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The Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA) understands that this industry experiences signifcant turnover. Often times, it seems as though you’ve just got a person trained and excelling in their position as they are handing you their apron and walking out the door to explore other opportunities. Part of this is the fuidity of the restaurant industry and the type of people who seek positions that offer fexible shifts or part-time employment. But, this doesn’t make the employer’s job any easier when it comes to staffng qualifed people who mesh well within a company’s culture.

It is also very expensive to train people – even experienced foodservice professionals – because they don’t know your particular concept. Even when people do appear to be the perfect ft, the restaurant industry is based on customer service. How often does one person’s bad day spell doom for those with whom they interact? This can be an employee, a purveyor dropping off supplies or even a guest whose tyrannical behavior leads to hurt feelings, an uncomfortable interaction or even termination.

Rather than placing all of your trust in new hires, it is quite valuable to invest in your experienced team members who not only know your business but are also connected to your guests. This is likely to not only strengthen your team but also to boost staff and brand loyalty. Often, the

best ambassadors for your brand are team members who promote your brand not only when they are serving guests but by positively representing your brand during their “off hours.” Their commitment to the brand can drive outside interest from others and even result in new candidates being identifed by those team leaders as valuable assets to your business.

So, what does investment mean? To learn more about the ways you can boost your team members’ skills, the ORA has compiled the articles found within the pages of this edition of à la Carte. We hope that you fnd value in the articles highlighting the relevance of sound background checks, the importance of strong hiring policies, the insight into social media hiring practices and much more.

ORA BOARD MEMBERS

Robert Abruzzi – Abruzzi’s Hot Peppers Lynn Brown – Outback Steakhouse Jerry Cagle – Gordon Food Service, Inc.

Gary Callicoat – The Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern Rick Cassara – John Q’s Steakhouse Thomas Coffman – Two Can Do, Inc. Joe Eulberg – Bob Evans Farms, Inc. Doug Fahrenholz – The Wasserstrom Company David Frissora – The Wendy’s Company Roy Getz – Raising Cane’s of Ohio

Brad Haber – Milano’s Atlantic City Submarines Labib Hajjar – The Beirut Restaurant Mike Haunert – Sysco Cincinnati, LLC Angela Hornsby – Yum! Brands, Inc.

Nick Kostis – Pickwick & Frolic Restaurant & Club Mario Parisi – Green Nature Mktg/I Supply Company Roger Parker – Mancy Brothers’ Catering, Inc. Ed Pickens – Ed Pickens’ Cafe on Main Ann Reichle – Angelina’s Pizza

Jamie Richardson – White Castle System, Inc. Michael Short – Royalwood Caterers Mike Sopko – Carrabba’s Italian Grill Michael Sylvester – Hide-A-Way Buffalo Grill Sheila Trautner – Taste Hospitality Group Dan Young – Young’s Jersey Dairy, Inc. Joan Wagner – Plaza Inn Family Restaurant, NRA Liaison to the ORA

Ohio Restaurant Association à la Carte (ISSN 1524-5411) is published 4 times a year (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) by the Ohio Restaurant Association, 1525Bethel Road, Suite #201, Columbus, OH43220-2054. Subscription $8 per year for association members only. Periodical Class Postage paid at Columbus, OH and additional mailing offces.

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Page 4 - alacarte_Summer12_FlipBook