FSR January 2023

FirstCourse

Despite the staffing shortages of recent years, res taurants are laying off a greater percentage of their employees than pre-Covid levels, per Black Box Intelligence . In 2019, 24 percent of hourly front of-house exits and 21 percent of hourly back-of house exits were involuntary, but in 2020, invol untary terminations accounted for half of all turnover . Even at the managerial level, it was a considerable climb, rising from 29 to 43 percent for general managers. These terminations—as well as voluntary resignations—are expensive for opera tors. Adding up the hard costs of separa tion, replacement, and training, Black INVOLUNTARY TURNOVER TAKES ITS TOLL

Box Intelligence estimates it costs $1,956 to replace an hourly team member, $9,148 to replace a man ager, and $14,404 to replace a general manager.

DIGITAL FOODPRINT W ord of mouth still carries plenty of weight in attracting new guests, but an online presence is now proving just as crucial. Restaurant software provider TouchBistro found that 84 percent of consumers in the U.S. and Canada check a restau rant’s menu online before deciding to visit . Similarly, 79 percent will explore its website. This data suggests all restaurants, including those with frequently chang ing menus, should make a point of posting their o erings online—even if it’s just a sample menu.

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FSRMAGAZINE .COM

JANUARY 2023