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McKinney Loves to See, Smile, and Say

By Melanie Mowry Etters and Tara Potter

MILTON, Fla.– Many of us dream of working at our favorite restaurant, but Chris McKinney has made his dream come true.  McKinney works at the Whataburger on Stuart Street in Milton and has been on the job for about a year as a Dining Room Attendant. He has a big smile to his face that beams from the start to the end of every shift.  McKinney is an excellent customer service ambassador for the restaurant.

McKinney said, “I work with my coworkers to give the customers the best Whataburger experience. I love saving my money and spending it on things that I want. I feel very proud to be making my own money.”

Whataburger is one of McKinney’s favorite treats, which made it even more special to him when Whataburger asked him to be a part of the Milton team. His supervisor, Micca Rodriguez, is a fantastic support to McKinney. From the first day they met Rodriguez, McKinney was charming, able to sell himself by expressing to her that he had always wanted to work at Whataburger. McKinney was offered the job working three days a week at $10 an hour.

Rodriguez said, “Chris is a ray of sunshine. He always has a smile on his face, loves to be a part of the team and the team loves him.” 

Many repeat customers are present at this hometown Whataburger due to the friendly and competent staff headed by the top-notch supervisor, Rodriguez, who embodies all the Whataburger philosophies:  have pride in your work, care for your co-workers, and love the customers. 

See, Smile, Say is the slogan Whataburger gives to their employees to remind them to always greet the customer right when they walk in: “Welcome to Whataburger,” is the slogan that McKinney has memorized. He has done an amazing job of making the customers feel welcomed and valued and staying on top of their needs. McKinney is a valued member of the Whataburger team.

APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities. The agency annually serves more than 55,000 Floridians with autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, visit apdcares.org or call toll free 1-866-APD-CARES (1-866-273-2273).