Ramiro Galvan is a busy man. As the CEO of El Rey Group and someone who likes to give back to the community, Ramiro appreciates all the help he can get. That’s why he nominated his brother, Juan Galvan, as Augusta Business Daily’s Businessperson of the Month for February.
“Juan is an incredibly dependable and hardworking individual. He consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that our company runs smoothly and efficiently. His ability to learn quickly on his feet has been invaluable, allowing him to adapt to any situation with ease. While my sister and I have the opportunity to be out in the community doing charity work, Juan remains dedicated to the day-to-day operations of our company.”
At just 23, Juan does whatever he can to help the El Rey restaurants on Washington Road and in Grovetown run smoothly. He said if he had to have a title, it would probably be assistant manager, but he doesn’t care about titles; he just wants to help.
“I’ll seat people and take orders. Sometimes, I’ll run food out to the tables,” he said on a Thursday afternoon, as he ran the cash register at the Washington Road restaurant. “I try to stay out of the kitchen because they’re very busy and it gets kinda crazy in there. I just stay out of their way.”
Juan said Ramiro, their sister and mother spend most Sunday mornings feeding the homeless with Compass Church at James Brown Arena, while he and their dad make sure the restaurants are running smoothly. He has always worked with his family and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“In Mexico, it’s a dream to be able to work with your family. I can do what I love and help give back while spending time with family,” Juan said. “I’ve been here since we opened in 2016, and we’re going strong, thank God.”
He said El Rey believes in treating their employees like family, too.
“A lot of our servers have said that other restaurants don’t let them eat anything but rice and beans while they’re working. We let them have whatever they want, and if they need to take some food home to feed their kids, we’ll let them,” he said. “I truly believe that if you treat your employees right, they’ll treat you right and will have your back.”
Juan said he is living his dream – working with family while being successful enough to have what he needs.
“I don’t really care about money. I mean you have to have it, but I have what I need to be comfortable, thank God. I am also a people person, and I get to meet a lot of different people at the restaurants,” he said. “Sometimes, they’ve had a bad day and need someone to talk to. I love helping people smile and have a great day.”
El Rey has two locations: 3830 Washington Rd #25, Martinez (762-994-0483), and 419 Lewiston Rd #1, Grovetown (706-504-4188).
