Turning What You Love into What You Do
By Patrick J. O’Connor
Caldwell, a small town in Southeast Ohio, surprised a local guy, Charlie Thomas, with a $300 scholarship to help with his tuition for Kent State in 1971. Back then, $300 was a lot of money for college. A Vietnam vet, Charlie was working a few jobs to help pay his way through college. Caldwell had few sons who had gone off to college and the Chamber of Commerce thought he was a good investment. They were right. He completed his marketing/management degree in 1974 and was on his way to turning what he loves into what he does. He’s been a steady ship in the Kent business community for over 50 years.
Fast forward 47 years and Charlie has been the owner of Ray’s Place, a Kent/KSU institution. After three years managing the Loft, Charlie (middle name Ray) has guided Ray’s through incredible success since the day he purchased it. And he has always remembered the $300 that came at such a critical time for him. Proof of this is that he has contributed two scholarships at the KSU College of Business and Entrepreneurship. One, the Ray’s Place Entrepreneurship Scholarship, is for students who study entrepreneurship. Another is in honor of his highly regarded professor Paul Pfeiffer. He hopes these scholarships will be received for current recipients as well as his was many years ago.
Ray’s Place
Ray’s Place has been the “go-to place” in Kent since 1937. Literally thousands of customers over generations testify to the good, memorable times they have had at Ray’s Place. Kent locals, KSU students, staff and faculty, professional athletes, entertainers, musicians and politicians have lounged with family and friends. Many professors hold end of semester gatherings with students. Many international visitors, including visiting professors, love coming to Ray’s because they can order beverages from their home country. Many of these happy customers shared their affection for Ray’s by contributing stories to the book, “Meet Me at Ray’s,” which celebrated the 75th anniversary of Ray’s Place.
Doing What He Loves
Charlie has spent the bulk of his life at Ray’s Place. His quiet confidence has been a source of his success. He believes Ray’s = The Customer + Employees + The Physical Plant. One of his major successful efforts was the restoration of the front of Ray’s to the original 1937 design.
Employees too have great affection for Charlie and Ray’s. In fact, about a thousand employees over the years have worked with Charlie. Note, worked with rather than for. Many employees, especially managers, have worked with Charlie for over 30 years. Some children of employees have worked at Ray’s too. Soon, some grandchildren of former employees will be working at Ray’s. Most employees have been KSU students at one time or another. Some have gone on to operate their own restaurants while others have used their Ray’s experience and work ethic to vault them into successful careers in a wide range of fields. Incredible.
Special Times
Special events have been numerous at Ray’s. Employees have joined softball and volleyball teams sponsored by Ray’s. Outings to Cleveland Indians baseball games and Christmas parties are legendary. For many years, Ray’s teamed up with The Loft tavern to host an annual charity golf outing. I mean… how much more can you love what you do? Read on.
In 2014, Charlie was celebrated as Grand Marshall of KSU Homecoming Parade some 40 years after graduating. His devotion to KSU is almost as strong as his affection for Ray’s Place. He learned much from his time at KSU business school, which has enabled him to be innovative and creative when the business world changes and, at times, almost spins out of control.
A five-star example of this is handling the bizarre times that came with the Covid virus when many businesses were completely shut down. Whatever a business did, someone was unhappy; a no-win situation. Maneuvering through that wild time and coming out stronger is pure testimony to his education, experience and personal resolve to adapt in one of the most difficult business periods in recollection.
You Can Home Again
So why does it work? Ray’s resembles the Latin phrase “Alma Mater” which means nourishing mother. The popular phrase “you can’t go home again” hardly applies to Ray’s. You can go home again to Ray’s…. as often as you like.
Charlie continues to lean on his belief that Ray’s is like a well-worn shoe; comfortable, reliable and always fits just right. This works for him, customers, employees, vendors and anyone who enters his orbit. This is what happens when you turn what you love into what you do.
