Interview by Lauren Goforth | Image by Ryan McGill
WL: Tell us about your background.
KH: My family is from Cullman, where I grew up. My dad opened Domino’s here in Jasper, and I started working there when I was 12 or 13. I have never done anything else because I love it! I became a manager in 2003 when I graduated high school and became the General Manager in 2012.
WL: What does your day-to-day look like?
KH: When I’m not working a shift making pizzas, I’m ensuring the team is doing what needs to be done and doing it efficiently. At a corporate level, Domino’s is doing a lot to ensure we can do our jobs better, so I ensure we stay updated on technology. So much of what we do can be improved, so we constantly find ways to enhance our systems. We come up with different ideas, we hear other people’s ideas, and we find ways to implement them.
WL: What improvements have you made since taking on your leadership role?
KH: I took on the role because we needed somebody to step up, and I knew I could handle it, so I insisted on doing it. The food business can be crazy; it’s a lot of scheduling, knowing what you need to do, and making sure not to run out of food. We run better service, have a great team, and are one of the largest Domino’s stores in the United States. I would love to say it’s because of me, but it’s not. We have great help, are constantly learning and growing, and get pointers from other Domino’s restaurants, and we are in a better place. It is important to me that my people have a good leader they can rely on and trust; I want to be that for my team.
WL: Are you planning to own the business one day?
KH: I do plan to get more into the ownership part of the business one day. My father passed away in 2020, and my mother owns it now, but we’re running it together. She does the financial part of the business, and I do the operations. It has been difficult at times, and it has been great at times, and we keep rolling with it. But that’s what has gotten me to this point; hopefully, it will be mine one day. When you have a goal, it makes it so much easier to stick with it. I love it, and I don’t know if I will ever quit working shifts because it’s what I like.
WL: What would you say is the most rewarding part of the job?
KH: I love seeing other people learn their jobs without needing my help. I’m at an age where I love seeing other people become independent!
WL: What advice do you have for someone stepping into a leadership role?
KH: It’s essential to step up and take on the role. As long as you find something worth your time, it’s worth it. Helping my family and achieving my goals keeps me going. It’s about making a difference and watching something grow. We started in a little hole-in-the-wall in 1985 and moved to a new location in 2018. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come.
WL: What community organizations or initiatives are you involved in?
KH: I used to go to and from work and didn’t pay much attention to what was happening around me. My five-year-old little boy changed my perspective and shifted my priorities. He has just started school at TR Simmons Elementary, so I wanted to get involved with the school system. Domino’s helps a lot with fundraising, for example, we have cards for a buy one, get one free pizza that we sell to the schools for a dollar, and they get to sell them for $10. They sell great and make a great fundraiser. I also like to help with Raising Arrows when I can. When COVID-19 hit, it blew my mind that there were kids who weren’t getting to eat, they weren’t going to school, so they were limited on meals. I wanted to help fight that. My son has changed my perspective.
WL: Lastly, what is your go-to meal at Domino’s?
KH: Definitely the chicken wings! Or ordering the specialty chicken and putting it on a salad. Delicious!
