By Andrea McBride
Staff Writer
CARO — During the last 25 years, Pizza Hut manager Louise Hodges has seen growth in the restaurant, her employees and herself.
Friday marked 25 years since Hodges accepted a position as a manager trainee at Pizza Hut in Sandusky. She transferred to the Caro location six months later and helped it become what it is today.
She said the operation of the restaurant has changed significantly since her arrival. Although the steps to make a pizza haven’t changed, the ingredients are fresher, new flavors exist and commissary dough is used. WingStreet was added around 2006 and alcoholic beverages are part of the menu now, too.
State laws and regulations are constantly changing, and Hodges has learned the importance of rolling with the punches and having employees who can do the same.
“It’s never-ending, but you’ve got to know what you’re doing and you’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing,” Hodges said.
Hodges has trained 13 managers now working with the company. She said her crew, past and present, has been great, and she feels fortunate to be able to play a part in their success.
“I’ve seen them grow, I’ve seen their kids grow, I’ve seem them work and then turn their work ethic and … work skills that they’ve learned here into what they’re doing now,” Hodges said.
Hodges gives her employees part-time hours and works around school schedules, as she believes education comes first.
“If they can come in and learn work ethic, to be on time, to be able to feel good about themselves and still go to school, that’s a huge thing,” Hodges said.
She said she knows working and going to school isn’t always easy, but she doesn’t settle for crewmembers that are not conscientious.
“The saying that my dad said (is), ‘If you want to go out and play, you need to get up and get paid the next day.’ So, there’s no excuse for not making it to work. You have to, and that’s very, very important.”
Hodges, who also was the first female member of the Caro Fire Department and continues to serve her community in that capacity, also oversees the search for Tuscola County’s biggest pumpkin during the Tuscola County Pumpkin Festival. She said her work schedule has caused her to miss fire runs, and it has also means less time with family, but she said her husband Dan and daughters Michelle and Nicole understand.
“I’ve missed a lot working nights and weekends, but they understand that … and they know that’s what work is,” Hodges said.
The Daland Corporation, which runs 13 corporations that own Pizza Hut restaurants, has worked around Hodges’ schedule to allow her to attend important family events, serve as a firefighter and be involved in the Chamber of Commerce and Pumpkin Festival. Caro Pizza Hut also offers free food to veterans every Labor Day and Memorial Day sure
Hodges has received the honor of Store Manager of the Year and was also a Hero Award recipient through Daland Corporation President Bill Walsh for her community involvement.
At the end of the day, she just wants to ensure she’s doing her part.
“If I can make a difference in one person over the course of the years, I am so very thankful and so glad that I was able to do that, and the company has been so good about doing that, too,” Hodges said.