Robert Smith is a Memphis native, proud father and grandfather, and longtime Huey’s bartender. He may have begun his Huey’s tenure 20 years ago, but his ties with longtime owner Thomas Boggs and his family go even further.
Robert first met Thomas when they worked together at TGI Fridays in Memphis. Though they parted ways briefly, the two reunited when they both started working for the TGI Fridays corporate office out of Dallas. The pair grew closer as they traveled across the country for years opening new locations for the company.
Eventually, Robert left the company to pursue other opportunities in the restaurant industry and Thomas left to join Huey’s. The experience Thomas gained from Fridays allowed him to move into management quickly and he later became a partner of the restaurant.
Robert moved back to Memphis in 2001 so his family could lend support while Robert raised his daughter as a single parent. Robert called Thomas to tell him he was moving back to Memphis, and Thomas promptly gave him a job. Robert moved back in September 2001 and has been with Huey’s ever since, making this his 20-year Memphis anniversary as well!
For 20 years now, he’s tended bars at most of the Huey’s locations, but says Midtown has always been his home base. Robert loves the flexibility of working for Huey’s and enjoys spending time with his regular customers.
“It’s a delight to work for Huey’s and I truly look forward to going to work. It’s rare that a family-owned establishment lasts as long and does as well as Huey’s, and I think that’s because they’ve made their staff feel like part of the family.”
To this day, Robert stays in touch with his old friends from the Memphis restaurant scene. He has regular meetups with several longtime employees from TGI Fridays and Huey’s, and noted Thomas will most assuredly be mentioned the next time the group meets.
“It’s easy to make friends in the restaurant industry, but even more so at Huey’s because of the employee longevity. So many people like myself have been there for ages, so it’s no surprise we’ve become so close over the years.”
Congratulations on such an amazing 20-year journey, Robert!