Meet Kay Greenlee
Managing Partner of Dutch’s Hamburgers
“Women can achieve anything we put our heart and soul into. I knew absolutely nothing about the restaurant business when I started ten years ago. I was given tools to be successful and used them to help build Dutch’s into what it is today.”
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Meet October’s Fort Worth Woman! Kay Greenlee is the Managing Partner of the beloved TCU hangout, Dutch’s Hamburgers, on University.
Born in Longview, Kay moved to Fort Worth by the age of four and has been a Cowtown gal ever since. Between having kids early on, graduating from Texas Wesleyan in 1985, and her teaching career Kay has been prepared to tackle any challenge head on. Kay taught both 2nd and 4th grade for a cumulative 21 years in Crowley ISD. In 2007, she was approached to change careers. With a swift leap of faith, she became the General Manager of Dutch’s and by 2011 she was Managing Partner. As Managing Partner, Kay is currently preparing for Dutch’s new expansion which will feature a glycol tap system, a horseshoe-shaped bar, and additional outside eating space complete with yard games for returning TCU alumni to bring their families.
Kay loves to be around people and form relationships. After spending two decades making a difference in children’s lives and although the original transition to managing a restaurant was rough, she wouldn’t change her role in Dutch’s for the world. Kay admits that, “for a while I felt like I had taken a step down. Here I was cleaning tables, mopping floors, and unstopping toilets. It didn’t take me long to realize all of that didn’t matter. The relationships I have made with so many people are what keep me excited to walk through these doors every day. You see, it doesn’t matter what others think about you, it’s how you feel at the end of the day about yourself and what lives you may have impacted.”
You can find Kay at Dutch’s almost every day along with many members of her family who work with her. Her nine-year-old grandson is already spending his time learning from his ‘Mimi’ the trade of making the greatest burger known to man alongside how to become TCU’s number #1 fan. Fort Worth is described by Kay as a “big city with a a small city heart”. Her favorite thing is that despite it’s growing size, Fort Worth remains friendly and welcoming which is easily recognized by the many visitors she meets in her restaurant who are from out of town.
Kay’s word for her impact as a businesswoman on our city is optimistic. She feels that Fort Worth “women can achieve anything we put our heart and soul into. I knew absolutely nothing about the restaurant business when I started ten years ago. I was given tools to be successful so I picked up those tools (sometimes I dropped them) and used them to help build Dutch’s into what it is today.”
Dutch’s is a special restaurant because of Kay. She strives to make everyone around her realize their importance. Kay states, “you can serve the best burger in DFW but if your customers don’t feel special or welcome, then they won’t come back. Everyone likes to be made to feel like they are special. That is one trait that Dutch’s has, that not many restaurants strive to achieve.” We love Dutch’s. We love Kay. Stop in and grab a burger. Thank you for your impact on our city!