Meet Kelsey Strothers: Co-Owner of Worth Takeaway

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsey Strothers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Purpose is very subjective. So many people look for ways to find purpose through their careers. While my job can be enjoyable at times, it’s not always so, and knowing that my value doesn’t come from my job is important. Also, we sell mostly sandwiches, many wouldn’t consider that a noble career. We don’t see our business as sandwiches, we see our business as people and we happen to serve sandwiches. If we can help foster personal growth for anyone on our team, then we’re really finding success in our work.

What should our readers know about your business?
Owning a business is not for the faint of heart. Owning a restaurant is a romantic notion but a harsh reality. Endurance, setting boundaries, caring for yourself, building in time to rest, these are all aspects of ownership that are necessary to grow both personally and professionally. Owning a small restaurant is like running a marathon that never ends, so we really didn’t enter into it lightly. Even knowing it would be tough wasn’t enough, nothing prepares you for the grueling schedule. Having a strong partner was vital so far. Establishing and maintaining good communication and healthy conversations between us has helped us to stay married and in business. Mostly, patience and understanding while also setting healthy boundaries has kept us and our team on track.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The most exciting places are often the most humble and unassuming for me. If showing someone around town we’d most likely grab breakfast at the Valentine or Stoop Kid at some point, coffee at Provision or Mythical, grab a bottle of wine (or two) from the Montecito Bottle Shop, and casual takeout at Loco Style Grinds or Myke’s Pizza. In the current climate with COVID we’d have to get creative, maybe going for a hike while the weather is nice or having a picnic in a park. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My partner and team mate, my husband, Jim Bob.

Website: worthtakeaway.com
Instagram: @worthtakeaway
Facebook: facebook.com/worthtakeaway
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/worth-takeaway-mesa