Finding Your People: Emily Shands

Emily Shands

Server, Majestic Grille

Emily Shands has worked as a server at Majestic Grille in downtown Memphis for a little over a year, but she’s been in the hospitality industry for more than half of her life. After starting out in hospitality at 15 years old, Emily quickly realized the value of hospitality jobs, crediting her time management, communication, and organizational skills to her experience working in restaurants. 

Emily’s commitment to exceptional service made her an obvious choice for the first of our 2024 Quarterly Pick Awards! 

How did you get into the hospitality industry?  

I was thrown into the hospitality industry at a young age. My aunt was friends with a woman named Charlene who owned a beautiful tea shop in Mississippi called Charlene's Just Divine Tea Room. Working there was, at first, just a high school job to help me learn some responsibility and pay for my car note. And after a while, I realized how much that job helped me come out of my shell, and how many important life skills it taught me. When I realized how beneficial this kind of work was, and how it was preparing me for other positions and other careers in life, it's just something that I fell in love with. 

I feel like every person should have a period in their life where they wait tables, because it teaches you a lot about communicating with people and also helps you develop a thick skin. 

How did you end up where you are now? 

After graduating from high school, I moved to Nashville to attend cosmetology school. A girlfriend and I were looking for jobs. One day, we passed by Hooters, and she made a bet that I wouldn’t go in and apply. So I went in, just to prove her wrong, and they hired me on the spot. I excelled at it really quickly. I had so much fun. Before I knew it, I was working as a corporate trainer for the company. I was traveling around the United States opening up new restaurants and training fifty girls at a time. 

It became a passion for me to meet all of the girls who work there, especially because there's kind of a stigma attached to it, but there were so many amazing women and a really awesome sisterhood in that company. A lot of the women I met were paying their way through school, and they had really big aspirations, and the majority of them did achieve those goals. I ended up spending seven years working there. 

After that, I worked in a couple of different nightclubs in Nashville before breaking into the fine dining industry. But once COVID happened, I started to rethink my career path. I got a job working as a manager for another company. But eventually I realized I was sad, sitting in my little cubicle every day. I missed having interactions with customers, because it really is enriching to your life. I missed making someone's day better with my service. So I found my way back to serving. 

What's something you've learned in this specific position that has changed your life for the better? 

I’ve learned that having the right team around you can make your job so wonderful. Everyone at Majestic Grille is incredibly kind. The managers have created such an atmosphere of teamwork, encouragement, and positive reinforcement. They're great owners, great managers, and great staff. 

What's your favorite part about working in the industry? 

I really enjoy the connections that I make with customers. I enjoy serving people who have had a terrible experience in another restaurant. I’m able to completely reshape their idea of a server. By offering them exceptional service, I show them that they can have a wonderful experience in restaurants. I enjoy changing the trajectory of someone’s day.
Hospitality can be more than a profession. For people like Emily, it’s a vocation! Thank you, Emily, for your passion and your commitment to hospitality and service!