Shirley Patton takes everything one step at a time

When talking about her hometown, Shirley Patton couldn't help but just brag on Starkville's growth.

“I'm really proud of the growth Starkville has had,” Patton said.

Patton was born and raised here in Starkville, where she has spent her whole life, and she has been the general manager of Wendy's on 100 Highway 12 for 28 years. But before she took over the fast-food place, she was working two part-time jobs.

“One day, I just happened to look in the newspaper and saw that Wendy's was hiring, and I had a friend who was working there at the time. So I called her and started teasing her and said, ‘So you're looking for some help, huh,” said Patton. “So it started from there. She encouraged me to come apply. So I did and I started as an assistant manager and worked my way up from there.”

As the general manager of any fast-food place, you can have your hands full when you're running operations, especially in an SEC college town. But for Patton, she has never made any task too big for herself.

“I always take it one step at a time. I just show up for work on time and just take things one by one. One customer at a time and go from there,” said Patton. “The main thing is just showing up and giving yourself a little extra time, because you never know what you're going to run into on that day.”

While Wendy's does keep her quite busy, there is some downtime Patton spends wisely.

“I just enjoy family gatherings, get-togethers, cookouts, playing games and things like that. I don't really do a whole lot,” said Patton. “I don't have any hobbies, but I always say I'm going to find one. There is some downtime, but I just spend it with some peace and quiet.”

As someone who has lived in Starkville her whole life, Patton touched on some of the things that make her smile when she thinks about her hometown, and it all circles back to how much it has grown over the years.

“I remember when there was just land out and about when you were riding around.but now,you'll see buildings everywhere from the Mississippi State campus out to downtown,” said Patton. “When they closed the food court down, I liked the way they rerouted and redirected everything. I just like the structure it has now and I feel like it has drawn a lot of people to Starkville. Of course, MSU sports have always helped out too.”

If you see Shirley around town, be sure to tell her hello.

This article is part of an ongoing, weekly series titled Know Your Neighbor. If you wish to be featured in a future Know Your Neighbor or know of someone you’d like to see in a future article, please email us at editor@ starkvilledailynews.com.