A 2012 episode of CBS’ Undercover Boss revolving around Checkers and one of its restaurants is receiving some revived attention 10 years later because it resonates with those working in the fast food and service industry. The episode featured then-Checkers and Rally’s CEO Enrique “Rick” Silva shutting down the restaurant after learning how rude the location’s general manager is to his employees.
Silva went undercover as just another employee at the Philadelphia restaurant, using the name Alex Garcia. He had a whole story as a failed pharmacy owner who took the job to make extra money. Silva connected with an employee named Todd, who said he dropped out of school and worked at the restaurant to help support his mother. The manager, identified only as Stevens, is heard barking orders at Todd and the other employees, even threatening them if they do not instantly do the job he yelled at them to do.
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After Stevens told Silva and Todd to take the trash out, Silva asks Todd why he continued working there if the manager was yelling all the time. Todd again explained that he needed the job. After Silva tells Todd he should stand up to Stevens, Todd begins crying out of fear of losing his job. So Silva asked to talk to Stevens outside.
“What excuse is there to talk to people without being respectful to them?” Silva asked. “Honestly, I don’t think I was disrespectful,” Stevens replied, adding that he felt the need to raise his voice or the employees wouldn’t do what they were told. When Silva said he would refuse to work for Stevens if he talked to him that way, Stevens said he would tell him he “couldn’t handle” the job.
After Stevens continued standing firmly by his reasoning for disrespecting his employees, Silva revealed his true identity as a 20-year veteran of the restaurant business and the CEO of Checkers and Rally’s. Silva told Stevens he was not running the restaurant up to the company’s standards and he plans to shut it down immediately.
In an interview with Nation’s Restaurant News after the episode aired, Silva explained that Stevens’ behavior didn’t pose a “danger” to employees or customers, but his tone was “different, too terse.” The restaurant was only closed for one night shift, and a new manager was in place the next day. The episode ended with Silva awarding Todd $15,000 to help his mother and finish culinary school.
“I came to the conclusion that he wasn’t prepared to run that shift and wasn’t convinced that when I walked away the restaurant would provide the level of service we need,” Silva explained to Restaurant News. “Employees need to hear the kind of leadership I expect, and general managers need to provide support and coaching. We closed the unit down during that Sunday night shift temporarily. The next morning, it reopened with a new manager, and it’s been running fantastic since then.”
Silva’s time on Undercover Boss began trending on YouTube this month, as people working in the fast food industry a decade later understand the difficulties of working under demanding managers. “I spent about 25 years in restaurants, and the mentality of that GM is on point with how so many think the industry works. I have had managers say the exact same thing to me while being unable to understand why staff keeps quitting,” one person wrote. “Kudos to the CEO…you never, never disrespect the staff. You earn their trust and respect by being appreciative and thanking them for all they do,” another commented.
Silva remained the CEO of Checkers and Rally’s until 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile. In March 2021, he became President and CEO of Culver’s Franchising System. Before leading Checkers, he worked his way up the Burger King corporate ladder, eventually serving as Senior Vice President of franchise operations in Canada and the eastern U.S.
