Musings from the CU Suite

Written by Anthony Demangone

Yesterday, Dan Berger and I travelled through North Carolina to visit some wonderful NAFCU members. We drove, so there was a good deal of sports radio, singing, and Dan glaring at me as I sang. 

Like I said, we visited as many NAFCU members as we could. Here were some of the places we stopped.

On the way back, we started to get hungry. Somewhere south of Petersburg, Virginia, I (while in the passeger seat) used Yelp to find a restaurant. I quickly focused on Big Mike's Burger Shoppe. The reviews said the burgers were fantastic, and that prices were reasonable. I set the GPS, and off we went.

We were driving down a road that seemed pretty dark and desolate. And then in the distance, I saw Big Mike's restaurant. From the outside, it looked small and unassuming. Inside, it was small, simple, but comfortable. 

The waitress was very friendly, as were all the folks inside the restaurant. The waitress guided us to a daily special (a cheeseburger) with hand-cut fries. 

It was heaven. I can say it was one of the best burgers I've eaten. 

What an amazing world we live in. Driving down a road at night, I was able to connect with Big Mike's through our new connected world. Twenty years ago, I never would have found the place. 

But that's not the real story here. It really is Big Mike.

He worked at Reynolds Metal, until that job went away. And then he tried trucking, until he found that the job took him too far from his family. But he never gave up - five years ago, he decided to open his restaurant. 

He opened a burger joint in a desolate stretch of the road, with no marketing from the interstate. What could go wrong? 

But here's the thing. He made a wonderful burger. The service in his restaurant is friendly and warm. He took a risk, and five years later, he's still here.

At the end of the day, our connected world is truly amazing. But it still relies on folks like Big Mike to take risks, demand excellence, and put something out into the world. 

So, here's to the Big Mike's out there.  And folks, if you are in the Petersburg, Virginia area - stop on by. You won't be disappointed. 

Me and "Big Mike"

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