Uber Accident Injury Attorneys in Greenville, NC

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A Chick-fil-A employee in Greenville, who has millions of views on TikTok for his incredibly friendly service and great attitude, is speaking with WITN about his recent fame.

Simeon Gilbert says he owes it all to the lessons he’s learned from his mother.

Multiple customers who have seen Simeon’s kindness span across TikTok flocked to him during our interview.

“Well, one thing that I love to do, I’m just a naturally joyful and happy person. I have a lot of joy inside of me. What I like to do, is not hold it all to myself, but share that joy with others in any way that I can,” said Gilbert.

Gilbert says his mother taught him from a young age that simply being himself and being nice to others would get him where he needed to be in life.

“One of the things that I’ve learned is that talent can get you to a lot of places. Character is what will keep you there. I love the fact that he has the character that others can see that can help them to understand that kindness goes a long way,” recalled Simeon’s mother, Kimberley Gilbert.

Chick-fil-A management says Simeon goes above and beyond to give customers an experience to remember. We’re told that he’s won employee of the month multiple times, and fans of his say he’s great at what he does.

“It’s been blowing up on TikTok. I’ve been seeing him all over. I’m glad he’s getting the recognition that he deserves,” said fan Marquince Pearsall.

Simeon says it has been a humbling experience seeing how far service with a smile can take you.

“It makes me feel great knowing that young people, and people even older are so inspired just by me being myself and just being kind to others,” Gilbert added.

One customer we saw told his mother that she has inspired her as a parent by raising such a nice young man and instilling in him that you should always be true to yourself.

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, the laid-back seafood restaurant franchise with 17 locations across six states, has set its sights on Greenville, North Carolina for continued growth. With a focus on markets that mirror existing successful markets for Shuckin’ Shack, the team is looking to grow with quality Franchise Partners.

“We really want to continue to open healthy restaurants with good people, and Greenville is a great market for us to do this in,” said CEO Jonathan Weathington. “There’s a very large, public university. It’s not far from our headquarters, and we already have a location in Rocky Mount, NC that does well, so that boosts our brand awareness in the area, too.”

With a population of over 91,000, the Greenville market is steadily growing and continues to be a hub for major industries. In addition to the tens of thousands of health care, education, and retail trade jobs in the market, Greenville is a hot spot for East Carolina University’s student population and consistent tourist traffic.

Greenville has a cost of living over 14% below the national average, making it a more affordable market. But with a median household income of over $50,500 and an average household income of over $70,600, people in the Greenville community are financially stable with the funds for discretionary spending — another positive marker for restaurant growth.

In addition to the market’s overall strength, it’s an attractive environment for a seafood franchise, specifically. Seafood is the fifth most common restaurant cuisine in Greenville, indicating a clear affinity for the food, but there is still plenty of capacity in the community for growth. With 26 seafood establishments currently serving the market, there is still unmet demand, and Shuckin’ Shack can stand out even further with its unique experience.

While great food and beverages certainly set Shuckin’ Shack apart, the relaxed, social environment and truly localized approach Shuckin’ Shack Franchise Partners bring to their markets serve to elevate the brand even further.

“Shuckin’ Shack is steeped in coastal culture, making us a great fit for markets that have strong ties to seafood and the coastal way of life,” Weathington said. “And even in markets where there are existing seafood establishments, Shuckin’ Shack’s customization allows us to become a space where members of the community truly want to be. They feel a part of the family, and they’re excited to come spend time with us.”

Rather than opening an oyster bar in their markets, Shuckin’ Shack Franchise Partners open and nurture an establishment that can become the oyster bar in the town. The place to go to feel welcome, cared for and connected with fellow community members.

As she prepares to participate in East Carolina University commencement later this week, however, there is full conviction in Hudson’s passion for being a spring class of 2025 graduate.

“I am proud of myself,” she said. “I will admit that to anybody and everybody. I’m not one to let anything stop me from what I want to accomplish. I go all-in and try to defeat all odds.”

Hudson is graduating in recreational therapy in the College of Health and Human Performance.

