Manager Ryan Baker has recently come back to his original Cubby’s location in the Old Market after nearly two decades. Baker started his career at Cubby’s on September 17, 2001 as an Assistant Manager. After two years, he eventually transferred to the Cubby’s location at 42nd and Redman, where he would happily remain for the next sixteen and a half years.
Baker started in customer service at the age of fourteen, when he developed a curiosity for management. In fact, his first job as a HyVee courtesy clerk was where he met the manager who would eventually hire him at Cubby’s Old Market! At the time, Baker said, “I needed to make a change to get more experience and knowledge. Nineteen years later, I’m still here.”
Having worked with Cubby’s Convenience Stores for so long, Baker said the transition was easy apart from re-learning shipping schedules, ordering days, and of course, the Old Market’s regular customers. Baker’s favorite part of his job is getting to know people. At the Redman location, “when something happened with a customer, you really empathized with them because you really build that rapport.”
Even after Baker went away to college, he came back to management because, “it just always came natural to me.” Now, in his new team, he models his management philosophy after the owner of the company, De Lone Wilson. He tries to, “take care of my employees the best I can; I think De Lone does the same, he takes care of his employees as much as he can. My philosophy is that when you take care of employees, they’re going to do their best to take care of you. Over the years, Cubby’s has helped take care of me and my family.” This fosters a sense of family, so when a team member is out sick or the store is short-staffed, there is always someone there to jump in and lend a hand. Stop in today at Cubby’s in the Old Market for some fresh produce, delicious hot plates, and wish Ryan a welcome (back) to the team!