Having marked 50 years in operation in 2020, Huey’s, the über-popular group of restaurants, has woven itself into the fabric of Memphis’ landscape, and for locals is as second-nature as big cultural staples like Elvis and barbecue.
And if you ask, everyone has a favorite Huey burger. Even president and CEO Lauren McHugh Robinson. “I’d have to say my favorite item is the Smokey Melt Burger,” she laughs. But that easy familiarity is a key component of the restaurant’s appeal, for both diners and workers alike. Robinson, for her part, knows Huey’s better than almost anyone, having learned the ropes in both kitchen and serving roles before moving up to executive positions.
And one ethos that she’s learned from her experience is that at Huey’s, everyone is part of the family. That kind of thinking, according to Robinson, has helped make Huey’s such a big part of the city’s identity.
“I think any person, of any age or demographic, feels comfortable at Hueys,” says Robinson. “We have something to offer everyone no matter what kind of food they like or what background they’re from. It goes back to our culture, and something my dad [Huey’s co-founder Thomas Boggs] always said: Give back to the community. Don’t take the customers for granted, and if you really care about the community you’re in, then the community will want to reciprocate and be in your restaurants.”
The Huey’s community is quite large now, comprising nine current locations in Memphis and Mississippi. And while running a restaurant is hard enough in the best of times, the Covid-19 pandemic provided a whole new set of challenges. But even when the chips were down, Robinson didn’t forget about the family, the employees, that she was responsible for.
“We had to make some financial decisions very early on, when we realized that this would be the way of life for the foreseeable future,” says Robinson. “We started thinking about what layoffs might look like, and it literally gave me an upset stomach.”
The restaurant had been fiscally conservative under Robinson’s stewardship, and savings had been set aside for a new Olive Branch location. Instead, Huey’s put that on hold and leadership decided that money would be used to continue paying employees.
“People depend on us for these jobs, and they have families,” says Robinson. “So we decided to ride this out. Luckily, our take-out business did really well and we were able to break even while doing this.” To date, Huey’s has made exactly zero layoffs since the pandemic began. That, frankly, is a staggering statistic, especially in an industry that has seen so much business simply vanish.
“We’re staying informed and up to speed about everything that’s going on, and I know the team can face anything that comes our way.” – Lauren McHugh Robinson
Robinson’s commitment to creating a family culture isn’t just lip service. A quick scan of the Huey’s website reveals articles and news bulletins featuring employees marking ten, 20, or sometimes even 30 years with the company. That doesn’t just happen on its own and is something worth celebrating in an industry with high turnover. “They’re the backbone of everything we do,” says Robinson. “We always want to celebrate their tenures with us, and my sister [marketing coordinator Samantha Dean] always tries to make everyone feel special on an anniversary.”
The institution’s continued prosperity owes itself to some quick thinking by Huey’s leadership. While many places were slow to embrace change, Robinson acted fast to make sure she and her employees were as prepared as they could be for a roller coaster couple of years. A group of seven, which she calls her Covid team, has continued to pull long sessions at nights and on weekends to keep up with the latest pandemic developments. For Robinson, making quick and informed decisions was a better option than staying reactive.
“Early on, we looked at how we could streamline things like takeout,” she says. “We looked at places like Chick-fil-A and other businesses that had effective strategies. We knew if we moved quickly, we’d be able to better handle this.”
All the planning has paid off, with the restaurant actually seeing improved sales over even pre-pandemic conditions. Robinson says that their numbers, in a remarkable turnaround, were up about 19 percent over 2019. That’s mostly thanks to all the work put in to creating a better takeout and delivery experience. “Those numbers are taking into account that we haven’t opened up all our tables at our restaurants,” she says. “We’re pleased to see that our takeout business is much stronger than it was pre-Covid, and continues to be. Before, it was about 15 percent, but now it’s closer to 30.”
Adaptability has kept the Huey’s family strong, with the restaurants overseeing almost 300 full-time employees, and a little over 500 in total. Robinson still plans to open an Olive Branch location, but that’s been tentatively pushed back to October of this year. Many challenges likely lie ahead, but Robinson is optimistic. “It’s so fluid right now,” she says, “but we’re staying informed and up to speed about everything that’s going on, and I know the team can face anything that comes our way.”
