Terry Johnson simply couldn’t help himself. He needed to find a phone signal so he could check up on his business. As the owner of Johnson’s Restaurant and Reception Hall of Elkader, Iowa, he found it hard to unwind completely while his businesses were operating without his presence. The town he was vacationing in only had one location with reliable cell service, a phone booth inside the local grocery store. On his much-needed two-week vacation, Johnson made multiple trips to the phone booth in-between his enjoyment of his family vacation. Work never stops when you are a business owner. Johnson has worked in food service since he was 13 and helped his mother, Berniece Johnson, run her first business, a drive-in restaurant, in Monona, Iowa. …show more content…
He spends most of his days in the restaurant kitchen cooking or at his office in the reception hall planning events with customers. His desk is a seemingly unorganized mountain of notes about upcoming events and food orders, but he says he has a method to his madness. His daily work schedule is a balancing act between multiple responsibilities and time management is of the utmost importance. “I’m still trying to figure it out,” Johnson said with a grin when asked about how he manages his time while running two businesses. “Learning to prioritize certain tasks is important for any business owner.” The staffs of the restaurant and the reception hall both hold Johnson in high regard and alleviate some of the stress Johnson faces. Helen Backes has worked at Johnson’s Restaurant as a cook for five years and has worked in food service for 35 years. Backes enjoys working at Johnson’s because of her relationships with many long-time employees and the steady hours of work the job provides. She believes Johnson is a good boss because “he is always willing to listen to his employees and treats them like …show more content…
“You have to meet the needs of the local people.” Johnson has maintained strong relationships with fellow local business owners and many local citizens. Businesses in a small community often have symbiotic relationships because they rely on each other for services and goods. Being in the food service industry has made Johnson several strong local connections. For example, Johnson’s Restaurant and Reception Hall purchases internet service from Alpine Communications, the local telecommunications providers, and Alpine Communications holds events at Johnson’s Reception Hall in return. The importance of local connections was illustrated following the flooding of local businesses in the summer of 2016. The community gathered together to sandbag the night before a massive thunderstorm was predicted to flood the Turkey River. Many local businesses needed somewhere to store their food goods, and Johnson heeded the call and stored items for various businesses until the cleanup following the flood was