No one will ever love your company as much as you do. But you can create a company culture designed to empower your best and brightest and give them opportunities to grow and ultimately rise to the top. We have more than 550 employees across 6 restaurants and a catering division; many of whom have been with us for more than 10 years. So how do we encourage our team?
Instill the importance of community service.
We ask all of our employees to volunteer 8 hours each year. Our restaurants participate in dozens of events in our community from food festivals to charity fundraisers and we ask our employees to volunteer along with us. We have a history of hosting Brunch for a Cause, giving all sales to World Central Kitchen and/or The American Cross after natural disasters. The employees who volunteer those days also give not only their time but all of their tips to the cause. There’s something very powerful about coming together as a group to do something impactful.
Celebrate your stars.
There are lots of industry awards at the top level, but we are always looking for opportunities to recognize our talented individuals who are often behind the scenes- doing the hard work that doesn’t always get recognized. Every year at our big anniversary bash each restaurant recognizes 2 individuals who don’t just show up and do their job but take real pride in what they do- whether they’re a dishwasher or sommelier. We celebrate these employees in front of the entire company and know that it not only makes them feel seen but inspires their peers as well.
Ask your employees to recognize their peers.
Each week we ask our managers to recognize their “Go Givers.” The term was coined by Bob Burg and is a core value of our entire organization. Internally our employees nominate and celebrate those who go above and beyond their job- maybe by pitching in to help someone else out when they didn’t even ask or by doing something “unreasonable” (Will Guidara) for one of our guests to create a memorable experience.
Encourage them to keep learning
We’ve had a number of chefs that were offered opportunities to go and learn from some of the best culinary talent in the country (an internship called a stage in the restaurant industry). We not only encourage those who get that chance, but we’ll pay for their time away as they learn to advance their craft. We had one chef who left for a one month stage and wound up spending 4 years out in California. When he was ready to come back, he had a job waiting for him.
Don’t ask them to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself.
There are many a Friday night where you’ll find me at our flagship restaurant bussing tables or running expo alongside the chef. I serve dishes at our city’s annual food festival, I work Thanksgiving Day, Easter brunch, New Year’s Eve….there is nothing I’d ask my employees to do that I haven’t or wouldn’t do myself.
Make yourself available.
Years ago, I started carving out time every month on my calendar for ‘Coffee with Carl’ sessions where young employees can essentially block time with me to talk about anything, ask me anything. It’s a great opportunity for me to learn about them and their professional aspirations as well. If they want to learn how to do what I did, I’m an open book.
Promote health and wellness.
We work in one of the hardest industries from a mental health and physical wellness standpoint. In addition to encouraging our employees to sign up as teams for community 5k and fun runs throughout the year and hosting step challenges every few months, all employees have access to mental, physical, legal and financial counseling through an employee assistance program. We also implemented a mandatory 30 day sabbatical for all corporate staff, executive chefs and GMs every 5 years.
Recognize their passions.
When you can recognize someone’s passion- even if it’s not the role they are currently in- that’s when the real magic happens. Jorge Baralles (who everyone calls Papi) started working for me in 1997 as a dishwasher. He was working two jobs at the time but always found time to make tacos for the staff before or after service. Everyone loved when Papi made tacos. I used to joke with him that one day we’d open a restaurant together. In 2013 we opened Papi’s Tacos together. In 2019 he became the sole owner and just opened a second location last year.
Create opportunity for growth.
If you are in a competitive market and want to retain your top talent, you need to find ways to keep them excited and engaged. 7 years ago we started a legacy program giving our employees a path to ownership. Since 2019 we’ve helped 5 employees own their own restaurant, that started out under the Table 301 umbrella.
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Since 2019, Carl Sobocinski has turned over 5 of his restaurants to employees of his Table 301 Hospitality. The now-owners are a mix of chefs, general managers and longtime employees- but they each took the initiative and opportunity that Carl put out in front of them to become their own restaurant owners. Read more at Table 301 Legacy – Table 301
