When I started working at Wings and Rings at 18, I wasn't thinking about building a career. Believe it or not, I wasn't even really looking for a job. I had gone into the New Braunfels restaurant one day while waiting for a friend to get off work. Someone put an application in front of me, and I figured it seemed like a cool place to work. I filled it out, got the job and caught on pretty quickly.
At the time, I thought serving would simply help me make some money while I went through college. Fifteen years later, I'm the general manager.
My story is a reminder of something I try to tell younger employees today: Don't take your first job lightly. You may not know where it's going to lead, but the habits you build there can follow you for the rest of your career.
I grew up in New Braunfels from the time I was about 10 years old and attended New Braunfels High School. My dad also had a background in restaurants. He owned restaurants and worked as a district manager, so I grew up watching him lead teams and businesses.
Still, I didn't initially see myself following that path. That changed when I found out I was going to become a father at 22. I had been taking a break from school and was preparing to go back, but becoming a parent made me reconsider what I wanted my future to look like. I decided to see how far I could take the opportunity I already had in the restaurant industry.
Around then, Wings and Rings added a server lead position for each shift. I wanted it, but I wasn’t picked. That bothered me, and I decided I needed to step up if I wanted to be taken seriously.
I started putting more effort into my job. I wanted to become the person everyone could turn to when there was a problem. Over time, that effort was recognized. I moved from serving to bartending and eventually into management.
When I became a manager, I realized this could truly be a career. I had my dad's example to look toward, and I began setting bigger goals for myself.
Working my way through different restaurant positions has also shaped how I think about leadership. I don't like to call myself anybody's boss. I consider myself a leader, and there's an important difference.
A leader shouldn't simply tell people what to do. If you're not willing to put yourself in a position where you can listen to and learn from somebody else, you're never going to be a good leader yourself. A leader should be willing to jump in and do the job alongside the team, setting the example rather than just giving instructions.
That approach is especially important in restaurants. When you've served tables, worked behind the bar and experienced the challenges your employees face firsthand, you have a better understanding of what you're asking from them.
Leadership also means recognizing that you don't have all the answers. Communication changes. Workplaces change. Generations change. You have to continue listening and learning.
I've been fortunate to have people who modeled that for me. My dad was my first and biggest role model. My boss, Levi, has been another important mentor, as was Jessica, the general manager before me. Without the leadership and mentorship I received from others, I don't think I would have reached this point as quickly as I did.
Now, it's my responsibility to pay that forward.
One of the accomplishments I'm most proud of isn't a promotion or a business milestone. It's knowing I've helped younger employees learn lessons they can take with them when they move into the next chapter of their lives.
Not everybody who works in a restaurant at 18 is going to spend 15 years in the industry like I did. They might go to college, enter a trade, start a business or pursue an entirely different career. That's OK.
But I want them to leave with something useful. Restaurant work teaches responsibility, communication, teamwork and problem-solving, along with how to perform when things get stressful. Most importantly, it teaches work ethic.
That's why my advice to somebody starting their first restaurant job is simple: Give it your full effort.
It doesn't matter whether you're serving tables or someday become the CEO of a company. If you don't learn to take your responsibilities seriously and put effort into your work, it's going to be difficult to succeed later. The position may be temporary, but the work ethic you're developing isn't.
I'm especially grateful that I've been able to build my career in the community I consider home.
Community involvement has always been important to me. Growing up, I coached youth football, helped different organizations and worked with the high school football team. That commitment continued when I joined Wings and Rings.
Our team participates in New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce mixers, works with local high schools as well as their teams and organizations, supports rodeo season and regularly provides food and monetary donations. We've also volunteered together, including spending time with local seniors.
We want people to hear "Wings and Rings" and recognize us as a business that gives back. We want to be successful, but we also want to spread that success throughout the community that supports us.
For me, that idea connects back to leadership. Whether you're leading a restaurant, mentoring a young employee or supporting your hometown, leadership isn't about a title. It's about being willing to show up, contribute and help the people around you grow.
That's the example my mentors gave me. It's the example I hope to give my employees, and, most importantly, it's the example I want to give my own children.
If they can see that working hard, setting goals and consistently moving toward those goals pays off, then everything I've learned over these past 15 years becomes about much more than a restaurant career.
