Real Talk with Real Owners: Ernest Royball of Farmington, NM
15 Aug 2016
Ernest Royball has been a restauranteur for most of his
professional life, having owned local restaurants in Albuquerque for several
years. After moving to Farmington and briefly leaving behind the world of
foodservice, Ernest got the opportunity to become a Dickey’s franchisee.
“I decided on Dickey’s because it has a great system and
good plan in place,” Ernest says. “The corporate support is excellent and I
know I can call on any department if I have questions.”
Training was key for Ernest in the early days. He had experience
running restaurants, but in Barbecue University, Dickey’s four-week training
program, Ernest learned how to operate the Dickey’s way. “Training was
instrumental in my success. I knew going in that I would be successful because
I had the hands-on training in all of Dickey’s standards.”
Having just celebrated his store’s first anniversary, Ernest
has dedicated himself to community engagement. He sponsors sports teams,
concerts and pitches in to help the community at every possible opportunity.
Through his proactive community marketing efforts, he has gotten anywhere from
five to 100 new guests. This has not only earned him a trustworthy reputation
in Farmington, but encouraged other local businesses to get involved in the
community. “My goal is to create a sense of togetherness,” says Ernest. At the
end of his first year, we would say he has accomplished that goal. Happy
anniversary, NM 1153!
