Who's Behind the Counter: Shirley Royal at Lenny's Delicatessen

Shirley Royal has worked at all three of the locations. However, the one in Owings Mills is her preferred choice because the busy store helps the hours fly by.

A 16-year veteran of Lenny's, Royal said a rewarding boss and a friendly customer base have helped her enjoy coming to work everyday.

Royal sat down with Patch to talk about what makes Lenny's special, the relationships she's formed over the years and more.

Patch: What do you enjoy about Lenny’s that’s kept you here for so long?

Royal: One thing is, it’s very busy. I like the atmosphere, the customers are lovely. [Owner] Alan [Smith], he’s a good boss—he really is. He gave me an appreciation gift this past summer. .  

Wow, he treated you to the Bahamas. Does this mean you are going to stay around another 15 years?

Oh yes. I don’t think he’ll do it again, but that was great. That’s one of the benefits of being here. He’s really a great guy, treats the customers nice and fairly. It’s a very family-oriented kind of place.

Why is Lenny’s so busy all the time? What about it brings people here again and again?

I do think first of all it is the food. The food is good here. Then, it’s just the friendly atmosphere. The customers always talk about how friendly it is here.

What do you like about working at the Owings Mills location, in particular?

I like it here at this store as opposed to the other two stores because we’re real busy. I like the pace of being busy, and the customers know everybody on a first name business. When the customers walk through the door, you already know who they are by what they order.

Describe what it’s like behind the counter and in the kitchen. It’s kind of like chaos, but it’s under control at the same time.

They have a lovely system here where one person does the bagels and one runs the grill. Because of the system, we could have a line out the door but it still moves fast.

What advice would you give to someone just starting at Lenny’s? What personality traits do you need to be successful here?

Being friendly and having patience. You have to have patience—the customers and the employees. Sometimes it does get a little tense when the crowd goes out the door. You have to have patience. Patience is what works best.

You said the food keeps coming people back. What do you like to eat here?

The fried chicken. The potpies this week are unbelievable. I make the potpies. That’s a big seller. But, the tuna is what most people come here for and I hear it everywhere I go.

After you’ve worked a long day and you get back home, what’s the first thing you like to do to relax?

I get on the computer as soon as I walk through the door. I go online and read a lot of bible scriptures. Most of the time is spent reading the bible online. By the time I get home it’s get on the computer and get into bed because I’m here at five o’clock in the morning!

Talk a little about the relationships you’ve made here. Are there people you’ve formed lifetime friendships with?

The employees here, we have a very close relationship. It’s more like a family. We do things outside of the job and a lot of the people that have left and been gone for years, I still have contact with them. They still call me and it’s like I’m the mother of Lenny’s, sort of. They call me for advice or to invite me to the parties. It’s really a nice atmosphere to work in.