Zach sweats the small things, because dozens of small things taken together determine whether the Taco Bell where he works looks clean and inviting.
“I clean Taco Bell and make sure it looks good,” Zach, 33, said.
For 10 years, Zach has worked at the Taco Bell about a mile north of the Circle in Angola. Working helps him support his daughter, and it also means he can get video games. “I like to play video games a lot,” he said.
On the job, he thrives on attending to many details in taking care of the restaurant, from picking up tiny bits of trash when he sweeps the parking lot to straightening chairs in the dining area.
“I try to make things look as presentable as I can,” he said.
Zach works at Taco Bell every weekday morning, for a total of about 18 hours a week. He often spends his afternoons in day services at Easterseals RISE. A job coach from Easterseals RISE still checks in on him periodically.
He enjoys being with his co-workers and meeting customers.
“There are lots of regulars,” he said.
One co-worker he’s particularly fond of Karen Hatfield, who has worked at this Taco Bell for 20 years.
“I call her ‘Grandma,’ ” he said.
“I’m nobody’s grandma, but I love him anyway,” Hatfield said later.
There are a lot of tasks for Zach to keep in mind during his morning shifts. The jobs he handles include wiping down tables, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping the lobby and the kitchen, mopping the lobby and kitchen, taking out trash, replacing trash bags, breaking down empty boxes for recycling, restocking condiments, napkins and straws, and more.
He gets absorbed in his work and is devoted. Sometimes a supervisor reinforces the importance of a job, as shift lead Aspen Carmody did recently when she reminded him to always change out toilet paper rolls if they’re anywhere near empty.
“You don’t want a customer to have to call the store because there’s no toilet paper,” he said.
Zach takes the reminders in stride, and Carmody appreciates his attitude.
“I like working with Zach,” she said. “He usually does a really good job of getting his work done and keeping things clean.”