Lincoln resident Joe Cruz's first video application for Casey's Chief Pizza & Beer Officer.
There are not many jobs that will hire someone who submits a résumé filled with experience in eating pizza and drinking beer.
But after Casey’s General Stores announced last month that they were looking to hire a chief pizza and beer officer, one Lincoln man’s résumé stood out.
Lincoln resident Joe Cruz has been named Casey's chief pizza and beer officer. Cruz will serve as the utmost authority on sampling, researching and pairing Casey’s pizzas with the best beer combinations.
Casey's, courtesy photo
Joe Cruz will be the company's first-ever chief pizza and beer officer in which he will combine his love for pizza, beer and togetherness.
“It’s like a dream come true,” said Cruz, who was chosen out of more than 500 qualified applicants after spending the past three years creating beer-tasting videos on social media.
Now, that hobby has turned into a job with the fifth-largest pizza chain in the United States.
“Our family has been in love with Casey’s breakfast pizza ever since the kids have been born, so that’s constantly on the menu,” Cruz said.
Lincoln resident Joe Cruz accepts job as Casey's Chief Pizza & Beer Officer.
Cruz couldn’t believe it was real when he first heard about the job opening and immediately went online to fill out his application.
“I pulled up my real résumé, but I deleted everything,” Cruz said. “Just from the moment I was 21 to now, I just listed a whole beer list. Probably 100 different beers.”
He did the same thing listing every single pizza he could think of.
“Then I got nervous,” Cruz said. “Maybe I was supposed to be serious about my previous things, but they must have loved it.”
Lincoln resident Joe Cruz's second video application for Casey's Chief Pizza & Beer Officer.
While there was still doubt in the back of his mind, Cruz was confident about his qualifications.
“Finding out that I got the position was just incredible,” Cruz said. “I almost blacked out and I could just see myself walking through fields of pizza and beer.”
His role officially began on Friday, National Pizza Day. As the chief pizza and beer officer, his new role will include pairing Casey’s pizza and beer and creating social media content to promote the business.
“I can’t wait to learn from the Casey’s team and kind of drive my own social media experience out into the universe,” Cruz said.
Lincolnite Joe Cruz has been named Casey's chief pizza and beer officer.
Casey's, courtesy photo
His first go-to pairing is the taco pizza with Corona to honor his Mexican heritage, but he’s looking forward to seasonal pizzas coming in the future.
With more than 2,600 convenience stores in 17 states, Cruz will become the face of pizza and beer for Casey’s, “The Official Pizza and Beer Headquarters."
“I’m ready to represent Lincoln as the CPBO and I want to make sure I get it right and do all my Lincolnites proud,” Cruz said. “The Casey’s team has been great, they make me feel very welcomed and I’m really anxious to dig deep and see what happens from here.”
