Now more than ever, it seems there just aren’t enough hours in the day to just stop and talk to others. We go through our days rushing to the next location, buying our to-go meals without stopping to inquire about other people’s lives. It’s time we get to know the familiar faces who make our days just a little more flavorful.
One mile down the road from Kinkaid, there’s a Smoothie King at Woodway and Voss. Many Kinkaid students walk into this small store everyday looking for a boost after a hard workout or long school day. Quickly, they order, pay, and walk out the door on their way home or to the next location. Behind the counter, a big, smiling man takes orders with charisma and always seems to be having his best day ever. This is Danon.
Danon has been the franchisee of multiple Houston Smoothie King locations since 2004 and never fails to welcome everyone into his stores with his funny jokes and witty humor.
As soon as I walked through the door, I was quickly greeted by Danon. As I gave him my order, he took a close look at the last name on my credit card.
“Morgan? Do you have a brother?” he asked.
I was amazed at his memory and realized that we are all more than just customers to to him. Jokingly, he asked me if I attended Kinkaid. Still astonished at his memory of my last name, I thought there was no way he could have known what school I attended.
“I can usually tell what school a lot of kids go to around here,” he said. “About 60 percent of our regular customers are from Kinkaid, Memorial High School, Duchesne, and Spring Branch.”
Listening to how much he knew about each school and the students, I wondered how he could remember everyone from just seeing them for such a short time.
“I get to interact with my customers and build relationships,” he said. “The best part about working here is being part of the community. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Danon always makes time to chat with Smoothie King customers. He is a huge history buff and loves to play golf, saying, “I love studying history, especially Theology. There’s something so interesting about knowing where everything in our present day comes from.”
When asked to describe himself in three words, Danon took a minute to think over his answer before he declared, “Driven by excellence.”
“I run this business and train my staff to deliver a value to our customers every single day,” Danon said. “I try to greet my customers in the first 3-5 seconds they walk in the door. I try to get their orders out in 3-5 minutes. Efficiency keeps this business running.”
Danon never fails to brighten his customer’s days. While doing something so simple as getting an after-school smoothie, we run into people who want to better the community and strive everyday to be the best they can. After having the privilege of meeting and getting to know these wonderful people so much better, I have a new outlook on my everyday outings. Next time you go to Smoothie King and have a few extra minutes, maybe ask Danon about his best golf score or his favorite smoothie. You never know what you might learn.
If you want to know more about someone in our community like Danon, let us know! Email ellarose.morgan@kinkaid.org with your suggestion and they could be featured in The Falcon.
