Caleb Brown is one of Owensboro’s most-loved servers. Brown has worked for Beef ‘O’ Brady’s for nearly seven years and has amassed a following of customers who dine at Beef’s and specifically request Brown’s service.
Brown’s long history with Beef O’ Brady’s began far before his first paycheck. He was friends with the Bratcher family who opened the restaurant when he was in high school. Because the restaurant was very active in the Owensboro sports community, Brown, a football player, felt a close connection to the restaurant.
“My love for Beef’s started by just eating there all of the time,” he said.
When it came time for Brown to apply for his first job, he approached the Bratcher family who offered him a position in the kitchen. Brown began working at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s upon his graduation from high school in 2010 and into his first semester of college at Kentucky Wesleyan College where he played football while pursuing his degree.
Due to scheduling conflicts, Brown left and worked for the Owensboro Parks Department for two years before returning to Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in May of 2012 to work as a server.
Brown was immediately successful as a server because customer service was his priority even though he had minimal experience up until that point.
“I used to not write anything down,” Brown said.
Memorizing customer’s orders was his signature and his memory, among other traits, made him a favorite among customers.
Before long, customers began requesting Brown to be their server, but he shared his motivation to serve well went beyond recognition for himself alone.
“At first it wasn’t about them remembering me, it was about them enjoying their experience,” he said. “You want their service to be so good that they want to come back again and if so, that’s a win, but if their service is so good that they want to come back and see you, it’s a double-win.”
