Justin Anema spends a portion of his work day running 20-yard sprints.
 Justin Anema, general manager of Culver's on Minnesota Avenue, sprints food to customers waiting for their order in the drive-through. (Inertia/for the SFBJ)
Anema is general manager of Culver’s on South Minnesota Avenue, a restaurant where a fast 40-yard dash time can come in handy.
Around 11:30 each morning as a string of cars forms in the drive-through lane, the 23-year-old gets a determined look on his face and shifts into high gear.
As soon as a drive-through order is ready, he takes it in hand like a relay baton and bolts out the door on a dead run. In a flash, he hands it to a driver waiting at the west end of the parking lot.
“I feel like I’m doing sprints back in basketball practice,” Anema said. “You grab an order and run, then grab another order and run.”
Speedy delivery is an emphasis at Culver’s, where food isn’t cooked until orders are placed. The regional restaurant chain’s drive-through goal is to have food in a customer’s hands within four minutes of taking an order. The local restaurant targets a three-minute mark, although some foods take longer than that to cook.
Running food to drive-through customers is a common practice for the staff. The sprints save only a few seconds, but they leave an impression.
“We try to wow people,” said Anema, who as a youth was involved in basketball, soccer and track.
A positive impression can be made by delivering food to a drive-through customer in two minutes or by surprising a dining-room patron with a birthday sundae. The goal is to provide exceptional service by going above and beyond the basics, Anema said.
“We want to make them feel glad they came here,” he said.
The personal touches haven’t gone unnoticed by Larry Kirk, a regular customer who owned and operated Sioux Falls restaurants for 54 years.
“We all like a little personal attention,” Kirk said. “I’m critical. I’ve been in the business. People here are super. They go out of their way. The service is good, the food is tasty.”
Kirk said employees help him through the door and have cleaned his eyeglasses.
Anema, a Sheldon, Iowa, native, started working at Culver’s in The Empire Mall while attending Southeast Technical Institute.
He worked his way up to general manager at that restaurant and two years ago became general manager of the Minnesota Avenue store. He oversees 35 to 40 employees, ages 15 to 50-something.
Nick Magera, owner-operator of Culver’s franchises in Sioux Falls, said Anena’s food-service experience and education allowed him to work his way into management at a young age.
“Justin leads by example. He has energy, enthusiasm and a lot of common sense,” Magera said. “People who move up the ladder are self-motivated.”
Anema said the job fits him well.
“I look forward to coming to work every single day,” he said. “I love the fast pace. The busier we are, the more drive I get.”
One of the highlights is visiting with customers after the hectic meal-time pace slows down. Anema also tries to ensure that his employees have a good time.
“Making work fun is very important for us,” he said.
At team meetings, employees compete in contests, including a drive-through relay race. They’ve timed themselves using a stop watch that was a kids’ meal prize. Anema offers a confession: “There are a couple of people who are faster than me.”
Patrons notice the workers’ drive-through sprints, often watching with curiosity. Many comment to Anema that he must be in really good shape, that he really hustles, or that they wouldn’t want his job.
Chances are, he wouldn’t want their jobs either.
“I’m a very active guy, so sitting at a desk would not suit me,” he said. “I couldn’t see myself working a phone job or banking.”
The Anema file
Name: Justin Anema
Occupation: General manager of Culver’s restaurant, 2800 S. Minnesota Ave.
Age: 23
Hometown: Sheldon, Iowa
Education: Graduate, Western Christian High School, Hull, Iowa; associate degree in business administration from Southeast Technical Institute, Sioux Falls
Family: Wife, Carrie; son, Tyson, and daughter, Kyann
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