Wings and Rings
Anthony Hill, General Manager at Wings and Rings New Braunfels, shares lessons on leadership, work ethic and the value of mentorship he learned during his 15-year restaurant career.
When I started working at Wings and Rings at 18, I wasn't thinking about building a career. Believe it or not, I wasn't even really looking for a job. I had gone into the New Braunfels restaurant one day while waiting for a friend to get off work. Someone put an application in front of me, and I figured it seemed like a cool place to work. I filled it out, got the job and caught on pretty quickly.
At the time, I thought serving would simply help me make some money while I went through college. Fifteen years later, I'm the general manager.
My story is a reminder of something I try to tell younger employees today: Don't take your first job lightly. You may not know where it's going to lead, but the habits you build there can follow you for the rest of your career.
I grew up in New Braunfels from the time I was about 10 years old and attended New Braunfels High School. My dad also had a background in restaurants. He owned restaurants and worked as a district manager, so I grew up watching him lead teams and businesses.
Still, I didn't initially see myself following that path. That changed when I found out I was going to become a father at 22. I had been taking a break from school and was preparing to go back, but becoming a parent made me reconsider what I wanted my future to look like. I decided to see how far I could take the opportunity I already had in the restaurant industry.
Around then, Wings and Rings added a server lead position for each shift. I wanted it, but I wasn’t picked. That bothered me, and I decided I needed to step up if I wanted to be taken seriously.
I started putting more effort into my job. I wanted to become the person everyone could turn to when there was a problem. Over time, that effort was recognized. I moved from serving to bartending and eventually into management.
When I became a manager, I realized this could truly be a career. I had my dad's example to look toward, and I began setting bigger goals for myself.
Working my way through different restaurant positions has also shaped how I think about leadership. I don't like to call myself anybody's boss. I consider myself a leader, and there's an important difference.
A leader shouldn't simply tell people what to do. If you're not willing to put yourself in a position where you can listen to and learn from somebody else, you're never going to be a good leader yourself. A leader should be willing to jump in and do the job alongside the team, setting the example rather than just giving instructions.
That approach is especially important in restaurants. When you've served tables, worked behind the bar and experienced the challenges your employees face firsthand, you have a better understanding of what you're asking from them.
Leadership also means recognizing that you don't have all the answers. Communication changes. Workplaces change. Generations change. You have to continue listening and learning.
I've been fortunate to have people who modeled that for me. My dad was my first and biggest role model. My boss, Levi, has been another important mentor, as was Jessica, the general manager before me. Without the leadership and mentorship I received from others, I don't think I would have reached this point as quickly as I did.
Now, it's my responsibility to pay that forward.
One of the accomplishments I'm most proud of isn't a promotion or a business milestone. It's knowing I've helped younger employees learn lessons they can take with them when they move into the next chapter of their lives.
Not everybody who works in a restaurant at 18 is going to spend 15 years in the industry like I did. They might go to college, enter a trade, start a business or pursue an entirely different career. That's OK.
But I want them to leave with something useful. Restaurant work teaches responsibility, communication, teamwork and problem-solving, along with how to perform when things get stressful. Most importantly, it teaches work ethic.
That's why my advice to somebody starting their first restaurant job is simple: Give it your full effort.
It doesn't matter whether you're serving tables or someday become the CEO of a company. If you don't learn to take your responsibilities seriously and put effort into your work, it's going to be difficult to succeed later. The position may be temporary, but the work ethic you're developing isn't.
I'm especially grateful that I've been able to build my career in the community I consider home.
Community involvement has always been important to me. Growing up, I coached youth football, helped different organizations and worked with the high school football team. That commitment continued when I joined Wings and Rings.
Our team participates in New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce mixers, works with local high schools as well as their teams and organizations, supports rodeo season and regularly provides food and monetary donations. We've also volunteered together, including spending time with local seniors.
We want people to hear "Wings and Rings" and recognize us as a business that gives back. We want to be successful, but we also want to spread that success throughout the community that supports us.
For me, that idea connects back to leadership. Whether you're leading a restaurant, mentoring a young employee or supporting your hometown, leadership isn't about a title. It's about being willing to show up, contribute and help the people around you grow.
That's the example my mentors gave me. It's the example I hope to give my employees, and, most importantly, it's the example I want to give my own children.
If they can see that working hard, setting goals and consistently moving toward those goals pays off, then everything I've learned over these past 15 years becomes about much more than a restaurant career.
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