Meet Sheena Benton | Mr. Fries Man Owner (Greenville SC) & HR Professional

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

Hi Sheena, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always enjoyed cooking and eating great food. In 2020, I took a trip to CA. While in CA, I visited the Gardena, CA Mr. Fries Man location. The joy and pleasure I had when I took my first bite of those loaded fries was unforgettable. Fast forward one year later, I had a strong belief that I needed to bring this experience to my community in Greenville SC. As a Human Resources professional, I was confident in my ability to lead a team and the operations of my own business. Cultivating an inclusive and high-performing team has always been a passion for me. I coupled my desire to build a team, the love of food and put those passions into opening a Mr. Fries Man in Greenville SC.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I worked as a Director of Human Resources for a non-profit organization prior to becoming a entrepreneur. Fortunately, my skillsets in HR paved a way for me to manage my own business. I”m able to utilize techniques and strategies from my HR career that are critical in running a business and managing people. The challenges came along the way as well I had to learn about food safety, time management in ensuring customer orders were made with quality and efficiency, compliance with making sure I have the proper permits in place, and training staff to uphold these standards. I learned a lot through trial and error. Customer feedback was also helpful in understanding tweaks in service that we needed.

My parents were the first to teach me culture, discipline, structure, time management, and organization. They surrounded me with love and around people who were kind and thoughtful. My upbringing has molded me into a person that pushes for knowledge, persistence, and appreciating people from different walks of life. I’m a problem solver and I like to find solutions and efficiencies in getting things done.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The first place I would take my best friend is to my restaurant – Mr. Fries Man! I would definitely add a trip to downtown Greenville to visit Falls Park to see the waterfalls and walk across the Falls Park Bridge. We would stroll down Main Street to visit the local boutiques and sightsee. If the weather permits, we would bike down the Swamp Rabbit trail for some exercise and more views of the city of Greenville. One of my favorite cuisines to eat is Japanese, so we would go to my favorite places for sushi and the best gyoza in town, Miyabi’s. Another favorite cuisine of mine is Caribbean food, so I would take them to a new gem I’ve recently found called Caribbean Fusion for, in my opinion, the best Caribbean food Greenville has to offer. As a former resident of Charlotte NC, I would add this trip to our itinerary. Charlotte has so much to offer in terms of food, sights, and culture and the drive is only an hour and a half away. In addition, my older sister, niece and nephews live there so we would visit them as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Craig & Dorothy Batiste – Founders of Mr. Fries Man – Craig & Dorothy believed in my ability to help grow their brand and gave me the opportunity to own one in Greenville SC. Their humble beginnings and passion for what they do gave me the confidence to pursue this journey

Family – Mother, Sisters (Stephanie & Kae), Father (RIP) – they believed in me and provided words of encouragement along the way, continue to support from grand opening to my day to day such as volunteering to help during Grand Opening or on days I was short-staffed and taking care of my precious dogs (furbabies) while I’m working. Through my Father I witnessed dedication, work ethic, discipline, and an Entreprenurial spirit

Brandon – He introduced me to Mr., Fries Man in Gardena CA and because of Brandon I had that first delicious bite of loaded fries. Without Brandon, I likely wouldn’t know Mr. Fries Man existed. Brandon also helped me to get systems up and running to prepare for the opening of Mr. Fries Man. In addition, he helped train staff and service customers.

Rachel & Team – my former boss/mentor – she provided many opportunities for me to grow as a leader and HR professional. Rachel’s contributions towards my growth have been instrumental in my ability as an entrepreneur. My team trusted me to lead them and I learned so much from collaborating with them on ideas to make our organization better. They supported my pursuit to entrepreneurship as well.

Close Circle of Friends – I’m grateful for their words of encouragement and support from the beginning and beyond

Website: https://www.mrfriesman.com

Instagram: mrfriesman_greenville/instagram

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheena-benton-

Image Credits
The Culinary Encourager