It didn’t take long for Deja’ Link, 26, to fall in love with the restaurant world. In fact, it only took her a couple of months. Growing up, she watched as her dad went to work for Castellucci Hospitality Group (CHG) and decided to follow in his footsteps, at least for a short while as a server for a mom-and-pop place following high school.
“It was nothing serious,” Link says. “But then, within a couple of months, I fell in love with just the idea of creating these experiences for the guests.”
From that moment, she hungered for more. She wanted to learn anything and everything restaurant related, pushing her managers to teach her something new, whether it was a different position, something in the kitchen or something in the front of house. And she did.
She quickly became the heartbeat of the dining room. With her natural knack for hospitality and a drive to excel, Link saw a fast progression in her career. She seamlessly transitioned to dining room manager, and before long she was promoted to assistant general manager.
That restaurant opened her eyes to the management side of restaurant operations, but still, Link craved something more.
“I wanted a little change of scenery, a little more structure and decided to come to CHG,” Link says, “because I knew, from my dad working here previously, that is was such a phenomenal company with a phenomenal family running it.”
Link came into the restaurant group as a server, but much like her time at that mom-and-pop place, she rose through the ranks. After a month she became the dining room manager for the Iberian Pig in Buckhead. About a year after that, she was named assistant general manager. Then, seven months following that promotion, she moved to her current role as general manager.
“I absolutely love it,” she says. “It’s been a phenomenal journey, and I’m still learning so much.”
Since joining Castellucci Hospitality Group, Link has found her true calling. Stepping into the GM role, she has made it her mission to create a culture of belonging for both her team and guests. “I’m big on cultivating an environment with a sense of belonging for everyone,” Link says. “Ensuring that the education and learning never stops and that the team can always feel that there’s more to come for them.”
By Haley Harward
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Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Performance Foodservice, and table sponsors, Society Insurance and Savannah Distributing, for making this event possible:
Presenting Sponsor
Table Sponsors
Savannah Distributing and Society Insurance
