Customer's Choice

Don Hall believes in love at firstsight. He experienced it himself as a Marketing Associate for Sysco when a customer introduced him to the 50s-style restaurant that would become The Chatterbox Drive-In.

"It looked like a lot of fun," says Hall. "I told myself I'd sure like to have that place someday." So when the restaurant went on the market five years later, Hall, who had been with Sysco for 25 years and by now had earned a promotion to District Manager, was intrigued by the new challenge A few kitchen renovations and a menu overhaul later, Hall unlocked the doors to the Augusta, NJ, destination restaurant. It plays off the 50s theme with summer carhop service and nostalgic decor that conjures up the era of James Dean.

Two years later, the enormously popular restaurant serves up to 1,300 guests on Saturdays during the summer. But it's not just Hall's tables and booths that fill up on Saturday evenings. It's also his parking lot, as part of the area's official Cruise Night. Nearly 400 classic cars participate, and winners take home door prizes and a trophy. "We get absolutely beautiful machines here. People pop the hoods, sit around and talk to each other," says Hall, who features a different hot rod or classic car in the center of his dining room each month. "It's just a fun, fun night."

House Recipe 24/14 oz. Ketchup

Product Focus
Patrons don't mind the extended wait times on nights like these, especially when the food they're waiting for is cooked to order and garners compliments like, "This burger's to die for!" and "This is the best cream of mushroom soup I've had in my life!" Hall, who buys more bottles of House Recipe® Ketchup from Sysco. Food Services of Metro New York than any of its other customers, purchases everything but soft drinks and some ice creams from Sysco. He adds that the time and effort he saves by dealing with only one supplier allows him to spend more time taking care of his customers. "I'm on the floor, I greet the customers, and I check to make sure they're happy at their tables," says Hall. "It's just uncompromising customer service, and there's no substitute for that."