Longtime Johnny Burrito employee gifted $26,000 as she heads into retirement

CHARLOTTE — The first employee of Uptown Charlotte’s Johnny Burrito is retiring after nearly 25 years on the job.

On her final day this Friday, Martha Harris received a special send-off: a check totaling more than $26,000 to help the new retiree pay off her home.

The gift was a collaborative effort. Customers pitched in to celebrate Harris’ hard work and the restaurant donated $10,000 to the goal.

“This is a blessing, it is a blessing to me. I was so surprised,” Harris said on Friday. “Did you see my eyes? I could have fell over. I haven’t had a check this big in a long time, so I appreciate it.”

Along with the check, Harris also received a card for free burritos for life.

“It feels great, good, I didn’t know I had so much love, but I do and I feel good,” Harris said. “I can go home now, sit down and rest and I know my family is taken care of.”

Channel 9 first spoke with Harris on Thursday as she was greeted by customers with tokens of appreciation.

“I’m going to be crying like a mad lady at home,” Harris said.

She said she’s filled with mixed emotions as she prepares to say goodbye to the place she’s dedicated 25 years of life to.

“She was our first hire,” owner Johnny Bitter said. “And her application says that she was dependable, and I thought she was very personable.”

And all these years, Bitter held on to Harris’ original application, which he now looks at as a piece of history.

“She’s been a big part of the success of Johnny Burrito,” he said. “Having somebody like that here every day is great.”

Harris, who’s now 69-years-old, said she still remembers how she felt after dropping off her application.

“When I left and put the application in, I was real happy,” she said. “I said mhm I got it. I got it.”

She told Channel 9′s Almiya White how much she had grown in her role.

“I couldn’t roll a burrito for nothing in the world. I would mess it up,” Harris said. “And I was going to quit but Johnny said ‘No, you can do it,’ and he made a believer out of me.”

And perfecting her burrito roll paid off in the end. Customers are celebrating her retirement by giving back to her.

“We’ve gotten donations from anywhere from $2. We had one for $2,500. And she said ‘Martha in 24 and a half years you rolled 2,500 burritos and I’m giving her $1 per burrito,’” Bitter said. “She’s the best roller too, everybody wants her to roll their burrito for them.”

Harris said this goodbye isn’t an easy one -- it’s bittersweet.

“I don’t want to go but it’s time to go and enjoy my family,” she said.

“A lot of emotion and joy for her for retirement,” Bitter said. “Sadness for us. But you understand. I mean, after 24 and a half years, it’s time to go home and enjoy some retirement.”

Harris said she is looking forward to spending time with loves ones and relaxing.

(WATCH BELOW: After the game: How Luke Kuechly stays close to the Panthers, even in retirement)

After the game: How Luke Kuechly stays close to the Panthers, even in retirement

©2022 Cox Media Group