The original Ellis Eats diner held a special place in Jordan Ellis’s heart. It was where his dream began, and where his mother had once baked her famous pies. When customer complaints hinted that this flagship location was losing its way, Jordan knew a standard inspection wouldn’t reveal the truth. He needed to experience it as a customer would. Dressing down in a simple, worn-out hoodie, he embarked on an undercover mission that would change his company forever.
From the moment he entered, he was treated as an inconvenience. The staff, including a veteran cashier named Denise, were disengaged and rude. They failed to offer a simple greeting, handled his payment with contempt, and made no effort to hide their annoyance. From his booth, Jordan observed a culture of indifference. He saw patrons being met with eye-rolls and heard a worker use profanity in the dining area. The community hub he had built was now a place of cold transactions.
The most profound lesson came when he overheard the staff mocking his appearance. Their cruel comments, assuming he was homeless and poor, revealed a deep-seated prejudice that was the very antithesis of his diner’s mission. This was the core of the problem: his employees were gatekeeping kindness, deciding who was worthy of their respect. It was a betrayal of the trust he had placed in them and of the customers who supported his business.
Jordan returned to the counter, not with anger, but with disappointed authority. After a brief confrontation, he revealed his identity, leaving the offending employees in a state of shock and fear. He suspended them and then demonstrated the standard he expected by working the counter himself for the entire day. He greeted every person with warmth, ensured orders were correct, and restored a sense of community. The experience led to a company-wide initiative for retraining, with Jordan at the forefront. His day in disguise taught him that to lead effectively, you must never lose touch with the people you serve.
