Unsung Hero
The Right Plan
Jesus “Chuy” Enriquez, Banquet Captain, JW Marriott Austin, Austin, Texas
Passionate about food and service since childhood, “Chuy,” leading by example, takes personal charge of big events and makes sure everything goes according to plan.
Ingredients for Success
Growing up in Mexico, Enriquez got his first taste of the hospitality lifestyle working in his mother’s restaurants and on his father’s farm. From growing, harvesting, and prepping food to dealing with customers, he loved it. “I saw my future,” says Enriquez. “I knew that this was what I wanted to do.”
Pursuing his ambition with gusto, he paid his dues the classic way, working his way up from washing dishes and preparing salads to cooking on the line and tending bar.
Later moving to San Jose, California, he sought out training and mentorship from a restaurateur in butchery, wines, and other areas. “It was important to me to keep learning and improving,” says Enriquez, who advanced his skills over the next 11 years at a family-owned restaurant. Seeking new opportunities, he moved to Austin, Texas, where six years at another restaurant saw him promoted from server to manager.
In 2015, when hiring opened for positions at Austin’s dynamic new JW Marriott—the brand’s second-largest property in the world—he applied for the banquet department. “They told me I was over-qualified,” recalls Enriquez with his characteristic smile. “But I made my case, that I wanted to bring my passion for service excellence to a bigger stage, and I got the job.”
Seeing is Believing
“Things can get really crazy, especially when we are running more than one event at a time,” says Enriquez. “Some banquets top 2,000 guests, which can require around 90 servers and 30 bartenders, and countless pieces of inventory and equipment. It can get hectic, especially when people have their own ideas about making the process go faster. Maintaining control is one big part of my job, and that starts with having the right plan in place.”
Arriving early each day, Enriquez diligently plots each step, leaving nothing to chance. “That includes locating and organizing the right equipment for all the preparations, ensuring that the tables and seating arrangements are properly set, confirming all program requirements with our contacts, typing up the final details, and making sure our servers understand the plan,” he says.
Most important for Enriquez is the final result. “For me, success means executing the plan spotlessly, without any hiccups, to the very best of our abilities” he says. “Seeing that the guests had a great experience with us, and that we exceeded their expectations, is most rewarding for me.”
Pride and Passion
“Humbled and honored” to be nominated and recognized for his work, Enriquez is quick to acknowledge others. “Being seen as an unsung hero made me realize that I work with many unsung heroes. Every day, I come here and join an extraordinary team of people bringing their own passionate commitment and dedication to the job. I do not, and could not, do this job alone. And I would not have achieved all that I have done without all the people I have worked with and who have helped me along the way.”
Setting his sights on this very career as a child, Enriquez is proud of all that he continues to accomplish. “My passion and love for this industry only keeps growing,” he says. “And I believe that having passion is very important for this industry. You cannot teach passion. Passion has to be natural—and come from the heart.”
On one occasion, his passion for being prepared made the ultimate difference. “I saw a woman choking at her table during an event,” relates Enriquez. “Nobody else in the ballroom noticed. As she stood up and pointed to her throat, I ran over and performed the Heimlich Maneuver on her. I saved her life—now that’s passion in action.
Positive Influence
In her role as a program manager for Austin, Texas-based Red Velvet Events, Shelby Olivier is very familiar with the pressures of designing, planning, and executing corporate events.
“Anyone who works in meetings and events knows how demanding this fast-paced, high-energy industry can be,” she says. “It’s easy to get bogged down and wrapped up in the details, especially onsite.”
Not when working with Chuy Enriquez.
“I’ve worked with Chuy on many of our client programs at the JW Marriott since it opened in 2015,” relates Olivier, who thought of him “immediately” for this award. “You may not always see him, but just knowing he’s there is so reassuring. Always positive and optimistic, he devotes himself to solving challenges and ensuring that our events run smoothly. People with passion raise the bar on outcomes, and that’s Chuy—for me, the embodiment of the unsung hero.”
And, a source of true inspiration.
“He always reminds me of the bigger picture of what’s best about this industry,” says Olivier. “Working events with Chuy always reinforces and reenergizes the passion I have for my own career.”
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The Wow Factor
CONTINUE →
The Wow Factor
