From Warehouses to Restaurant Systems

My Journey in IT

When people look at where I am now, they often don’t see where it started. My path into IT wasn’t instant. It wasn’t linear. But it was mine — and every step shaped me into the professional I am today.

The Foundation: Georgia Southern University

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Georgia Southern University. Like many graduates, I thought I’d immediately step into the tech industry. But reality had other plans.

It took time — longer than I expected — to land my first official role in IT. In the meantime, I worked in warehouses, gaining a different kind of discipline and grit that I would later carry into every technical project I touched.

Breaking In: HonorBuilt

My first real IT opportunity came when I joined HonorBuilt as an IT Build Specialist. This role opened the door to an industry I didn’t even know I’d love: restaurant technology.

At HonorBuilt, my focus was point-of-sale (POS) support for restaurants. Over the course of three years, I staged and configured equipment for major brands like:

• Church’s Chicken
• Zaxby’s
• McAlister’s Deli
• Schlotzsky’s
• Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q
• And several smaller restaurant groups using QU POS

The work was hands-on and collaborative. My coworker — and friend — William and I would carefully configure each system so that when it arrived at the restaurant, all the team had to do was plug it in. Everything was ready to go. That sense of responsibility and precision built a strong foundation for my future roles.

Next Steps: NCR (Now NCR Voyix)

With three years of POS experience under my belt, I took the next leap to NCR, where I worked briefly as a Hardware Engineer. This role expanded my knowledge of restaurant hardware systems and gave me a chance to deepen my technical expertise with one of the biggest names in the POS industry.

Today: Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q

That experience ultimately led me to Jim ’N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, where I now serve as Manager of Restaurant Systems. This role brings everything full circle: I get to manage the very systems I once staged and configured, but now from the perspective of strategy, integration, and long-term success.

Final Thoughts: Lessons You Can Take Away

Looking back, the time I spent working in warehouses, staging equipment, and troubleshooting restaurant systems all played a part in getting me here. My journey reminds me — and hopefully anyone reading this — that success in IT doesn’t always come overnight. Sometimes it’s built one configured POS system, one late night, and one opportunity at a time.

Here are a few lessons you can take away from my path:

• Your first job doesn’t define your career. Even if you’re working outside your field, the skills you gain — discipline, teamwork, problem-solving — will carry forward.
• Every role builds transferable skills. Warehouse work taught me consistency and persistence. POS staging taught me precision. Each step stacked on the last.
• Breakthroughs often come from persistence, not perfection. It took me time to land in IT, but staying ready meant I was able to grab the opportunity when it came.
• Don’t underestimate niche industries. Restaurant technology isn’t always the first place IT grads think of, but it’s a field full of growth, complexity, and opportunity.
• Relationships matter. Collaborating with people like my coworker William not only made the work smoother but also made the journey more rewarding.

The path won’t look the same for everyone, but the principle is the same: keep showing up, keep learning, and keep stacking your skills. That’s how you turn opportunities into a career.