In this special edition of What’s In Your Cup, you will learn about our Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Heather Leonard, and the special tradition her and her family have been carrying out weekly for the past 55 weeks. Heather is a cherished member of The Cup and has made a lasting impression through her dedication to Royal Cup employees and customers.
We began our chat by asking, Heather what’s in your cup?
“H.C. Valentine Signature is all we drink in my household,” Heather said. “While at work, I also enjoy the Majestic Bold single serve blend too.”
Heather has been with The Cup for almost 5 years where she leads the Human Resources & Safety teams. She oversees all the different sub functions of HR, including recruiting, compensation, benefits, HR generalist, payroll training and development. In addition to this, she also oversees campus and employee safety.
“This team works so hard every day to deliver for Cuppers at all levels of the organization,” Heather said with a smile. “Whether it be providing an excellent recruiting experience from the first moments a candidate engages with us, or helping an executive leader with strategic initiatives, and everything in between. I am immensely proud to lead this team of dedicated professionals.”
Heather’s admiration for her colleagues and their shared commitment to The Cup was evident throughout our chat.
“I genuinely enjoy the people I get to work with every day. We are all committed to the goal of One Team One Cup and providing excellent service to our customers,” Heather said with a grin.
Heather began her career in HR over 20 years ago when she was hired as a compensation analyst. She immediately fell in love with HR and has been in this field ever since.
“HR is a field that is constantly evolving, is highly complex especially when you operate in as many states as we do, and it really keeps it interesting,” Heather said. “No two days are ever the same. As I like to say, ‘it’s never boring.”
It’s no surprise Heather fell in love with a career that keeps things interesting, because some of the best advice she has been given, and shares with others, is that growth comes by pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone.
“Early in my career, a leader suggested that if I really wanted to grow and develop then I should volunteer for the projects that no one else wants,” Heather explained. “I took that to heart. So, when something unique came up, a special project or things like that, I’d see a lot of people run away from it. However, I chose to run towards it. Being uncomfortable is where growth happens and honestly some of my greatest professional growth came from those projects or assignments.”
Next, we asked Heather what she believed separated Royal Cup from the competition.
“Our values are Quality, Integrity, People, Service, and Value. And we live those each day,” Heather stated. “The quality of our products is unmatched, and we are unwavering in our commitment to consistently deliver a quality product for our customers.”
Heather’s favorite thing about our customers is their commitment to their own customers.
“We have an extremely broad and diverse customer base, each with unique customer sets and expectations,” Heather explained. “For those customers who I have interacted with, I appreciate that they know what their standards are, and they are committed to providing an excellent experience for their customers, just like we are.”
One of our customers, however, holds a particularly special place in Heather’s heart. This story is one we couldn’t resist featuring, and in honor of National Waffle Day, we had to share.
Last August, Heather’s home was in the middle of a remodel, leaving her family's kitchen unusable for the time being. Her then 16-year-old son was about to start school, however their usual tradition of cooking him a big breakfast on the first day wouldn’t be possible this year. So instead of foregoing their tradition this school year, they decided to take him to his favorite restaurant for breakfast instead.
“His absolute favorite restaurant is Waffle House,” Heather said. “If you asked him right now where he wants to go eat, that will 100 percent always be the answer.”
On the morning of the first day of school, Heather and her family shared a big breakfast together at Waffle House. Little did they know this trip to Waffle House would be the first of many and would lead to a new tradition.
The next week rolled around and it was her son’s first football game of the season. He is a 6’3 tight end, so Heather wanted to make sure he ate a big breakfast before the long day ahead. So, they decided to go back to Waffle House that morning before school.
“We weren’t intending this to be an every week thing,” Heather shared, “So when the second football game rolled around the night before, my son goes, ‘We're going to Waffle House again in the morning, aren't we?’ And my husband and I said, sure!”
Heather and her family continued their weekly Waffle House trip throughout the football season and well into the playoffs.
“Once we lost in the playoffs, we assumed that it was going to stop,” Heather said, “but the next week rolled around and my son asked, ‘So when are we going to Waffle House this week?’ At this point, he set a goal to see if we could do this for 52 weeks in a row.”
And so, it began. Over the course of the next 52 weeks, what started as a solution to an unusable kitchen transcended into something much more. Heather and her family not only met their goal of 52 weeks in a row but have continued their tradition and are currently at 55 weeks in a row.
“If your teenager asks to spend time with you, I'm not sure that I know any parents that won't move mountains to make that happen,” Heather shared. “At least an hour a week that I know the three of us are sitting down having a meal together. We're not playing on our phones and the TVs not on. We're just enjoying each other's company and a pretty fantastic meal as well.”
Heather’s son orders the exact same thing every time, the bacon, egg and cheese Texas melt, double hashbrowns with cheese, a side of waffles and a glass of Royal Cup sweet tea. Heather orders the same thing just, “a lot less of it,” she said with a laugh. In the mornings she enjoys a cup of Royal Cup coffee with her meal. Her husband’s go-to order is the bacon, egg, and cheese hashbrown bowl with Royal Cup coffee or a glass of Royal Cup sweet tea.
“There are particular waitresses that know our order right off the bat when we come in,” Heather shared. “There’s been a few times we’ve walked in, and they’d already started making our drinks before we even sat down.”
Even though the location, day and time of their Waffle House trips differ, the experience is the same no matter what.
“It’s always an enjoyable experience,” Heather said. “We enjoy getting to talk to different people and learn different things. No matter what location you go to, it’s the same type of environment and experience. Their menus are the same and they train their employees the same, so it’s a really consistent experience no matter what.”
As my chat with Heather was coming to an end, I asked her if she would recommend this Waffle House tradition to other people.
“I absolutely would,” Heather stated. “Obviously I am going to give a shameless plug for Waffle House because I think it’s a wonderful experience. You can usually get in and out pretty easily. It’s not something you have an hour-long wait or have to make reservations for, and you’re not limited by location. So, when you’re traveling, there’s generally a good chance that you can find one. I think any time as parents that we can find the time with busy work, school and sports schedules to sit down together for an hour and enjoy family time, it’s worth it. This experience has been incredibly rewarding.”
As a long-time customer of ours, this story is even sweeter. We know first-hand the camaraderie and friendliness that exists within the walls of every Waffle House location. It doesn’t matter where you are, if the day is beginning or ending, or if you’re in a suit or pajamas, the Waffle House experience remains the same. We are proud to play a part in that experience. So, in honor of National Waffle Day, here’s to family traditions, long-standing customers, and the memories made over a waffle and cup of coffee.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know more about Heather and her family’s tradition. Stay tuned for next month’s edition of What’s In Your Cup. Until then, happy National Waffle Day. We hope you treat yourself to a waffle and of course, a cup of coffee.
