FSR June 2023

LABOR

An Expert’s Guide to Navigating Modern Workforce the

THE TIDE ON LABOR BEST PRACTICES FOR RESTAURATEURS has turned drastically over the past five years, from increased compensation and boosted benefits to flexible scheduling and gamified training. A labor shortage sparked by the pandemic led many workers away from foodservice jobs, resulting in restaurant owners finding clever ways to recruit, retain, and engage team members out of necessity. Restaurant leaders quickly real ized just how important human capital is to their operations and the cost of underinvesting in their people and company culture—which has ultimately benefited both employees and employers alike as the entire foodservice industry evolves into the future. “When you first get into the restaurant industry and open your first restau rant, you think that your asset is your restaurant, right? That the space, the building, the kitchen, you think that's the business,” says Brad Parker, CEO of Chicago-based Parker Hospitality, which encompasses The Hampton Social, Bassment, and Nisos, a modern Mediterranean restaurant. “And as you grow, you really start learning … the spaces are the easy part; it's the people that become the hard part,” he continues. “When you want to focus on human capital, it's kind of a scary, risky thing for an entrepreneur or business owner, because it doesn't see the return that physical

A manual for hiring, engaging, and retaining a modern restaurant workforce, with insight from seven industry experts. BY CALLIE EVERGREEN

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM

JUNE 2023