here for Spring Break and they were very excited & happy to play games, etc.  But the cards were not usable here. 

Jeremy Almon was very, very apologetic and nice and helpful to me and my family, so was Travis Lively & Ross.  GREAT & SUPERB Customer Service.  Great & Wonderful Group you have working for you. 

 ***** 

Great job to the team in Evansville for realizing an opportunity to get new cards in the guests hands since our systems aren’t compatible between Indy and Evansville!!!!  To Jeremy, Travis and Ross … great job hold high the core value of Wowing Everybody !!!!�

Seattle Event Sales Manager makes a difference!!!

Cidnee Edwards, Seattle’s very own star event sales manager, exemplified what it truly means to make a difference. Cidnee determined to exemplify what it is to give back paired up with a local organization to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society here in Seattle to organize an evening benefit in our club. This included food, drinks and fun for all! The fun made the night here in Seattle - as we had our very own local best firefighters auctioned off for this great cause. The bidding was high! Not only did the highest bidders win a date out at different local restaurants with the firefighters, but also helped to raise money for this great charity that effects so many. Overall the vibe was amazing, and it brought in many high profile contacts in our community into the club while helping benefit an extremely important cause. Cidnee worked hard to organize and execute flawlessly from entertainment to vendor sponsorship to service and beyond, all while continuing to book events for an amazing month here in Seattle! This evening was successful at raising over 7 thousand dollars for this charity and all during a snow storm! It could not have been done without Cidnee’s true giving spirit, hard work and dedication.

I also wanted to point out the amazing job done by the staff, our promotion star, Stephanie Miller and Cidnee’s equally amazing partner, Lauren Anderson in executing this event flawlessly and winning all of these guests over with World Class Service and heartfelt hospitality.  

Continue reading Seattle Event Sales Manager makes a difference!!!…

Jillian’s Seattle Makes A World of Differance!!!

Jillian’s Seattle threw an “Earth Day Celebration” tonight to raise funds and support for a Local Charity called: The Cascade’s People Center.  They are a local non-profit group that promotes building strong families; in order to build strong communities.  The organization brought in staff, set up a table, and spoke with our guests’ to raise awareness.  In the spirit of trying to conserve we decorated the club with recycable materials; including empty cans, and bottles used as vases, with beautiful tulips in them. Drink specials, a house plant raffle, and giveaways made for a FUN night. Seattle-lite’s where excited to be part of such a positive celebration!!!  ***BEING GREEN IS  SUPER FUN!!!***

Thank you Tamekia!

I believe it is very important to recognize when employees go above and beyond their call of duty and in Cleveland Heights I have seen Tamekia Cain do this on several occasions.  Yesterday Tamekia came in on her day off, and through her own free will, wanting to take me to market Jillian’s to a local college.  On the car ride she talked about what Jillian’s parties “used to be like” and listed many ideas of how to bring the corporate parties back.  She was full of past successes, great new ideas, and most important, positive energy!  Once at Case Western Reserve College she helped me find the best places/people to talk to and gave her own plug for Jillian’s and about our Thursday college night; she was great, very professional and energetic.  Overall, through her actions and her conversations, it is more than evident that Tamekia truly cares about this company.  I found her passion and energy to be contagious, which was at perfect timing as I was starting to get a little discouraged in a new club, much different than I was used to.  I am very appreciative of the help and advice and look forward to working with Tamekia and the Heights staff to make the events the best they can be! �

Norfolk Jillian helps “Mr. Mom”

A guest came up to me today to thank us for the service he received Saturday in our game room.  He said that his wife is out to sea on an eight -month deployment with the military, so he is playing “Mr. Mom,” as he put it, to his two young sons.  The younger of the two is currently potty training and had an accident while he was here.  He told me they had been to other restaurants where the same incident had occurred and had been embarrassed by the staff.  When the incident happened here on Saturday, Marty his server and TC our party coordinator went out of their way to make sure he was taken care of.  They moved him to a clean booth and made sure not to make a scene.  He said he couldn’t thank us enough for making him feel comfortable and not ostracized during a normally embarrassing moment.  He said it was the best service he has ever had and would definitely be back.  This is great to hear especially since he is an employee at Bank of America;  a company that has around 500 employees, in a building located within walking distance of our club.  When he came in today, it was with a group of twenty of his fellow coworkers: evidently good news travels fast.  We want to thank Marty and TC for their outstanding service.

