M. John Martin ’86 A.S. Culinary Arts; ’06 Hon. President of The Capital Grille and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood Darden Restaurants Inc. Orlando, Fla. As a restaurant executive, John Martin has hired hundreds of JWU students and alumni — including a former teacher. “Brian Foye was a teaching assistant who gave me a B as a final grade,” Martin recalls. “I told him I felt I deserved an A and he responded, ‘Mr. Martin, I didn’t give you that grade, you earned it.’ Several years later, Brian walked in for an interview with Capital Grille. When I realized who he was, I said, ‘I remember you, you were that teacher who gave me a B!’ He said, ‘I didn’t give you a B, you earned that B.’ I ended up hiring him, if only to get my revenge.” At 54, Martin’s management style has evolved to accommodate millennials and their motivations. “Instead of saying, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’ you must explain why you’re doing it and discuss the big picture. I used to take it more personally when people would question me, but now I’ve learned to change my opinions.” His company has also adapted to higher minimum wages, the Affordable Care Act, and what he surmises could be the biggest issue: tips and tip credit. “I think the restaurant industry is going to look completely different in five to ten years, with more fast-casual restaurants. I think there will always be great restaurants where people want to sit down, but labor laws will heavily shape how the more day-to-day restaurants operate. “What’s most rewarding is the employee impact we’ve had over 25 years. There are people who started as dishwashers and became executive chefs, going from minimum wage to more than $100,000 a year. Those opportunities can change the trajectory of people’s lives — they can buy a house, move to a better school district, send their kids to college — it’s the American dream. The restaurant industry is one of the few businesses where you can still start at an entry-level position and literally work your way to the top.”
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