CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — A favorite restaurant is like visiting a little piece of home. The ambiance, the location, the food – but the one thing that really seals the deal, is a good server.
Ariana Montgomery has been working at the Cracker Barrel in Casa Grande for the last seven years, and every day she makes it a point to be unforgettable.
“She’s funny, she’s friendly. She can memorize our order, I never have to tell her what I want. She knows my breakfast menu, she knows my lunch menu, and she knows exactly what you want to drink.” said regular customer Marilyn Bertrand.
But what really makes Ariana stand out is the extra step she takes with every single customer.
“Everybody gets a doodle,” Montgomery said.
The doodle, a small drawing on the back of every receipt, has caused customers to not only come back for return visits but also start a folder keeping the small memories created for them each visit.
Bertrand shared the story of her doodle:
“She walked over to our table, didn’t have a pencil, a paper, anything, asked us our order and away she went," Bertrand said "When it came in, it was perfect. Then when we left, these are all of our receipts that we saved, and on the back of our receipts is a doodle.“
Why does Montgomery take this extra step?
“I just keep doing it because it makes people remember you,” she said.
And that extra step is what Carlos Aguirre shared with her as he presented her with $2,000 on behalf of Ken Garff Kia Bell Road, and the title of Server of the Week.
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