Team Member Spotlight: Attice

Meet Attice, the Restaurant General Manager (RGM) for Summerwood’s Mt. Laurel, NJ Taco Bell location. Her story with Summerwood starts with a chance encounter at the bus stop.

Attice, 23 at the time, was heading to another job interview on the day that she ran into someone who worked for Taco Bell at the bus stop. Just a nonchalant, “Hey, are you guys hiring?” landed her an interview that has ultimately shaped her entire career in the restaurant industry. She’s been with Summerwood and the Taco Bell brand for 14 years!

Attice has served as an RGM for 10 years, working at five different restaurant locations and opening three. What does Attice like about Summerwood? The family culture and fast-paced environment (she works well under pressure).

“Summerwood is an inclusive company that motivates you,” she says. “They show lots of recognition… and accept people for who they are.”

She continues by saying the company offers lots of training, support for career development, coaching and incentives like bonuses. There is always room for growth and challenge. Because of this type of healthy work culture, Attice has goals.

“I hope to become an area coach one day: I want to run five stores, instead of one,” she says. “I want to help as many people as I can… I’m interested in staying in leadership and being a mentor.”

What sets Attice apart as a leader at Summerwood is her interest in others. She was once inspired and motivated by the passion, drive and leadership skills of a young assistant general manager. Now she embodies that for her own team members. And she admits her job is really not about tacos at all, it’s about the people.

“I like just being around young kids helping motivate them, groom them. And being a kind of leader of their journey,” she confesses. “A lot of the kids working for me, it’s their first job. I look at them as a blank canvas.”

Attice loves this part of her job, where employees who have moved on to other jobs outside the company come back and admit that her advice, mentorship and support made a difference.
She is a true inspiration to others.