Jillian’s Seattle;Throws Kanye West Pre-Party For Working Women’s Wednesday!

Jillian’s and local radio station MOViN’ 92.5 threw it’s second happy hour today and it was: OFF THE HOOK!!! Kanye West and Rhianna are preforming in about an hour at Key Arena, and people are PUMPED!!! MOViN’ gave away tons of tickets to the show as well as shuttled guests in style in a stretch limo to and from the show.  Ladies enjoyed unwinding with the girls, and some pampering from local businesses; with TONS of giveaways and prizes! The men are catching on too, this week we saw guys come out to check out the ladies; which made for an upbeat and FUN crowd!!!   

“Wicked-Rad-WOW!” Team Seattle Introduces 80’s Night!!!

Club Seattle threw our first 80’s Party on Friday Night and it was “like totally bodacious!” Our staff was stoked, and dressed up in 80’s threads to join in the FUN! DJ XTC spun the decades top hits including; Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, and YES even The New Kids On The Block! The crowd young and old where smiling and groovin’ as these songs took them back! Drink Specials, 80’s themed games, and prizes; made the night totally awesome! I couldn’t get over how much FUN everyone was having both guests and staff so; I had to take TONS of pictures!!! My job is so totally tubular, and Team Seattle gives our first 80’s Night a “WICKED RAD WOW!!!”

ENJOY the pics, I’ve gotta cut loose, Footloose is my jam!!!

Continue reading “Wicked-Rad-WOW!” Team Seattle Introduces 80’s Night!!!…

Jillian’s Seattle Hosts; Working Women’s Wednesdays with MOViN’ 92.5FM!!!

Jillian’s Seattle kicked-off our ULTIMATE happy hour today; featuring Brooke and Monti from local radio station: MOViN’ 92.5!!! They will be our happy hour guests’ every Wednesday through the month of April for: Working Women’s Wednesdays!  It was a suuuper great turn-out with both men and women looking to network, have an afterwork cocktail, unwind, and have some FUN!!!  Drink specials, awesome giveaways, and special booths are set up weekly to treat the ladies! Catch my blog next Wednesday as 92.5 and Jillian’s will be hosting the WWW’s Kanye West Pre-Show Party!!! Two guests will win tickets to the show and be taken in style in a stretch limo!!! 

Guitar Hero at Norfolk

This may be outdated but I felt it was needed to express my appreciation towards the staff at Jillian’s in Norfolk, VA for the Guitar Hero tournament.  I never heard of the place until it was brought to my attention and I have been coming back since.  I would love to see Guitar Hero there more often and not even as another tournament but just as a weekly fun item.  Once again thanks and keep up the great work.

Jillian’s Seattle Holds Silent Auction To Raise Money For Jimmy V!!!

Thanks to our local supporters, Jillian’s Seattle was able to hold a Jimmy V. Silent Auction on Saturday Night.  We had LOTS of great stuff to bid on including: a Trek Mountain Bike, Hammock, i-Pod, and a signed foot-ball by Seattle Seahawk’s very own: Marcus Trufant!  It was a FUN way to raise money and awareness for this AWESOME organization!Thanks to all who participated!!!                                                    

 

Team Seattle ROCKS The Final Four!!!

Today; Team Seattle saw a great turn-out of excited fans as the Final Four comes to an end! Ice cold beer, yummy food, and basketball: life is GOOD!  The servers, bartenders, bussers, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE ROCK STARS IN THE KITCHEN; did an AMAZING job today!  Guests where pleased and a good time was had by all!  Thanks Team Seattle for always throwing one heck of a party!!!

more photos from our day at alcatraz

thanks darren for posting the original photos - just wanted to add 2 more to showcase our day out. ( sorry they took so long to post i was busy focusing on sales  )

we arrived at the pier at 8 am for an 8:30 ferry to the island - the views of sf were amazing - we met our garden host and for hours weeded, pruned and trimmed back over grown areas. so many tourists took our photos like we were part of the attraction. next time we will wear jillian’s t - shirts!!  we brought 2 much lunch so we fed the park rangers who were very grateful for the tasty wraps, cookies and chips!

i wanted to personally thank the crew for coming out and giving back to the community!

jennifer

Continue reading more photos from our day at alcatraz…