Fred's Way
Fred’s Market Way
Fred’s Market Way is our vision of what we want the future of Fred’s Market to be and what we work toward everyday. Our business is neighborhood restaurants that serve classic Southern dishes. A neighborhood restaurant is where people go to start their day, refresh, catch up on the local news, and be comfortable. Fred’s is a place where friends and family gather and share familiar food. Its essence is familiar hospitality—people we know, food we like, and a place near home. Familiar hospitality comes from having a fully staffed fully trained restaurant, very low turnover, and a committed long-term Neighborhood Partner. This is why we hire and promote from the neighborhood and treat every restaurant as though it is our only restaurant. Our dream is to grow—one restaurant at a time—to a company of affordable, locally owned and operated neighborhood restaurants that are involved in their communities. The soul of Fred’s is hospitality and good cooking. How we conduct our business and ourselves is in keeping with the core values of the Johnson family:
Our Values/Principles
Respect is showing high concern for the rights, values, and worth of people and individual expression.
Understanding is listening from and accepting another’s perspective without requiring that it agree with our own or with prevailing thought.
Caring is being friendly, sensitive, welcoming, and actively concerned about the well-being of people.
Generosity is sharing what we have to share because it contributes to the joy and comfort of others.
Fairness is being reasonable, open-minded, and doing what is right.
Character is being truthful and loyal to a moral way of life that brings honor to oneself and honors others.
Quality is having and consistently achieving high standards.
Fun is a sense of humor, seeing the glass as half full, and being a pleasure to be around.
Involvement is looking beyond personal interests to the interests and well-being of our community.
These values define the hospitality that is Fred’s, the people who work here, and how we take care of our stakeholders—Neighborhood Partners, Employees, Vendor-Partners, Neighbors, and Guests.
Our values are the basics that we will never get away from and that we test ourselves against every day. An enterprise characterized by these values is difficult to create, easy to criticize, and one that we will work hard to keep on track. It has its source in the heritage of the Johnson family and the support of our stakeholders.
Our love of the restaurant business and neighborhood and our sense of ownership are the basis of our success and how we bring Fred’s Market Way to life. Our goal for our Neighborhood Partners is to create an ownership opportunity, have fun, live a good life, and make money. You are a leader of your community and your restaurant and the key to taking care of our stakeholders, starting with our Employees.
EMPLOYEES
Fred’s Market is a neighborhood restaurant and valued member of the community dedicated to taking care of our stakeholders. A neighborhood restaurant is among the very few places where people can go to be refreshed, sustained, and energized among familiar faces. You create this environment by enthusiastically getting to know and taking care of people. Getting to know and taking care of people starts with Fred’s four promises to Employees:
Clear Direction is providing clear and timely communication of Fred’s Market Way, our priorities, and the “what” and “why” of your job and performance. It is helping you understand what needs to be done, how to be successful, and being held accountable for your attitude, performance, and results.
Preparation is skills training and ongoing teaching of Fred’s Market Way and our standards, disciplines, and routines. It is having the opportunity to learn and practice what is required of you before being held accountable.
Support is having great people and the right tools and equipment to work with. It is receiving feedback on your performance and progress that is specific, comprehensive, timely, and constructive. It is being supported by a plan that helps you to improve.
Belonging is being included in the Johnson family and listened to. It is honoring your heritage and individuality. It is our emphasis on promotion from within, recognition and celebration of your achievements, and reaching out to you in tangible ways when you are in difficult circumstances.
As a member of the family, you can count on these four promises to you being kept and you are counted on equally to keep the three promises of an Employee:
Self-responsibility is actively contributing to the present and future of Fred’s Market by learning, being, and living Fred’s Market Way, performing our disciplines and routines, meeting our standards, and challenging yourself when you do not.
Teamwork is learning your job, doing it the best that you can, and jumping in to help others, and asking for help before it is too late.
Getting it Done is working with urgency and enthusiasm for the itty-bitty details of doing your job well, finding and doing good work before it finds you, and having a can-do attitude toward others.
These seven promises are the give and take of a great team and the heart of Fred’s Market. How well they are kept determines the nature and level of our success and whether we achieve our Employee goal of being your favorite place to work, be a good neighbor, and have fun.
NEIGHBORS
Fred’s Market is a neighborhood restaurant. This means more than location and local ownership; it also means bringing vitality to the community. Being part of a neighborhood carries with it the obligation and opportunity to do good by participating in its life and sharing our success. We promise our Neighbors:
Active and Positive Presence is being a participating member of the neighborhood. Our primary source of participation is our Employees: A community activity that is important to them and fits our values is important to us. We give of our time, money, and leadership to help organize, enhance, and fund activities that are valued by our Neighbors. Our Neighborhood Partner is a community leader and we are a source of support in times of need and a great place to refresh and relax with familiar and welcoming faces.
Our goal is to be a good neighbor and neighborly. We very much appreciate the support of our Neighbors and their patronage of our restaurant.
GUESTS
We put you last in order to put you first because it takes the support of our Neighborhood Partners, Employees, Vendor-Partners, and Neighbors to make Fred’s Market your favorite neighborhood restaurant. You are our Neighbors too and a cherished member of the Johnson family. What you will find at Fred’s Market is Good Cookin’, Friendly Service, and total commitment to making your time with us refreshing and comfortable. Our food and service is southern hospitality done in the tradition of four generations of the Johnson family.
Driving onto our property is like pulling up to the Johnson home where good times are had and fond memories are recalled. Our greeting is a friendly hello and welcome to Fred’s Market. You will find a great place to catch up on the day’s news, be with friends, and have a good meal. There are rocking chairs for relaxing, people to visit with, newspapers to read, and the feeling that this is a good place to be. We promise you:
Good Cookin’ starts with the right ingredients prepared with Aunt Evie’s and Aunt Pearlie’s recipes. Meal time is southern hospitality and cooking at its best. Every item is consistently prepared to our exacting standards for taste, presentation, and quality. It is things like sweet potato soufflé, fresh greens, oak-smoked barbecue, roast turkey, meatloaf, sausage gravy, cat-head biscuits, and much, much more.
Friendly Service starts with the attitude of “when you are at Fred’s, you are family. “ It is an invitation to choose between our menu and our buffet. We serve you generous portions, provide attentive service, and see to the needs of kids and seniors in a way that makes them feel special.
What you get at Fred’s Market is the kind of food you like served by people who love to take care of you. We’re not fancy, but we are good and affordable. Our goal is to be your favorite local restaurant. Thank you so very much for your patronage.
SUCCESS
Fred’s Market is a business—it has to grow, prosper, and succeed. We listen to our stakeholders and measure success. Success is measured as real growth in sales and profit, Employee turnover, Guest frequency, and our ability to grow the company at a favorable cost. The keys to success are a tenured, quality Neighborhood Partner in each restaurant and keeping our promises to our stakeholders. Fred’s Market will always be a work in progress and change as change is called for. Our intent is that when we look back on what we have done we will be able to confidently say that we have always led with our values and taken care of our stakeholders.
