annie c.

Annie C. | Manager

You Say Tomato

Years of Industry Service: 15

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As a mother, it can be very hard to make a living and take care of your children, especially when they are babies. But when you have You Say Tomato owners like Mark Wingard and Randy Parks who allow employees to bring their babies to work, it certainly makes things a lot easier. Annie says, "I wore my baby (at work) for almost two years. She wasn't here full-time but she was here several days a week. It allowed me to work full time without having to pay for daycare." Her second child was parked comfortably in a stroller in a corner of the restaurant. "They (Randy and Mark) have allowed me a lot of freedom. They've been really flexible with me, my kids and my schedule. That afforded me a lot of stability. Not many businesses will go for that and certainly not a corporate entity."

Another reason this bring-your-babies-to-work method works is because their customers are like family. Since customers at this neighborhood grocery and favorite breakfast-lunch restaurant always ask about her kids, Annie keeps photos of them up on the counter. "We get to know them and they get to know us."

  Make KC Better » I would fix the schools in a manner that actually fixes them & not destroy them further. I want my children to go to public school and just because it's free doesn't mean it has to be shit. I would like to take an active part in fixing it. (Through fixing the education system), we could draw people here.