The Greenville native and 20-year-old has used a wheelchair since back surgery July 1, 2024, but that hasn’t stopped her drive or ability to be an active member of the recreational therapy program, ECU student body and in the community.

She is on the executive board of the ECU recreational therapy student society. When she was a student at D.H. Conley High School she was a standout and national first-place competition winner in DECA, a high school and college student organization promoting marketing, leadership and career development, and helped track substitution patterns for the school’s volleyball team. Hudson still assists with those activities at Conley.

STATISTICS

Name: Deallaney Hudson

College: Health and Human Performance

Major: Recreational Therapy

Age: 20

Hometown: Greenville

Hobbies/interests: Spending time with family and friends, volunteering at Cypress Glen Retirement Community, reading my Bible and working toward the goal of walking independently again

Clubs and organizations: RTSS (Recreational Therapy Student Society)

FAVORITES

Favorite place on campus: Carol G. Belk Building

Place to eat: Chick Fil-A

Favorite class: Recreational Therapy Senior Practicum with Dr. David Loy

Professor who influenced you the most: Wendy Whisner

Favorite band/musician/podcast: Maverick City Music

Favorite movie: “Wonder”

She also volunteers at the Cypress Glen Retirement Community.

“I love the people there and we do all kinds of activities,” Hudson said. “I like to always be doing something. There have been a lot of opportunities to grow and excel as a student in the recreational therapy program. It’s really exciting.”

Hudson will soon begin a 14-week internship at ECU Health in pediatric inpatient rehabilitation.

“After that is done, I will sit for my certification and license exam to become a recreational therapist and then hopefully will find a job somewhere,” said Hudson, who transferred to ECU from Pitt Community College.

Whether at the Belk Building, which is home to the Department of Recreation Sciences and Hudson’s favorite place on campus, or on main campus, Hudson is often accompanied by a friend to share conversations and smiles.

She said her experience at ECU has been boosted by friendships gained and memories made with friends. She is grateful for them and faculty and staff who have supported her in her Pirate journey to accomplishing various goals.

“It’s been an awesome experience, and I really appreciate the people in my classes for looking out for me and just being there for me to help me out these days,” Hudson said. “I told myself that I always wanted to be a Pirate one day, and here I am graduating. It’s amazing all the different opportunities and the wide variety you have available here at ECU. It’s exciting and I’m accomplishing some of my hopes and dreams. It’s an exciting time.”

SPRING 2025 GRADUATE PROFILES

Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.

For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.

In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.

Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Greenville. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.

GREENVILLE, N.C. — For over a century, the North Carolina League of Municipalities has hosted an annual meeting to provide town and city leaders a platform to collaborate and innovate for community growth. This year's event, CityVision, took place in Greenville, offering leaders from across the state the opportunity to engage in workshops and discussions.

Mark-Anthony Middleton, Durham Mayor Pro-Tempore and President of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, emphasized the importance of the event. "It’s important to get out of your own echo chambers sometimes and CityVision is about bringing leaders from all over the state to learn together, to encourage one another," he said.

Blowing Rock Councilwoman Cat Perry highlighted the value of the gathering. "It’s great to hear what other towns are experiencing that may be similar to what Blowing Rock is, but also very different and it widens our perspective, so we don’t have such tunnel vision," she said.

The conference features visits from notable figures, including North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and Governor Josh Stein. Stein expressed his gratitude, saying, "I’m grateful for what you do in your communities, and what you do to help your people and their cities and towns, is what helps this state be everything it can be."

Greenville, selected as this year's host city, is seizing the opportunity to boost tourism and showcase its growth. "It’s a great opportunity to showcase the growth and really how we’re planning our city to grow," said a Greenville leader. Another added, "That’s invaluable to be able to show others from across the state, that hey you think you know Greenville, but you have no idea about all the great things that are happening here."

Middleton says he hopes attendees take away that "when we listen to each other, you’d be surprised how much you don’t know, and how much you can learn. We're all North Carolinians. We're all blessed to live in the greatest state in the union."