FSR June 2023

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Tupelo Honey’s revenue lifted 27 percent in 2022, and guest count jumped 17 per cent. Systemwide average unit volumes are now over $4 million, and the company is on track to exceed $100 million across its 21 stores in 2024. Plus, since launching new initiatives over the past 12 months, Tupelo Honey projects a 15 percent improvement in employee retention this upcoming year, Skinner notes. For hourly workers, minimum wage starts at $15 for non-tipped employees, plus there's a tenure award program that crosses every level of employment, including part-time team members. Tupelo Honey recently opened its 21st location in Indianapolis, and Skinner says the company heavily emphasizes explain ing the “why” along with the “how” to team members during the training process. “Our ‘why’ includes why we use a partic ular product or follow a particular process. These ‘whys’ correlate back to our values,” she says, like why the restaurant prioritizes sus tainable and locally-sourced products, the importance of scratch-made food, and cre ating joy through hospitality. “We are inten tional about incorporating ‘whys’ through out our training to deepen connection and engagement with our values.” At Parker’s restaurants, employees not only get great pay and benefits, but also opportunities for advancement. One of Parker’s first bartenders is now director of beverages, while multiple employees who started as dishwashers are now managers— which is one reason why the company was able to grow from zero to $100 million in just eight years, he says. “If you can give [employees] the culture where they enjoy going to work every day and you can show them the growth, they’ll stick around,” says Parker. “It’s about rein vesting in the people, and then you can rein vest in your assets and grow. And you’ve got to find the balance between the two.” Sometimes, finding that balance means cutting into profit margins for the better ment of employees and culture, he notes, like adding more staff and managers so peo ple can take their vacation days and have a better work-life balance, which helps mit igate burnout. Parker tried out a four-day work week over COVID, but the timing

didn’t pan out with staffing shortages. Now, he’s looking at scheduling in a similar way to nurses who work long shifts for three days, then get four days off. “If you do the math, that’s a lot of days off a year, right? You’re only working one third of the year, and I think that’s a big incentive for people to come and work for a company,” Parker says. “I have those days where I can just enjoy my life. Travel, too. If you get back-to-back days, it’s easier to take your vacation days.” “I do think we’re going to come up with a system that will hopefully revolutionize some of the restaurant industry, but it’s a work in progress. We’re always trying,” he adds. GAMIFYING TRAINING Employees forget 70 percent of what they learn within just three days when using tra ditional methods, according to 1Huddle—a workforce coaching and development plat form that helps organizations and global clients train employees with quick-burst games. “The way we train employees in the restaurant space is sort of embarrassing at times. We lock them in a room, have them watch a video, click through it, and watch it enough times until they pass,” says Sam Caucci, 1Huddle founder and CEO. The platform was designed to be a solu tion to the outdated approach to coaching, training, and development at companies. “Innovation is happening around the entire experience inside of a restaurant, and in hospitality, innovation always starts with the guest, then comes into financial soft wares, then goes into the back-of-house,” Caucci continues. “We’re at the stage right now where the best brands are choosing to invest aggressively in innovation around their employee experience.” For example, Jeff Carcara—CEO of Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, and Mexican Sugar under Front Burner Society—was “blown away by the knowledge of items and ingredients within a few days” after employ ees learned a new menu rollout by playing games on the 1Huddle platform. “Information retention is significantly better than the old-fashioned cram for the test then forget,” Carcara continues. “We can have an employee play a game to

é BRAD PARKER

é MIKE HERCHUCK

é CAROLINE SKINNER

é FRANCESCO BALLI

é JEFF CARCARA

é TAMMY JOHNS

THE HAMPTON SOCIAL / AMERICAN SOCIAL / TUPELO HONEY / GROVE BAY / KELLY WILLIAMS / BLACK BEAR DINER / 1HUDDLE

é SAM CAUCCI

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