Good morning! Happy Turkey Day Week 🦃 — we’re feeling pretty grateful over here.

Speaking of gratitude…We know you’re thankful for your team. So, let’s talk about the secret sauce for keeping them happy because the restaurants that prioritize their people win.🥇

What’s on tap in this issue:

• Unhappy teams can run up a steep tab
• 3 brands crushing employee experience
• Your staff wants more than moolah

💗 An Attitude of Vendor Gratitude

This month, we're tipping our hats to the heroes who keep your facilities running smoothly — our stellar trades businesses. Our vendor directory is full of 3,000+ top-notch providers like Dan Melville from Brooklyn Avenue Plumbing, who has significantly grown his client base in the last 2 years after joining ResQ.

He attributes the growth to the ResQ team’s unwavering support. That’s just one example of our commitment to helping build lasting client-vendor relationships.

​​​​​Industry news

What’s cookin’ in the industry?

The hidden cost of unhappy teams

A grumpy crew means less revenue for you. 📉

The 2024 QSR Reputation Ranking report dropped some truth bombs about the impact of employee satisfaction:

• Negative reviews about salty staff attitudes are ⬆️ 22%
• Complaints about sub-par managers are ⬆️ 15%
• Customer-reported mistakes are ⬆️ 7%

If your team isn't thriving, your business won’t either. Unhappy employees can cost you thousands in miffed customers and low retention. The truth stings, and so does today’s cost of $2,305 to replace an hourly restaurant employee.

Experience is everything

Your staff are the gatekeepers of stellar customer experiences. Just think of a time ‘meh’ service ruined yours…

Know how to keep your employees happy? Here’s what industry leaders are doing 👇

🍳 First Watch eased the financial stress of caretaking. This breakfast chain cracked the code on work-life balance with subsidized child and elder care. Less stress at home means smoother service for guests.

🌯 Chipotle releases new Gen Z perks. Their new benefits cater to their Gen Z workforce, like debt-friendly 401(k)s, credit boosters, and free finance counseling. Freeing their team from financial distractions means burritos get wrapped with more love.

🍔 Dine Brands flipped part-time into prime careers. Dine Brands makes the case for lifelong careers with smart perks like adoption aid, career development plans, and doubled tuition reimbursement amounts.

What your team ACTUALLY wants

(Hint: It’s more than 💲)

7Shifts' 2024 Employee Engagement report spilled the tea on what keeps restaurant workers showing up with a smile:

✨ Flexibility is king. 56% of workers rank schedule flexibility as their top non-wage benefit.

🤝 Team vibes matter. 60% stay because of positive work relationships.

👊 Kudos work. 64% say a simple "great job" from leadership boosts satisfaction.

🏆 Perks, please. 47% say perks have a high impact on engagement. The new restaurant hustle isn’t just about tips — health insurance, PTO, and career paths are becoming must-haves for attracting and keeping top talent.

Timely tips

“To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.”

👏 Dole out kudos — Develop a recognition program to celebrate employees’ achievements and contributions. Offer incentives, shout-outs, or a formal program. Employees who receive regular recognition are 20x more likely to stay engaged and jazzed about their work, which directly impacts customer experience.

🌱 Encourage a “career mindset”  — Clear career pathways and ongoing training help employees envision a long-term future with you. Offering professional development opportunities, like training or mentorship programs, boosts morale and motivates employees to stick around longer.

👥 Support staff with time-saving tech — Solutions like ResQ streamline R&M requests, scheduling, and updates. With fewer delays and smoother equipment function, employees can focus on their core tasks without the frustration of frequent equipment issues, making their shifts more efficient and less stressful.

From the community​​​​​

How ResQ turned repair nightmares into dream shifts for Due’ Cucina’s team

Managing restaurant repairs can feel like juggling flaming meatballs — especially when broken equipment disrupts both employees and customers. For Due’ Cucina, scaling from one location to four highlighted just how much frustration maintenance mishaps caused their team.

Before ResQ, Filippo Fiori, Co-Founder of Due’ Cucina, felt like the ultimate middleman. A broken fridge? His team would flag it but couldn’t answer key questions when the tech arrived. Which part was broken? No one knew.

The result — delays, frustration, and a massive productivity drain.

Enter ResQ.

By centralizing equipment histories, warranty statuses, and vendor schedules, ResQ took the chaos out of maintenance. Instead of scrambling to solve problems, the team now easily handles minor issues and keeps operations running smoothly.

For Filippo and his team, this is more than a high-tech repair solution — it’s peace of mind. Employees work smarter, not harder, and the whole operation hums like a well-tuned pasta machine.

ResQ didn’t just fix Due’ Cucina’s maintenance woes — it helped create a workplace where the team can thrive.

Break time

Don’t let your staff turn into the “Soup Nazi”

Well-maintained equipment = less stressed staff = customers that come back for more than just the irresistible food

Don’t get the reference? Watch this. 🤣

— Kareem at ResQ

Know someone who’d gobble this info up? Forward this email to a peer!

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe to The Fix here.

Like this email? Reply and let us know what you think!

Shameless plug

What does ResQ do?

ResQ is the ONLY facilities management platform that streamlines restaurant R&M operations and enhances oversight.

Operators can efficiently track assets, create work orders quickly, and choose from a network of quality vendors to work with.

ResQ makes it possible to cut costs, save time, and scale — all at the same time

Love free samples? We do, too. Schedule a FREE demo to see how ResQ can help you kick R&M chaos to the curb.