Way, way back in 2009, Menufy was a young startup comprised of only a handful of its founding members. But as the company grew and began building more and more websites for restaurants across the country, it was time to bring in more associates.
Flash forward to the fall of 2017 when Katrina Simmons joined the Menufy data team. Katrina played a crucial role during the pandemic, helping our restaurant partners get online as fast as possible.
Over time, Katrina has risen to the role of data entry team lead, ensuring our clients’ online ordering menus are up-to-date and optimized for success!
Because of her leadership and industry knowledge, she was nominated for this month's associate spotlight. Get to know Katrina, her life inside the office, and how she likes to unwind!
Meet Katrina!
Take us on a journey of your previous work experiences.
My restaurant background only consists of a summer working at Sonic when I was in high school, but it was a good learning experience and humbling. (People get mean about their food, LOL!) I also worked at Walgreens for three years, and then, before Menufy by HungerRush, I worked at a call center for Med4Home, refilling customers' breathing treatments via phone calls. This was my intro to data entry, and it made my job at Menufy much easier to adjust to.
How do past careers help you best serve Menufy clients today?
My experiences with frustrated customers at Sonic and Walgreens helped with honing my skills in several areas—diffusing tense or difficult situations, finding the best solution for the customer, and helping them feel good about the solution, even if it involves compromise.
My experience at Med4Home helped with my communication skills and with building a sense of trust and connection over the phone. It also sharpened my data entry skills. You had to enter pertinent and secure information while simultaneously speaking with the client, so speed and accuracy were extremely important.
What is your favorite part of your current role at Menufy?
My favorite part is probably finding new or creative solutions for challenging requests from restaurant owners. We can't always fulfill their exact menu desires, so it's very satisfying when we're able to accommodate them. I also really enjoy training/shadowing and being able to share what we do with other teams and vice versa.
If you could switch Menufy departments for a day, which would you choose?
I would choose sales. I think it would be a good challenge since I am more reserved, and sales requires a substantial amount of socializing and connecting with restaurant owners. It would be cool to see what goes into making a sale and getting a client into the onboarding process.
What is your favorite restaurant and dish?
My favorite (a Menufy client, of course!) is probably The Basha Cuisine (105th Street Overland Park, KS). I used to get food from there all the time when I worked in the office, and my go-to was always the chicken shawarma. Their hummus is also the best.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love reading, going camping, playing games, doing puzzles, and going to the movies.
Who do you consider a part of your family?
I have four siblings—two twin brothers and two sisters—who I'm pretty close to. Also, I have my cat Renly, who never lets me work. He loves climbing onto my desk and walking in front of my screens or onto my lap and over my keyboard, so I'm unable to type.
Do you have a secret talent?
I wouldn't say this is a secret skill or talent, but people usually don't know that I did Taekwondo for four years. It was a great way to work out, and the tournaments were always fun!
What do you love about Kansas City?
I love KC's food and comfort/familiarity because I grew up here, and most of my family lives in KC, so I always have good company. I'm terrible with navigation, so learning a new city would seriously suck.
Hear it from her teammates.
"Katrina is always super pleasant to work with! She's got a ton of valuable knowledge to share from her department, and she's always willing to help when someone has a question. She definitely makes Menufy a better place to be!" -Shale Morris, Client Support Lead
"I appreciate Katrina for being helpful when I'm trying to learn more about how Menu operates and what is best for their team. She's great to talk to, and I enjoy working with her when our tasks end up crossing paths. She's always been helpful and attentive, and I appreciate her willingness to help me understand how Support and Menu can work together. I know that if what I'm doing is going to need Menu's help, she'll be there, and we'll get it done together. Can't express how much I appreciate that kind of consistency and her knowledge." -Thomas Walden, Client Support Lead
"I've known Katrina for a long time, and she has always been fun to work with. She is always a crucial part of our team since she provides training to our new reps on how Menu works! She provides us with initial training on Menu and is our Menu guru for any time we have a menu question or difficult menu to work through. She's also funny, great at volleyball, and an amazing support to our team. Thanks, Katrina!" -Phung Ngo, Project Coordinator - Manager
Thank you, Katrina!
In order to ensure a smooth process for our restaurant clients, there are many moving parts and departments that work together to get the job done. Every person in our office has an important role to play in the process.
Katrina's in-depth understanding of the Menufy online ordering product allows her to help her teammates and our restaurant partners.
She has proven to be a wonderful addition to the Menufy team! We are grateful to have Katrina on board and can't wait to see how she continues to impact our team!
Melissa Dimmitt, Marketing Manager
Melissa is the Marketing Manager for Menufy by HungerRush. She began working with restaurant managers and executive chefs over a decade ago, coordinating seasonal menu releases, executing photoshoots, and creating fresh digital content.