Kroger employee thanks grocery chain for new opportunity in midst of pandemic

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — A Greenwood Kroger employee is thanking the grocery store chain for giving him a shot in the middle of a pandemic.

Luke Wass is capitalizing on skills from a very different line of work. He was a bartender at Morton’s Steakhouse. It closed in March when COVID-19 hit.

Now, he has taken on a new role after a trip to the grocery store led him on a path he wasn’t expecting.

He knows every bottle and every flavor of wine. Plus, how to create the perfect pairing. It’s a new job he landed in two days.

“I decided to go out and be part of the solution and not be part of the problem,” he said. “I didn’t want to draw government benefits. I wanted to get right back out there and serve my community.”

After six months in the pick-up department, his hard work paid off.

“The goal is to always fact find,” Wass said. “What are you looking for? What is your price point? What do you drink at home?”

He is now a leader in the Wine, Beer, Spirits and Liquor department at Kroger.

“I’m truly blessed to be here and have found a home here in the midst of chaos.,” Wass said.

In the store or sitting at home, he’s there to help.

“The pay is competitive and the home work-life balance has improved for me because a lot of restaurant employees work nights and I am now able to be with my family,” Wass said. “That is just invaluable and priceless to me and I value that very much.”

Wass is thankful for his new career and that he’s doing the thing he enjoys the most, making customers happy.

• The Indiana State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 126 more deaths, putting the death toll at 9,092. A total of 595,436 Hoosiers have tested positive for COVID-19.