Ron Stoker’s gospel of caring for the community
Taking care of people has long been a staple in Ron Stoker's personal beliefs, even in his early Pennsylvania days.
At 27-years-old he had graduated Princeton seminary school and started his career as a Presbyterian minister. He spent several years in the ministry building a community as well as his own family.
“I'm blessed to have two sons that I love very much,” said Stoker. “One of them stays here with me, the other is up in Michigan with his mom.”
Stoker said that it was his separation from his wife that caused him to sit down and assess his direction.
“I was able to really look inside myself and think about what it is I want to do with the rest of my life, and I'd always heard that people in the ministry make it pretty great in car sales. The people skills are already there,” Stoker explained.
That's exactly what the then North Carolina resident decided to do. He spent the next several years bouncing back and forth between car sales and restaurant work.
“My first restaurant was actually Jimmy John's down in North Carolina,” said Stoker.
He says he was always learning things from the staff and valued the sense of team and community that came from food service.
“We originally moved to Mississippi to see through a relationship I had been pursuing, but even after that ended my son had fallen in love with the area,” Stoker said. “As a parent, that's really the most important thing you can give your kid—a place to call home.”
In the beginning of his time here, Stoker stuck with what he knew. He started back into car sales with periods of restaurant work, then Connie's Chicken reached out to him.
“The owners are fantastic. It's exciting to be a part of something that's growing,” Stoker beamed. “Thing is, West Point doesn't need another restaurant. West Point needs a place that's going to take care of people.”
This mantra has been the guiding principle in the way Stoker does business. He strives to make Connie's a comfortable place to be.
“This town is full of people that work hard,” Stoker said, “and I want them to have a place where they know they'll be greeted by friendly and familiar faces. I want them to leave feeling better than when they came in, and I get the opportunity to do that every single day.”
He strives to keep the culture of his store welcoming and customer focused.
“It's amazing where the lord will take you if you let him,” explained Stoker. “I've lived a really great life. If today was my last day I'd be pretty satisfied.”